#studying for a math exam -> lots practice problems

[buggbuzz]

orgo 2 exam #3 tomorrow 😭😭 a little behind on studying but i still have time in the morning cause all i need to do really is the practice exam.

just wish i knew what's gonna be on the exam's reference sheet because theres like 25 complex reactions w/ unique reagents and rules i have to memorize on top of other stuff 💀

but considering i got a 79% on exam 2 with relatively similar study methods i should be okay!! i just want this to be over already 🙏

[artdisease]

nerdjo (nerd gojo) hcs

reposting stuff from twt + google docs, i'm still here w/ this nerdy lovable fella

nerdjo studies in either physics, something science related along w/ combining math as his major (or maybe both physics and math, pretty much as a quantitative analyst in a way)

he'd be the one w/ both the brains and the looks (he may not know this), he'd be smug over what he knows and the more knowledge he has despite being a huge flustered mess over his crush (aka you, y/n.)

his room would be filled w/ his digimon collection, figurines, posters plastered up on the walls that contain his interests, whatever he's studying in, motivation type stuff, pretty much anything to make it cool and cozy for him.

nerdjo helps you out w/ studying that he becomes your tutor on the subject you desperately need help in (+ failing at the same time)

nerdjo would also be the type to give you a mini test on your knowledge, juuuuust to make sure you were paying attention to what he was saying (mind you, he knows a lot more about) so it'd be his own version of trivia night but it's the subject at hand, if you get it correct, he rewards you w/ something of his choosing. if you get it wrong, he'd get all cocky while poking fun at you in the most playful way imaginable.

he'd get flustered when he gets the chance to see you (almost all the time for the study sessions) that his glasses practically almost fall off however does manage to put them back on in the right place

!! especially when you try pretty much anything and i mean ANYTHING to get him to react like this such as giving him sweet kisses, wrapping your arms around him while he's trying to explain how to solve the problem at hand, cupping his face gently, etc., he tries to contain himself during these sessions to the point of becoming nervous/embarrassed from it that you find it adorable that you'd want to do that more often.

also on the topic of him trying to remain calm in front of you, he'd do the same thing over the possibility of doing something way more intimate w/ you than just holding hands, hugging, kissing, that sort of stuff. he'd also jolt from the touch of your fingers on his neck to the point of his whole body shivering.

he'd focus so much on what's he’s reading about, studying or rather what's in front of him while he's sitting (especially w/ having his legs crossed over or stretching out), having the pencil tucked between his ear or placing it in his mouth, even readjusting his glasses from time to time as well, however forgets and almost lets them fall off before picking them up.

nerdjo also gets eyebags due to the amount of studying, assignments, homework and projects and lack of sleep he has to the point that he ends up falling asleep at his desk w/ the book replacing a pillow instead.

he definitely has a sleeper build, he reveals it to you after walking through the rain w/ him to where you'd end up in his room filled w/ merchandise of his interests, it'd feel like you witnessed a sculpture come to life.

MORE NERDJO STUFF HOORAY!!

nerdjo as your boyfriend would be super sweet + caring towards you, still helping you w/ assignments and study for exams. he'd take you on dates to the aquarium, the arcade, any sweets shop for that matter, just to make the two of you happy and to have some relief from all the schoolwork.

(i'll include this last one unless if i edit it out but i'd like to introduce you to dark academia!gojo from june of 2024)

dark!academia gojo would have an entire library that have shelves filled w/ so much classic literature along w/ poetry and writing, for instance, if you asked him if he had this or that, he'd immediately have it while casually holding it in his hands while you're describing it to him like he knows, he sees and reads all...

[agirlwithglam]

studying for exam week! 📑🎀📚

hi loves! so i have tests & exams coming up so in case it would help anyone else, i'm gonna be talking about my study schedule including some more additional things like mindsets and other actions that keep me motivated!

routine!

i have latin, spanish, 2 math, 2 science and a geography paper coming up. for me, the priority is the math, science and spanish tests so i will be focussing more on those.

so here's how i'd make a game plan:

choose the priority subjects, so you know what you need to work on.

do practice papers/ whatever revision technique that works for that subject. then anytime you make a mistake, note it down somewhere so you know thats something you may have to touch on ex: for studying math, i do practice papers and any time i don't know how to do a question/ get something wrong, i make sure to write it down somewhere so i know what i need to remember/ work on.

if creating a rigid schedule that u must follow after school doesn't work for you, create a bare minimum of studying that you need to do daily so even if u have literally 10 mins, you can still do something. what i do is that for the very bare minimum, I do at least a certain set of practice math questions everyday. that way even if i don't have too much time to do a lot of studying, i don't just put it off and say "oh i only have 20-30 mins, i'll just do it tmrw"

a couple things i'll be doing to keep me sane & motivated: 🎆🧁

~ changing up the environment. i'll go to starbucks or a nearby boba shop, or you can stay late at the school library- that way you can't get distracted, or if you can only stay at home, JAZZ IT UPP! work on the floor, in the living room, on the dining/ coffee table, or if ur on ur table, move some things around, light up candles, play different types of music to fully just romanticise and change things up!

~ study buddies - it can be really discouraging and boring to study all day long, but remember: you're not in it alone! find a friend who you can study with and won't get distracted. sometimes this won't be ur bff or someone you're super close to but maybe the girl you sit next to in math class who's very academic will be the one who you can face time when ur at home to study together and if one of you has questions, you can ask the other!

~ during study breaks... there is so much you can do which is so satisfying and fun + will motivate you to keep going like for example;

scrolling through pinterest in a study board/ for study motivation. (i have an academic weapons pinterest board with videos, images, quotes, etc that motivate me to try harder!)

watch gilmore girls or smth

read a book you ACTUALLY like

listen to upbeat music that u love and dance (or you can just sit and chill to let urself regenerate)

take a quick video of yourself and check in with what you've done so far

~ create an aesthetic notion page! this will 10x your fun in studying, TRUST ME. you can either search up on yt 'how to make a notion for studying' or check notion's library as they have loads of options! (or ofc u can make one urself based on ur own needs and wants <3 )

the mentality & reasons to study: 💋☕️

girl these mindsets is what has and will get me fighting through the studying & wanting to reach for even more!! i KNOW that at the very least, one of them will get u fighting harder. so here are some of mindsets/ reasons to study!

aint no way i'm going to let that stupid stereotype of "men are smarter" to be true

the thought of a man saying "you're nothing without me" disgusts me SO MUCHHH

the devil couldn't reach me so now he's trying to bring me down with distractions and hard math problems. AM I GOING TO LET HIM WIN???

become everything i would ever want in someone else.

becoming everything i would ever want to be MYSELF. - an act of true self love.

i have things to do in my life. i am going to become a powerful, confident, rich woman.

because being educated and smart is so freaking attractive like to myself personally.

i want to be the top of my class.

learning! sometimes we often forget that the purpose of the tests is to ensure that we've truly learnt the information. so develop an interest in learning to things! in becoming cultured, educated, rich in knowledge because thats what makes you so powerful.

i am the beauty & brains

inspiring icons: 💬👠

1) emma watson

"Don't let anyone tell you what you can and can't do or achieve. Do what you want to do and be who you want to be."

i love this queen so much its unreal. she's everything i wanna be. shes a strong, confident, educated woman who is also so beautiful. also hermione granger is an amazing studying icon as well (played by emma watson). she prioritises herself & her education over anything else thats irrelevant yet still maintains that feminine aspect by being kind and empathetic (though you'll never catch her letting someone walk over or take advantage of her). she's articulate, well spoken, and confident in herself & who she is which is the type of mindset i need in the test!!

2) blair waldorf

"destiny is for losers. it's just a stupid excuse to wait for things to happen instead of making them happen." she ate with that one. oh and another one: "forget boys, keep your eyes on the prize" . she has so many iconic quotes i cold make a whole post listing them but i will leave these 2 for now.

i love blair waldorf's study ethic and determination, i think its something we all should strive for. she knows how to handle herself, she knows what she wants, and she gets it + doesn't let anyone distract her or get in her way. no matter what. thats what i admire about her! the vibe is posh, elegant, studying in a way where you get everything done <3

3) kat stratford

"you forget, i don't care what people think"

ugh i love her and her i hate men attitude lowkey. she's so confident in herself and she does not try to please anyone else but her. shes also so educated and knows what she wants & aint afraid to be herself! QUEENNN

when i'm pretending to be her/ studying like her, i feel like it gives the vibe of studying furiously, angry in a way and not letting anyone or anything get in your way because you're literally just better than that.

BMAC

[wosostories]

Workload (Gotham FC x Teen!Reader)

Gotham x Teen!Reader

Summary: 16 year old reader has signed with Gotham FC and is struggling to find balance between school and sport with finals and the NWSL Championship both quickly approaching.

You sigh as you close your laptop for the night, you mean morning. It was just after 2:00 when you finished your history essay, calc assignment, and studying for your chemistry test the next day. Plus on top of that, starting to find all of your materials for your upcoming exams. 

It’s not even that you were pushing it all off to the last minute. It’s just the course work that you get every night is impossible to get done that night on top of the training you have with Gotham FC and your ADHD. 

You would put off doing your school work to get more sleep if you could, but your school has told you multiple times that they would revoke your work permit if you didn’t keep your grades up and get all of your assignments in on time. 

You sigh again and finally head to bed to hopefully get a couple hours before morning lift. Your alarm goes off two and a half hours later and you drag yourself out of bed. It takes you half an hour to get ready and have your things together before Lynn picks you up for training. 

When you get in the car Kristi and Lynn are already pumped up and jamming to Lynn’s playlist. You let them continue on as you tuck yourself in the back seat and try not to fall back asleep. 

“You ok kid?” Lynn asks you turing the music down. “You look a little tired.”

“Ya, just didn’t get very much sleep last night. Had a lot of homework to get done after practice.” 

“You’ve been saying that a lot recently,” Krisite pipes in, “You sure you’re getting enough rest.”

“Ya it’s just that time of year. We're coming up on exams and the NWSL Championship.” 

“You can talk to coach. I'm sure he’d understand if you needed to miss a few practices.” They tried convincing you. 

“No, it's fine. Nothing I haven’t handled before.” You all arrive at the training facility just in time to get into the lifting room. 

“Alright let's get started.” They start with stretching and then pair up to go through their specialized lifting workout for the day. You end up with Jenna Nightswonger due to your similar workout needs. 

“Are you ok Y/N. You’ve been yawning for the last 30 minutes. Which has been the entire time we’ve been here.” 

“I’m fine. Just up a little later than I probably should have been getting my homework done.”

“If you’re sure.”

They finish the lift session another 30 minutes later and you leave the rest of your team to get to school on time. You are able to make your way through the day with a quick nap during lunch and eating while working on your revions during study hall. And as soon as the bell lets you out you are back on your way to the training facility for afternoon practice. 

Your movements are slow and sluggish throughout practice as you try to keep up with the quick movements of your teammates. During all of your breaks you have an assignment out and are slowly making your way through them. 

“Hey Y/N, come here for a second.” Ali calls you over with about 45 minutes left of practice. 

“Ya hold on just one sec.” You call back as you finish up the last math problem on the worksheet. As soon as you are done you jog over to the older player. “Ya what’s up?” 

“We're all just a little worried about you. You seem a little out of it today.”

“I’m fine,” you sigh out a little frustrated. “Will everyone stop asking me that?”

“Hey now, there’s no need for that. We're just trying to help.” You sigh again. 

“I know. It’s all just a lot. I think that it might be getting to me a little.”

“That’s ok. When's the last time you got a full night of sleep?” You look down knowing that you will answer if you look at her. “Alright grab your stuff.”

“W-what?”

“Grab your things, I’m going to take you home. Then you’re going to finish anything due tomorrow then go to sleep. And you aren’t going to be coming to practice tomorrow.”

“But the championships are…”

“Not starting until next week. There is still plenty of time. But if you get hurt then it won't matter.” 

You sigh. Ali leads you over to your things and you start packing them up as Ali goes to talk to coach. She comes back over with the ok from coach. “And he said if you show up to practice at any point tomorrow he will bench you for the first game of the tournament.”

You nod, “I won’t come tomorrow. I’ll get my work done and get a good night’s rest.” 

“Good and next time it gets too much, just let us know. You’re still just a kid. It’s our job to help you so let us.”

“I will.”

“Good.”

[themiddleofmichigan]

As a math major, I am simply enchanted by the idea of Neil Josten, Math Major. Please enjoy this collection of headcanons I came up with to cope with studying mathematics.

Neil is a pure math guy. There are two big camps of mathematics: pure and applied. Applied math is about applying math to other fields (physics, engineering, finance, etc.), while pure math is like math for the sake of doing math (read: a lot less employable). Neil picking the math major because he's good at math and kind of likes it is a very Pure Math thing to do.

Neil has a whiteboard, possibly multiple whiteboards. Whiteboards are the ultimate tool of mathematics. Sometimes Neil gets stuck on a problem for hours; hunched over his mini whiteboard, working through it over and over again. His fingers get covered in the expo marker residue and it leaves a black mark when he scratches his nose. Andrew huffs that he looks like a chimney sweep and rubs it off with his sleeve (he absolutely does NOT find it adorable, shut up, Nicky). Also, around exams Neil will drag Andrew to the library so he can do his practice problems on the Big Whiteboards. The other people in the library stare at them because this little ginger is filling multiple whiteboards with weird symbols and greek letters; Neil doesn't notice because he's oblivious, Andrew notices and it makes him a smug bf.

One time one of the Foxes asks him for help with their statistics homework and he gives it a shot, because how different could it be? They both quickly find out that he knows absolutely nothing about statistics. "What IS that?" "That's a matrix, it has the variances in it." "Well then why does it have an apostrophe by it?" "That means you flip it around." "That's TRANSPOSING and you notate it with a T" "Aren't you supposed to be some kind of math genius? Shouldn't you know how to do this?" "This isn't math, this is blasphemy."

Aaron has to take calculus for the MCAT and puts it off for as long as possible because he hates math. His TA for the course sucks and he struggles through it for weeks before Katelyn manages to convince him to ask Neil for help. Neil pretends to be annoyed, but he's secretly kind of looking forward to it because calculus is fun and it's nice to do math you already know for a change. When you're an upperclassman in a math degree, though, your brain gets warped by all the theoretical math, and it's hard to get into the mindset to teach something like Calc I. This leads to semiregular hostile tutoring sessions in the dorm, we're talking real Dad Trying to Help You With Your Math Homework at the Kitchen Table type energy. "BUT HOW DID YOU KNOW TO DO THAT?!" "It's a vector space, Aaron, I don't see what you're not understanding here." "A vector WHAT" Andrew chain smokes through these. He has to start leaving the dorm because he's pretty sure the calculus is going to drive him to lung cancer.

The statistics incident gives Neil a totally reasonable grudge against statistics. He eventually gives it up, but only so he can take an elective about sports statistics, because he has exy brain worms.

[skamenglishsubs]

Subtext and Culture, Young Royals, Season 3, Episode 4

Last episode ended with Simon coming home to a smashed window, this episode starts the morning after, Simon takes the bus to school, while Wilhelm is anxiously waiting for him.

Culture: At a high school level in Sweden, there's national tests in Swedish, English, and Math. Like everywhere else, the purpose of these tests is not only to grade students, but to align all schools across the country to combat grade inflation.

Blink and you miss it: Vincent is trying to cheat by looking at Nils' answers.

Blink and you miss it: Vincent draws a dick in the gravel while waiting for the others to be done with the test.

Subtext: This entire episode is overflowing with examples of privilege. For Vincent, and many other rich kids like him, studying and learning doesn't matter, they'll graduate regardless, so he doesn't care about the exam, he only cares about the graduation party.

Cinematography: Even with Felice and friends being completely blurred out in the background, you can still see Stella and Fredrika turning to look at Sara, and then turning their backs on her.

Culture: In the US, a lot of people are using "socialism" as a catch-all phrase which means politics they don't agree with, regardless of its actual ideology. Likewise, in Sweden, a lot of people use "communist" in the same way about generally left-wing politics, which is what Vincent is doing here.

Subtext: Wilhelm asks Simon if he can reconcile the conflict of dating a royal while being anti-monarchy, but the real question is of course if Wilhelm can reconcile the conflict in himself.

Subtext: This is where the show's political stance shines through, and this argument, that Wilhelm wasn't allowed to choose his life for himself, is the main argument they're gonna use in the finale.

Subtext: Wilhelm is weakly defending the monarchy, but just ends up repeating what his mother told him; it's a privilege, not a punishment, but does he believe it himself?

Subtext: The letter-to-yourself plot is mainly there in order to help August along his redemption arc, but here the show is using it to reinforce the point of the previous scene. Who does Wilhelm want to become? Does he have a choice?

Culture: In Sweden, Säkerhetspolisen, SÄPO, is the government agency in charge of national security, which includes providing security and assigning bodyguards to the royal family.

Subtext: Note the great use of passive voice here by Farima to avoid taking responsibility for the decision to force August to join the birthday foundation event. She's also expertly bargaining with Wilhelm to get what she wants.

Subtext: We know it was the far-right assholes who posted comments to Simon's videos a couple of episodes ago.

Blink and you miss it: Jan-Olof really perks up when Linda talks about moving to Gothenburg, because that would probably mean the end to the relationship between Wilhelm and Simon, which would solve all of his current problems.

Subtext: Like Farima, he bargains with Linda and Simon to get what he wants, for Simon to stop posting things to social media. It's almost as if their strategy was to do nothing at the start, waiting for things to blow up so they could swoop in, help out, and start making demands in exchange...

Blink and you miss it: The option to inactivate and hide your social media account is right there, but of course Simon has to choose to delete everything, because it will cause more drama and anguish.

Blink and you miss it: Fencing! Woohoo! I did fencing for five years as a kid until 8th grade or something, but I only did foil, and not épée like these students. I have absolutely no idea where these two are coming from or going to though, where would they practice? Is there a hidden fencing hall somewhere on the grounds that we haven't seen yet? How many kids at Hillerska are fencing? Also, he's carrying a practice blade and not an electric competition blade, so that checks out. Of the three types of modern fencing, épée is unique in that the entire body counts as a valid target, while in foil only the torso counts, and in sabre only the upper half counts. Oh wow, it looks like the gear is now wireless and every fencer carries their own indicator lights. Cool! Back in my day you had to be strapped in with a cord for competitions.

This tumblr is now about French School fencing. Allez! Touché!

Subtext: The narrative is that it's perfectly ok for the crown prince to be gay, as long as he's not gay gay.

Culture: The show keeps saying this, but in real world Sweden it's no longer the case. Supporting los jibbities is viewed as a completely mainstream and inoffensive opinion, on par with supporting human rights in general.

Subtext: Another example of privilege is being in a position to do a lot of good, and then just not caring about it. Simon is fighting for the causes he believes in, so seeing Wilhelm just casually throw it away is extremely disappointing for him.

Subtext: Unlike Vincent, August is actually a natural leader, someone people listen to, which is why he manages to quiet down the room when Vincent is unable to. Maybe a good quality in a future king?

Subtext: Simon is continuing the argument from before. Wilhelm could have shown solidarity with mental health causes or LGBT causes, but chose not to. However, he immediately decided to join in solidarity with the other rich kids protesting the school rules, which is rather selfish.

Subtext: Colour theory! Sara in purple, because part of the reason she's back at school is that August asked her to? And Simon in yellow, because he sure isn't loving Wilhelm very much right now.

Subtext: Just a reminder that Sara has actually been completely out of the loop since the end of season 2. She has no idea about the school rules, what's happened at home, how it's going with Simon and Wilhelm, or what's happening at school.

Blink and you miss it: Fredrika is so close to stop striking as soon as she's threatened with repercussions.

Subtext: I keep hammering this point home: The culture is in the walls, it's not something some of the kids made up. The visiting alumni were also hazed as new students and kept it going as third years. Same for the parents of all these kids. They're all part of the system, they all kept the cycles of abuse going, because they want the school to be like that.

Subtext: Privilege is thinking you can get things your way with almost no effort. None of these kids have ever struggled or protested something for real and then not been given what they wanted, so they seriously believed they'd win immediately.

Subtext: Another theme of this season is bringing secrets out in the open. We've all seen August struggling with body dysmorphia and an eating disorder since season 1, but no-one has ever called it out and put words on it, until Simon immediately recognizes it and calls it out.

Subtext: ...while the rich kids are just stuck in denial, because eating disorders is for poor people or something, it's not something that happens to them. And if it did, you certainly wouldn't admit it to anyone else.

Subtext: August tries to jokingly fend off Nils because he doesn't want anyone to know that the letter actually meant something to him, until Nils pushes too hard, and August punches him.

Subtext: Vincent talked a big game about striking in solidarity, but when they're caught as hilariously unprepared as they are, they're not pooling their resources in solidarity with each other, and instead resort to selling them to the highest bidder. Capitalism in a nutshell, illustrated perfectly by the behaviour of spoiled rich kids. Also, pet peeve, the English word for the currency of Sweden is "kronor", not "crowns".

Lost in translation: They're actually repeating a single word in Swedish, "svikare", which is pretty hard to translate. The verb, "svika", is a bit worse than letting someone down, but not as bad as betraying someone. The adjective, "besviken" typically means disappointed. So "svikare" means a person who is letting other people down, disappointing them, or betraying them.

Subtext: The culture is in the walls of the place, but the kids are also pretty damn complicit in continuing all the shitty traditions. This looks like a game of strip poker or truth or dare that went off the rails and just resulted in more bullying, with everyone joining in.

Subtext: The other girls are upset with Felice because she broke the code. You don't snitch to outsiders, you don't tell the truth, you keep up appearances.

Blink and you miss it: Henry won the potato chip auction, happily ate the entire bag, and passed out in a chair, clutching the bag. Mmmm, sourcream and onion.

Subtext: Speaking of closing ranks towards the outside, this also applies to this strike. It would be bad PR for the school if anyone outside found out that it happened, so it's better to solve it quietly and discreetly. Vanessa can trust the kids not to snitch. Vincent is also right, the parents, who are paying the tuition fees, are on their side.

Subtext: Felice can't be seen talking to Sara, so she checks that the coast is clear, and then drags Sara into a private bathroom to have their conversation.

Subtext: Likewise, Sara was probably Felice's first real friend.

Subtext: Nice little foreshadowing. I would have loved seeing Simon's drawing though!

Subtext: Well, he could have just made his social media private, but the show has to maximize the drama, so here we are, piling on more examples of how Simon is losing himself to the monarchy, that maybe he can't reconcile the conflict.

Subtext: Erik spent three years living at Hillerska, of course he wouldn't have told his then twelve year old kid brother about all the shit going on at the school. August spent an entire year living with Erik at the school, seeing what went on first hand, so of course he knows a side of Erik that Wilhelm doesn't.

Subtext: August has been trying to keep his mouth shut and avoid Wilhelm, but since they have yet another fight, he decides to drop the bomb about Erik to hurt Wilhelm.

Subtext: Again, the culture is in the walls. This is not something that only Erik's class did, once. It's probably been happening to all the boys for decades. It happened to the current second-year students, it happened to Erik, and lots of students before him who kept this shitty initiation tradition going.

Culture: Let's talk about the gay porn hazing a bit more. To me, this is an urban legend. I heard about it when I was a teenager back in the 90's, but I don't personally know anyone it happened to, or anyone who did it to anyone else. It was always hearsay, it happened to a friend of a friend's brother, or a classmate's cousin's friend or something similar, as is typical of urban legends.

Let's also make one thing absolutely clear: It doesn't work. The homophobic idea behind this shit is that if you are forced to watch gay porn and get a boner, you are gay, and if you don't, you're straight. But that is actually not true, erections don't work that way, and the fear of being found out is quite the boner killer. Also, what if you like guys, but the guys in the porno aren't your type? There's just so many ignorant misconceptions behind this idea.

I've also seen a lot of fan comments that keep playing into this ignorance; that the only reason Nils decided to stop the tradition was because he obviously failed it. Or that the only reason August is against it is because he failed, and the only reason he failed is because he's secretly not straight. No. Remember that the test doesn't work. Nils probably passed, despite actually being gay. August might have failed, despite being completely straight. Regardless of what happened, they both found it humiliating, and that is why they made a pact to stop it.

[abbysimsfun]

Sims In Bloom: Generation 2 Pt. 89 (Reanimating a New Friend)

content tease: at least one pic of Lavender, at pretty much her cutest yet, is hidden below the cut.

The sun hadn't come up when Conrad heard Lavender babbling in her crib upstairs. Heather dozed peacefully at his side but he hadn't slept, staring at the ceiling with his mind clouded by stress. He got up quietly to greet his daughter, passing a sleeping Felix Psyded, Esquire, on the living room sofa.

"Daaa baaa," she cooed, and Conrad took Lavender downstairs to fill a bottle for her. When he reached the landing, the apparition in their living room was already awake.

"Morning," they said to each other. Polite, succinct. Once the bottle was ready, he took Lavender into the bedroom to feed her. Conrad didn't know whether infants could even see ghosts, but he wasn't about to introduce her to one, anyway.

He left the door open for their pets, and Felix approached cautiously. Conrad nodded, barely turning his attention from his little girl, and Felix slowly floated inside. Heather stayed sound asleep and the ghostly apparition glanced away from her with a start. "I'm sorry, I should not see your fiancee in bed."

"This is our bedroom. What did you think you'd see, Felix?"

"Esq-"

"Don't."

Felix sighed, glancing warmly as Conrad fed his daughter. "I want to apologize for my behaviour last night. It was unbecoming and the truth is, I acted that way out of jealousy. I told you last night how hard it was to lose the woman I loved, and you're a very fortunate man with a beautiful family. I thought you seemed ungrateful."

"I'm not ungrateful."

"I know. I may have misread you."

Conrad smiled at his daughter as she finished her bottle and he held her up to burp her. "It's alright. I wasn't really myself last night, anyway."

"I would like to start over. If everyone you know speaks so highly of you, you must be a good man, and I don't want my... overconfidence ...to get in the way of making a friend. That's been a problem of mine for over one hundred fifty years."

Conrad put Lavender in her toasty unicorn onesie before setting her down to practice tummy time. As a wiggly baby who could already roll over to her stomach, she loved to practice on her own, and would try to pull herself up to greet their pets.

"I'd be happy to start over," said Conrad. "But I'm only ever calling you Esquire if we're in a courtroom."

"Once I've eaten the ambrosia, if it works I'll head back to Britechester and not impose further. I think I'm just about ready to retake the modern bar exam. I've tried to stay current and I know quite a lot already, but when I get back, I'll study up! If you and Heather need an attorney on retainer, I'd be happy to offer my services free of charge. As my first clients this century, and the ones who helped me live again, you'll never owe me a penny."

"Is that how you plan to live your second chance at life? As a lawyer?"

"I've loved exploring the world as a ghost, but there's something comforting about returning home to live my life again - like I'm picking up right where I left off. But I've never been able to work just one job, and moonlighting as a ghost historian suits me just as well as legal work. I'll make most of my income from law, but I know the historical research will be equally fulfilling."

"Sounds like a pretty good plan, Felix."

Ash came bounding down the stairs then, heading toward the kitchen to get breakfast. "Did you say you're a ghost? Conrad, is there really a ghost in our house? Wow! Arron Kalani will never believe this!"

"Hello, young child. Felix Psyded, Esquire, at your service."

"I'm Ash and I'm six! How old are you, Mr. Esquire? Are you over a hundred?"

"Not really. I've been dead that long, but I was born in 1879, died in 1915."

Genius Ash needed less than a minute to do the math, joining Felix in the living room with a breakfast burrito. "So you've been 36 for one-hundred forty-one years? What's that like?"

"It's not as fun as being alive," said the ghost. "I miss it, so your parents agreed to make me a food called ambrosia."

"Conrad's not my dad. When he and my mom get married he'll be my stepdad, but I call him that already. My dad lives in San Myshuno in a big penthouse. What will ambrosia do?"

"If it's made correctly, it will reanimate me. I'll rejoin the living and be skin and bones again, just like you."

"Food can do that?"

"This is a very special food." He stood respectfully when Heather finally roused herself from the bedroom. She'd slept in a bit after their late night at the bar, trusting her techs to manage the clinic while she rested.

"Will you be skin and bones again when I get back from school later?"

"I think as soon as I'm corporeal again, I'm heading straight back to Britechester. Home is where the heart is, after all. But I'll see Conrad and your mother again. They've put me in charge of a little research project on some town history."

"I hope I'll get to see you again, too, Mr. Esquire. I've heard about ghosts and some are really scary, but you're a friendly ghost! Like Casper, but you're not a little boy."

Felix smiled. "I should hope we'll meet again, young Ash."

"Can I stay home from school and watch the ambrosia work?"

Conrad shook his head. "Not a chance, buddy. We'll let you know how it goes."

Ash moaned, but he took his empty plate to the kitchen and left for school on time.

Meanwhile, Heather prepared ambrosia to the exact specifications in the newsletter. One angelfish purchased by Conrad from the Magic Realm. One death flower grown in their backyard from a seed her astrobotanist mother had cultivated the previous winter. And two ounces of a silver-tinted Potion of Youth they'd received from the Ambrosia Society as they marked off tasks in each newsletter.

She watched the fish cook slowly over the stove, finally plating the finished dish as Felix waited in anticipation.

"It smells nothing like I imagined. This is so exciting! I can only hope to repay this kindness by learning everything you want to know about your old man at the museum."

Felix pulled out a fork to dig in as Heather's phone rang. "That's work. They need help with a surgery, but I can drop Lavender at daycare on my way. Will you help Felix before you leave for work? And be nice?"

"We made up this morning," said Conrad. "We'll be fine."

He stood to kiss her goodbye, returning to the kitchen as Felix finished the entire plate of ambrosia. Staring at the empty plate, he smiled as an ethereal glow seemed to burn off him. The apparition stood as his body warmed. A force lifted him in the air, as a bolt of energy shot through every inch of his spectral frame.

The force let go and his body spun toward the earth, so fast he thought his head might swivel off entirely. But he looked down at his hands; they were as flesh and bone as the day he died. He touched his face in awe. "It worked! It actually worked!"

Conrad smiled. "Congratulations."

"My debt to you and Miss Heather can never truly be repaid, but I assure you I will try."

"We appreciate that, but just restart your life for now. Get used to living in Britechester again, and let us know when you're settled in."

"I did want to ask a few more questions about your man before I go, if you have the time. But you mentioned his appearance last night and I couldn't help but notice some of your beautiful family photos hanging around the house. The photos of you as a younger man, your father is with you, I presume?"

"Yeah, that's my Dad. The old man sorta looked like him, but more from a distance than up close."

"And you said he offered to show you around the lighthouse after hours, but he walked out of the museum?"

He nodded. "Are you trying to track his movements?"

"Well, Sargent, ghosts don't move like people do, so not exactly. But if he's a ghost, where you met matters. It could be a clue to his identity, or have something to do with the message he's trying to send."

"What message?"

"Older ghosts' unfinished business is less about sticking around, and typically more about making sure the people they love have what they need to go on without them. Sometimes the messages are about lost heirlooms worth thousands, and sometimes it's just to let their loved ones know they'll be okay, since Grim doesn't pass on last words. When he wouldn't tell my dear Maude my last message to her, it hardened my resolve not to cross over."

"Did you ever get to tell her?"

Felix frowned. "I did...But a new chance at life beckons! No sense dwelling on the last one, now."

The new man had no suitcase and Conrad sent him on his way. But as he dressed for work, there was a knock at the door. ->

<- Previous Chapter | Gen 2 Start | Gen 1 Summary | Gen 1 Start

[onigiriforears]

After approx. 2-3 months of studying Japanese I started to read free graded readers online and then graduated to a collection of short stories that I purchased off of Amazon. I thought that the reason I was starting to have trouble understanding sentences was because I didn't know enough vocabulary but it was because I neglected grammar completely. It was sorta drilled into my head off of Youtube creators to just study kanji, vocab and simple sentences as much as possible before even touching grammar. I feel absolutely lost, dude. I am at the 5 month mark now. I can "breeze through" kanji for the most part. (as in, I can actually retain it in a decent amount of time) I decided to study grammar about a week ago. It is SO FREAKING HARD. I don't know if there's something wrong with me or what. I don't know if it's supposed to feel like what I thought I knew is being ripped apart at the seams, stapled together, and then torn apart again....but it does.

Do you have any tips for learning grammar? Is this feeling normal? Can you tell me when the pressure in my skull will subside? I am using Bunpro's free trial but I'm unsure if this tool will actually help me. I write tons of notes to flip through but I still fail to give them the nuanced answer they're looking for. I really enjoy the setup of Bunpro and I want to like it since it's similar to WK but I'm not sure if I'm going too fast or there's a better way to learn. I stopped learning 5 new grammar points a day and started doing only 2. (I also have Genki I and watch GameGengo. He explains things in a way that's easy for my brain to understand.) Sorry for the long post but any insight would be appreciated. I'm a bit nervous asking people in the language learning community for help or insight because a lot of them treat it as a way to show how fast they learned/1-up others. Tumblr's langlearn community is a lot different with what I've seen (or maybe I'm just following the right ppl lol)

Hi! Thank you so much for waiting for this response--I'm sorry it took so long. Your message was one of the ones that popped up when they locked my ask box (they actually still haven't answered me on why it was locked so 🤷‍♀️). To make up for that, I'm gonna be longwinded because I think that this is a super valid and important question that others may also want to know the answer to!!

Pls pls PLEASE DM me if none of this is helpful or if you'd like to talk more about what you think you need help with!!

I think that sometimes when we're learning a new language that we know is so overwhelmingly different from our own language, we focus on the things that we think will be the main hinderance and sometimes we forget the key points. You might be thinking "how did I forget grammar?" but I would say don't beat yourself up about it! Many of us focus on the things that we think are our problems(--the last time I studied for the JLPT, I focused on my weak point too much and then was frustrated with myself during the exam bc I neglected the other areas.)

I don't want to lie to you and say that learning grammar is going to get easier because that's not the case for everyone. Think of learning grammar vs everything else as learning different types of math or science--have you ever had a friend that was absolutely phenomenal at algebra or calculus but couldn't do geometry? Or a friend that was wonderful lab partner in chemistry but struggled in biology? They're struggling in biology because it requires a ton of rote memorization in comparison to practical application and math that's present in chemistry and rote memorization may not necessarily be their strong point. Personally, I think that's also why a lot of us struggle with certain grammar points. There are some that just click with us immediately and then there are others that we have to see over and over and over and over and over--you get the point--just for us to find a single sentence with it that we understand. If you're math oriented, we need to figure out a way to no longer make grammar points rote memorization for you, but to turn it into a formula of some sort. I actually write my notes out in ways that are like that--I use plus signs (+) in my notes not because the textbooks use them but because my brain genuinely reads it as "noun + particle + grammar point = a sentence that makes sense" because, for me, formulas don't fail. Your weak point doesn't have to be your weakness--you can turn the weakness into a strength that works just for you.

I've been going at this for years and every single professor or Japanese friend (or even people from the discord server) I have can tell you that I've struggled with pretty much any grammar point that included ~ように--and it wasn't because I wasn't trying, but because I couldn't find myself using any sentences that with those grammar points because I found the alternatives/similar ones to make more sense. Surprisingly, it wasn't until I was reading 夜カフェ for our book club that I was actually able to start grasping the meaning (ngl, I still haven't used it myself--I'm notorious for using alternatives); I was finally witnessing it being used in a way that made sense in my brain.

The frustration you're feeling when you encounter a new grammar point or overload yourself with too many things in one go is completely normal and I promise that a ton of us in the Japanese langblr community have definitely experienced it too! It probably feels like everything you know is being ripped apart because your native language may have a SVO (subject-verb-object) format while Japanese has a SOV (subject-object-verb) format--your 1-to-1 translations for your notes may not be helpful in the beginning because you're still trying to wrap your brain around the fact that your words still need to go in another order than you're used to. And then you add the new grammar points and concepts on top of that (like particles and other things) and it can become overwhelming and frustrating. Sometimes, you're going to find some grammar points just downright annoying--especially when you find that there's no equivalency to it in your own language. But don't give up!

I know this is a super cliché thing to say, but practicing them will help. If you can, I would make note of the grammar points that you're struggling with, try to make sentences with them, and ask somebody to check them and explain exactly why (or why not) they're working and then ask them for examples because they may have an even better way of explaining it to you than what you've come up with for yourself!

I can look back at old notes and see when I wrote a sentence as an example just because a textbook/professor used it but I didn't actually understand why it worked at the time and then I can also find notes where the sentences written as examples were added once I finally found something that clicked for me.

You've already done yourself a favor by learning a lot of vocab, kana, and kanji because now you'll be able to try out an array of ways to pick up grammar instead of just a textbook. (I will make a note that if you're looking to take the JLPT, I would recommend having a list of grammar points that you would need to know for the level that you're planning on sitting for because there's no guarantee of what will or won't pop up on the test.)

Another important thing while you're practicing: be comfortable with making mistakes. We all make them, but when you're learning a new language it's important to be ready to make mistakes and to welcome them with open arms because it gives you a chance to experience and learn in real time.

ALSO: for you specifically--because you're interested in reading, you might enjoy learning grammar through tracking the different grammar points through what you're reading and using the sentences as your examples because they're all going to be cohesive. And if reading books or other things totally turn you off right now, maybe games? Animal Crossing and Pokemon are very nice games to play in Japanese for people that are just starting out! You may also enjoy using Lingo Legend--it's an JRPG language learning app that I beta tested and I think that it's a nice way to review (it has some fun incentives). I'm not a big gamer, so I struggle with learning through games, but I've been picking up a lot of grammar through reading because I focus on finding things that I'm interested in, rather than things that are "at my level." When I start a manga, I will scour a ton of websites and forums and bug a ton of people when I come across a grammar point that I can't wrap my brain around because I want to be able to understand what's going on.

We have book clubs and gamers in my discord server, as well as places for people to post what they're practicing or to ask for help. We have people of all varying levels and different skillsets that love to share their wisdom with others.

I haven't used Bunpro, but I know that @sammilearns has, so she may be able to weigh in on that! And @tokidokitokyo @nihongoseito @chouhatsumimi @kanpeki-bekki @burgeoning-ambition probably also have even more tips that me--I'm trying to tag people that I know we all learn in different ways, so their tips and tricks might be just what you need!

Please weigh in, fellow langblr members! How have you been learning grammar? Are you game-ifying it? Have you turned it into math equations? Have you managed to tie it in with your special interest? I can't wait to see what people add to this post!

[macademiastudies]

December 2nd, 2024

Day 3/150 of studying for the GMAT

Today was yet again a cold quiet day, with sprinkles of snow. I stayed home and studied all day, with a candle to keep me company.

Instead of continuing on a linear path and going forward with the Princeton Review GMAT book, I took the day to review the basic math concepts I've been studying for the past few days. I also did some practice online for a couple of harder problems related to those topics to make sure I could do everything as quickly as possible during the actual exam. It feels strange to come back to math concepts I thought I'd never use again however studying it on my own terms now and going according to both my own pace as well as my own learning style has definitely changed the game.

What I got done today:

Did some basic math problems and Khan Academy review in preparation for the GMAT

Lots of reading

Self-improvement journaling

More data cleaning and preparation for future testing during work

Preparing for an interview I have this week

ft. the holiday smile cookie (which I bought and froze a box of so I could have them now)

Playlist of the day:

[sysy-studyblr]

Can you give tips for studying maths for a 11th grade student??

hello!!!! thanks for the ask, for credibility of my tips, I was the kid who was never good at math, actively hated it, wanted to drop it when I was in year 6. I was a like 30% - 40% scoring math student [in year 8 & 9], who moved to the high 80%s - 90%s in my last years of high school [year 12 & 13] - to the point I was regularly topping my class, I scored the highest in math out of all my subjects, and I am dreaming of pursuing physics. I did get a wonderful tutor, who helped me a ton in getting better, this is what I learned:

math is seriously mostly just practice & consistency

study 4 hours a week above what you do in school

do not ever give up on a question without attempting it at least thrice - in revision, not an exam of course

the whole point is getting so good at the methods of solving they come naturally to you

as well as analysing what method of solving helps in certain criteria

building math is like building a muscle, it takes consistent effort, you have to build math skills like you would build a muscle in the body, repeatedly, until it feels normal

if you struggle with a topic, give it the most time, - I am not particularly great at mental math, but I have been working on memorising my timetables (yes I am 19 years old) because my brain muddles up the numbers a lot

take your time solving questions, practice the motion of solving it, before trying to go fast - you will naturally speed up the better you get

meditate - staying mindful when doing math helps see clearly & think clearly. mindfulness has helped my problem solving tenfold.

also, it does not matter if you are bad at math, because you can always get better, being bad at something is impermanent, and can always be changed.

you aren't stupid, or dumb for not being as good at math as your peers (this was me, for quite a while). you're just struggling with a subject, which is normal - and you can get better if you work on it!

I think thats most of it!!! best of luck! let me know if you need anything else !!!

[lost-rxverie]

2 and 12!

2. What is your most hated subject or class?

i try really hard not to give in to disliking an entire subject – i'm curious about a lot of things outside of my field and i firmly believe that anything can be interesting if it's taught well. that said, i've had a series of slightly atrocious calculus classes (either online/asynchronous or just poorly taught) that nearly destroyed any respect i had for math in the first place.

12. What's your favorite part of the study process?

i actually really enjoy studying for final exams. it's stressful, don't get me wrong, but nothing beats the feeling of working through practice problems and steadily feeling my confidence increase as i refine my understanding of the material.

[butevensomharewrite]

WIP Wednesday - Entrance Exam

So, obviously, when writing an MHA rewrite, one of the major things everyone wants to rewrite is the Entrance Exam, but tbh, I often feel like in rewriting it to make it "more fair" the point is kind of lost. Of course it's not fair, of course it focuses on combat and strong quirks, that's literally the problem with hero society that keeps coming up in series. Hero society focuses on strong, flashy quirks and combat. That's the point. If you "fix" it too much, you lose all the flaws in society we're trying to talk about, and UA becomes this perfect utopia, the only place where society's issues don't exist, even more than it already is. So, I'm not looking to change too much. And as part of my challenge in writing this, I also don't want to change too much about the basic building blocks, especially early on. So, if you're here looking for a total overhaul of the Entrance Exam, that's not this, but I do alter things, and since pre-UA is a much bigger part of this story, I do want to focus on it. Someone once asked if I was doing this as an anime, how would I pace is, and yeah, I'd have pre-UA training arc be S1 ending with them starting into UA. It's important. So, here we go:

First of all, a little housekeeping:

UA is likely a private school. Assuming that Japan hasn't totally changed in the MHA universe, all vocational/specialist school are private, even if they're owned by the government, that's just how classifications in Japan work.

However private doesn't necessarily mean expensive, or better. There are plenty of cheap private school, particularly vocational schools, and there are schools that are considered "the one you buy your way into if you didn't pass the exams for the public school".

They're also notoriously shady when it comes to entrance exams and who they let in. Everyone knows they don't have to apply any rules they don't want and don't answer to anyone (this is sorta important later). Did you know there are still some private schools that sort you by a picture of yourself before anything else about you, to make sure you "fit the school's images".

Lots of private school reward you for applying only to them, things like lower pass marks on the exam, or preferential treatment. This probably explains why so many UA students only applied to UA and so went into the GenEd.

OK! Moving onto the actual exam:

So, the sheer numbers on the entrance exam. Depending on which number you take (canon gives us a few) there's between 12,000 and 20,000 applicants, which would mean about 1,500ish students per battle ground, but that's kind of ridiculous, and I imagine that wasn't the intended take away (us writers are known for sucking at maths, after all). So, either the exams run several rounds in a day, or that's the first number of applicants, not the number than went to the practical exam. That's the one we're going with here. So 20,00 applicants send in application forms, probably very early in the year, given how the numbers.

Related to this, many students only apply to UA, as mentioned above. This is pretty common in Japan, because many private schools give you preferential treatment in exams if you're only applying to them, and a lot of school synchronise their exams so that you can't say you've only applied to one school and take an exam at a different school as well. This helps make sure you get first dibs on the best talent. So, in this version, UA encourages you to only apply to them, but you're encouraged to apply to more than course, and if you fail a specialist course, you're automatically considered for general studies. And if you fail the recommendation exam, you go to the general admittance exam (this is what we're doing with Iida, and what I imagine is the reason for an Iida Family kid to not be in on recommendation).

So, everyone has applied, and UA application process is basically a year long process. While Midoriya is training and Bakugou is recovering from Stain, they also have to be doing the application process. This starts local. Probably the nearest decently sized city, where a school or town hall or maybe hero agency welcomes in dozens of candidates under the watch of local heroes to do basic academic tests. These aren't advanced stuff, except maybe in things you actually need for heroics like languages and maths, but I think at this early stage the cut off is just slightly above average. Then basic fitness tests, the sort you have at school, again just to make sure that applicants are slightly above average, because even if you're a quirk based hero, you have to be on your feet and running a lot as a hero, and if you want to be a hero proving you've been preparing, and at least aren't unfit is important. These exams are just sort of the baseline of are you average and prepared for UA's hard course load.

Summer, this is when most schools in Japan have their recommendation exams, so we'll go with that here. Recommendation exams are even more shady than regular private exams, and everyone knows they're basically a farce. Essentially, recommendations exams are easier, because you have something the school wants, so they lower the bar. Recommendations are like 99% your vibes in an interview and 1% exam. If they want you, they will bend every rule, that they make and do not have to disclose, to have you at the school. Academic exams are easier, and the practical exam would be too.

So, I'm still considering having Inasa in UA, because I just kinda love Inasa, tbh, but that is kinda up in the air, because I also was thinking I'd just have schools interact more. But, as mentioned above, I want this to be Iida's backstory here. I'm pretty sure I'm going to actually show all this in Shouto's pov. So we can see the process and see Iida, Inasa and Momo, and actually see Tokage and Honenuki doing their thing, and maybe some others. And, I'm also pretty sure (like 99%) that I want this to be where Shouto throws his exam. He straight up tells Nedzu he doesn't want this spot and wants to earn it in the general admission exam (because fuck you, and your recommendation, dad!) maybe even giving Iida the recommendation spot through that.

The summer would also be when the more difficult exams happen for the general admission applicants, at UA since the school is out for the summer. This is more serious exams, doing assault courses and more difficult exams in things like languages and maths, and also essays on things like ethics and marketing.

This is where the recommendation failures merge with general admissions. Those who made it though get a video camera and a winter project to create their costume by hand, or by buying things off of the shelves, in the style of old fashioned heroes, and record themselves doing it and explaining it, and to write up course work on how they eventually want to look, what their hero ideals are, all that sort of good stuff. This is where those designs you've seen me posting come in. This is also where potential Aldera!Kirishima plans come in. There's an entire half formed plot here about Mina and Kirishima being split in their third year of middle school as Kirishima moves away, and being split at UA, meaning Mina hears all this stuff about Bakugou from Midoriya, while Kirishima is already friends with Bakugou, and some conflict there. Bakugou is already further along his arc, and Kirishima standing up for Midoriya gets him along his arc, and one of the best things for Bakugou at UA was peers he liked and respected (to an extent at the start mostly just respected their power but you know, it did the job) guiding him, so Kirishima being there to push him into better behaviours earlier would be nice. Some bonding with them working on outfits together, while Midoriya gets to show off his adorable best girl mom helping him making his. These costumes are then worn for the Entrance Exam, and their course work is given to a random Business Studies applicant for their exam, to explain how they'd market them.

The Entrance Exam. The big one! I'm not really changing anything major about it, more giving it more context and expanding it. I want to make it clear that the exam is not the same every year. I think if you fought robots every year, all you'd need is someone going "how was it" "yeah, we fought robots" to their family, and there will be internet rumours, someone online going "my brother applied a few years ago and he said they fought robots". I think it's more likely there's a handful of exams that they rotate through each year depending on what sort of heroes are wanted at the moment. This year it's robots because battle heroes are on the rise, but some years they've got more rescue orientated exams or speed focused exams. I want to show the candidates preparing and going through like rumours on the internet and old exams.

The rescue points will be there, but they will be flagged early. As mentioned, private schools are known to be sketchy about entrance requirements. I want UA to want to appear above board (one of my frustrations with UA is how they suck at putting their reputation above the kids, but also suck at putting the kids first, they just make stupid decisions that do neither thing well) so if people find out there's a panel of judges giving out secrets points based on someone's vibes that can get Midoriya into the top ten while failing the actual mission completely, that screams "we wanted him so just gave him lots of points" and adds to the bitterness of people like Shinsou because Midoriya has a flashy combat based quirk, of course they want him and bent the rules to get him in, and UA wants to at least appear better than that. So I want them to acknowledge at the start that there are bonus points available, but we're not calling them rescue points, or explaining how to get them, just there is extra credit decided by a panel. Transparency, or at least the appearance of.

This is also why I hate the idea of things like actors or mannequins in this exam. If the point is to test their spirit, putting obvious "save me I'm worth bonus points" things in the arena is stupid. The rescue points were secret, because it was a secret test of character. Secret. To stop people like Iida going "well obviously I would have saved Uraraka if I'd known we'd get points for it" doing just that. Of course if people realise they gets points for saving people, they'll all be trying to do it because they get points for it, not because it's the right thing to do. Then it's not a test of character, of who will go out of their way to save people, but a test of who can follow the exam's outline. So, to fix this, and also to fix the "what about Uraraka if Izuku hadn't been there" issue, second year students are in the exam as fake applicants. For this one, it would be people like Nejire, she's there pretending to be useless and afraid of the robots and constantly needing saving because she's so clumsy, but she's strong enough that she can take care of herself it she's not saved, and also could step in if someone else was in serious danger.

Midoriya's role here is basically the same, I don't mind his story here at all, (if you notice that's a running theme, it's because I think Midoriya in general is mostly ok and just need tweaking, and it's the world around him that needs the effort and time to help him).

I want to acknowledge Bakugou's actions here a little more, and that what he's doing is basically exactly what he does on a lot of missions: crowd control and suppression. It's most obvious in World Heroes I think, but Bakugou's role, a lot of the time, is to handle the weak, but many, mooks, something sidekicks probably do all the time. And this is what he does in the Entrance Exam, lure away the robots from the crowd, thins the numbers, and leaves the bigger targets everyone else is after to the others. That said, I do find it a little ridiculous, that I'm expected to believe Bakugou didn't go after the 0 pointer. Bakugou likes to prove himself, he likes a challenge, you really expect me to believe he didn't think that robot was there for a reason, he's hotheaded not stupid, and wouldn't fight it just because it's a big ass villain to fight and prove his strength? Really? So, either Bakugou does go after the 0 pointer, or I make a point that Bakugou makes a point of following the mission brief and not deviating (something with both good and bad points irl).

If I do have Shouto in the general admittance exam, this is also where he comes in. I want Shouto at the top of the exams, but only by a point or two, and also without rescue points. I think this nicely kicks off more of the Shouto and Bakugou rivalry, sees Bakugou properly challenged by someone his own age for the first time, but also highlights something we often forget about especially early Shouto: he's reckless and prone to overkill, in a slightly different way to Bakugou. While Bakugou mostly gets set off by Midoriya, think about things like Shouto freezing the entire building, threatening to kill the villains at USJ and almost freezing Hagakure, freezing the robots in a way that would have seriously harmed someone if it hadn't been Kirishima and Tetsutetsu they fell on, icing Sero and putting the audience in danger, his fight with Midoriya putting the audience in danger, everything about Stain and Kamino, this is literally why he failed the license exam. Shouto doesn't play by the rules and doesn't really think about the consequences, especially when emotional, especially early on, and I want to really look at that. He and Bakugou have the potential to be really interesting reflections of each other either side of Midoriya, and I want to lean into that more. Again, Shouto is very likely to also go for the 0 pointer, just to prove he can.

I have some love/hate for how Midoriya gets 0 villain points. I don't think I want to change it, but maybe I do want to explore it. These robots, especially the 1 pointers, they're flimsy. We see in the obstacle race, they're so flimsy they can break themselves with their own momentum. Dodging them can break them. So I do want to look at that.

Ok, I think that's about it for the Entrance Exam itself.

[tismcosmology]

Yippee I'm not dead I survived first year 🎉🎉🎉🎊🎊👯!!!

I crashed out the last few weeks of the term ngl, completely missed some assignments, but WE PULLED IT TOGETHER FOR EXAMS! I was consistently studying about 3-4 hours every day (minus break days after an exam) for 3 weeks during exam period, and by god, the last of my final marks just came in and it paid off. Doing the same thing I did last term, I'm gonna break down each class and how it went

Calculus 2 -> 66%

About the same mark I got in calc 1, a little bummed I didnt do better on the final exam. I really wish I could see what I got wrong but oh well. Not sure what else to do for math other than keep being persistent and constant in practicing (which I did improve on since last term!). Overall I did enjoy this class quite a bit actually, I found the content more fun to learn than calc 1.

Waves & EM -> 74%

Again, a little bummed about my performance on the final and my final overall grade, but also I really really hate EM so I'm just glad its over (for now,,,). I reaaaally fell behind in this class, there were so many bonus marks and free marks I neglected. For future EM classes especially I need to get better about reading the textbook before lectures, and I think just. practicing more problems. unfortunately.

EM Lab -> 88% ! This is Entirely because of my lab partner. Thank you, math physics student I will never see again, for carrying me though this lab, even though you were kind of rude and ordered me around a lot. I improved a lot on actually reading and preparing for labs since last term, but still need to do more. I think I finally have a good understanding of how an experiment is supposed to be run at least!

Astrophysics -> 82% !

I. Loved this class. And I'm so mad at myself knowing that handing in that one(1) last assignment I missed would've made this my best class this term. The final was also definitely curved, and the way I know this is that to finish with that grade I would've needed a 90% on the final, and seeing as I left a question worth 30% blank i dont really think I got that! I'm so insanely curious what the average was but alas. Overall this class wasn't too bad, I just got overwhelmed with other classes and missed a few assignments and marks here and there. Need to improve my ability to work ahead on larger projects even while working on other classes.

Astrophysics Lab -> 85% Honestly for the amount of effort I put into this lab (I got very antsy towards the end of the 3 hours), I am super happy with this mark. Overall I think I just need to figure out a strategy for 3 hour labs..... and maybe stop settling for 80s. It was super fun though, I'm excited for the next astro lab next year.

Modern Physics -> 84% !?!

I was terrified of failing this class and it ended up being my best (lecture) grade???? Insane how that happens. Not sure what to say about this one. The workload was insane and taught me a lot about how much work is too much and how much I can push before my body gives out on me, which is,,, good to find out now, ig? The content and lectures were super cool and I loved it overall just... jesus christ man. I stared into the void and the void stared back.

Term Average (labs weighted properly): 78.4% !!

Successful term if I do say so myself! Im looking forward to my next term in fall, I'm sick of being at home already lmao

[jadecitrusmint]

hey! i’m thinking of switching my major to stats this upcoming semester. just had a few questions for you if you don’t mind!

is statistics really hard? how much time do you spend studying on the daily or weekly to maintain good grades? any tips on succeeding?

thank you !

Sorry for the delay in response!

Firstly, I’ll say it’s a hard degree, but I don’t think it’s not doable. The difficulty comes from the academic rigor- think of it like a math degree but with a focus on a specific discipline of math. If you’re naturally gifted at math it’ll be much easier for you, but if you’re like me, you’ll have to put in some effort. There’s also a component of creative thinking to a stats degree; my professor once told me that it’s not the actual mechanics that we struggle with learning, but the application of the mechanics to new problems that don’t have a stepwise process to complete. I think that’s where the real difficulty comes in with this degree for everyone. That being said, it forces you to think outside the box and with more critical analysis skills than you’ve ever done before, and I love it. I’ve grown so much not only as a student, but in my professional and even personal life because you learn to have an open mind and to think of multiple perspectives when approaching various issues. Many people in my major feel the same! The pain is totally worth it lol.

Studying can be hit or miss for me. My statistical coding courses don’t take me too long, I think the longest I’ve ever spent on a coding assignment was 4 hours and there’s not much studying involved with coding. If I study for these courses, it’s usually just practicing the code we learned in class to other problems. My math based stat courses definitely take more time, and for most people in my major as well. I’d usually spend somewhere between 10-15 hours on the weekly homework, 20-25 hours on take home exams, and I’d spend about an hour a week reviewing distributional results. Memorization helps with a stats degree, but a lot of your studying will be application based and doing practice problems.

My biggest tip for succeeding is do not get discouraged! This is a hard degree no doubt, and at times everyone feels incompetent and like they’re not good enough. You are certainly good enough, you just need to give yourself some grace and some space to grow. The difficulty also fosters a lot of camaraderie among the people in my major, so certainly reach out to the other stats students to not only feel supported but to support others!

My biggest practical studying tip is focus on applying concepts as opposed to memorizing concepts. Memorization helps with distributional results, but the real learning comes from completing the rigorous practice problems. Additionally, I would recommend taking a proofs writing math course at some point in time. It really helps when you get to upper level stat courses. I’d be happy to give you some resources if you feel like personally reaching out! My professors in the stats department believe in open access to education so most of our textbooks and our professors’ notes are free online for anyone to view :)

I believe in you if this is the path you choose! It will certainly be rewarding✨

[azufres]

9 and 18 for the study ask game?

9. What's your prefered study method?

This really depends on the class; I’ve been making summaries of my notes for math exams ever since a professor suggested it, but when I tried the same for physics, I ended up with a replica of the formula sheet that we were provided to begin with. Practice problems are universally helpful, though.

18. Do you listen to music while you study?

YES! I listen to a lot of classical music, whether I’m studying or not (Clara Schumann was among my 5 most played artists last year). Other staples while I work are latin rock and j-rock.

Thanks for asking!!

[vivimura]

Hey I don’t know if you’re still going to school, but I have this situation and I really need an advice:

I‘m bad at math really I got my exam back and it was a 05 which is a D (I‘m bad at math) This was my third math exam and I have two math exams coming up and then it‘s over and a new year is going to start in Summer.

My problem is that I have these „Friends“ One of them is also bad/okay at math and the other one is good but that‘s just because she‘s getting private lessons. We call the good at math friend A and the other one K

I asked A multiple times if she could help me in math and she would always answer:

“Yea you know at class 11 the grades aren’t that important just try to pass and in 12-13 we can create a math group, were we will study together“

She and I aren’t friends for that long just 8 Months. Now A has another friend J (she‘s older and goes to class 12) and J is like a big sister for A they know each other since they were babies. K is also a really good friend of J and that’s how A and K became good friends (they’re friends since December) A and K have a lot in common and they hang out a lot. A is the IT student she always has good grades, she takes good care of herself etc and K is the class president so everyone is viewing her also as an IT Student

Now for this upcoming exam I have studied a lot more than usual I really tried and had such a good feeling too. The day before the exam it was my birthday so I couldn’t study more than usual and celebrated a bit. You know what I‘ve found out the next day?

K told me that she had a video call with A until 3AM and they both studied together!!! I just want to know if my anger is valid because they didn’t even think about inviting me too. They both knew that I was also struggling with math and I in my school breaks I joined their study session they had

And now K got an 08 which is a C and A got an 12 which is a B+ (she was the second best) And one thing that always makes me mad about A is that she’s pretending to not understand math. Like everytime when I ask her some like „Why is it suddenly like that?“ she‘s like:“I don’t know either“

In general I don’t know I‘m just so frustrated I noticed that I‘m starting to see her more as a rival? It sounds sooo weird but I‘m really trying hard because I want to become better than her in everything really. I even started to workout (not like her every single week and also I‘m doing Youtube workouts and home because I can’t afford her lifestyle. Girl is like barbie she does so many different sport activities every werk + studies a lot like 3-5h. WHERE DOES SHE ECEN GET THE TIME FOR THAT WHEN SHE‘s EXERCISING 2-3H A DAY + WATCHES SOME SHOWS WERE ONE EPISODE GOES LIKE 40MIN AND GOES TO BED EARLY!!! HOW?????)

Sorry for the break out by the way I‘m just so lost right now 😭

okay so i'm just gonna be brutally honest with you

a few years ago when i was a freshman i was in the exact same situation as you. i had a friend who was extremely smart, would pretend to be dumb but secretly study, somehow manage to be good at everything (?) and just overall make me feel shitty about myself.

my single advice for you is to cut A and K off immediately!!! these people clearly don't care about you and are hell bent on making you feel worse about yourself. it's what i did.

surround yourself with people that will actually help and encourage you, and not only will your grades go up, but you'll feel good about yourself. we might think that the kind of people we talk to don't affect our lives, but seeing our friends succeed and not include you can be disappointing.

if a friend isn't helping you, it isn't even a friend. trust me. you're only in highschool and comparing yourself with these so-called perfect girls will only get you down into a rabbit hole. don't do that.

i don't know if you can, but you should probably also get math classes to help with that. if you can't, i'd suggest focusing on your it with a clear mind and practice consistently.

you are amazing, and it's very good that you're looking to improve yourself. you deserve real friends!!

you got this girl!!!! happy belated birthday <3