gootjuuh

[gootjuuh]

How I prepared for a very different semester

It’s only the third time starting a new semester at uni for me, and I have to admit, last two times, all I did was look up where all my classes were. I’ve since then learned that maybe I should take a little more time trying to figure out what classes will be like. In addition to that, classes aren’t like they used to be anymore. Currently the situation is 1/5 on campus and all the rest online. This takes a lot of figuring out which classes I’m allowed to go to, and which I have to take online. This was stressing me out a lot, so I went ahead and looked into all the information, to do some preparation work. I use OneNote to make all my notes, so I started by making a section for each class. In each section I made a page called INFO, where I write down everything I know from that class. This involves: day and location, contact details of professors, when I’m allowed to attend the class on campus (and what I have to do to get access), where I can watch the livestream,... Things like assignments and exam details will also be written down on that page In the upcoming days, I am gonna buy a planner (It’s a challenge, I like the MUJI planners but shipping is really expensive, so if anyone has an alternative, let me know). Each week, I can check each info tab to see which classes I’m taking on campus that week, that way I can mark it in my planner.  surviving this semester will be a challenge, I just hope that it gets better soon. 

[gootjuuh]

Let’s talk about episode 6 of 13 Reasons Why

This will contain spoilers. Duh. 

I’ve hated every episode until now. And when I say hate, I somehow mean that in a good way. It’s fiction, it can be a bit over the top.  However, this episode was messed up on a whole new level. This episode is a reality that many students in the US have to face. The fear that at one point, maybe it isn’t a drill anymore. Then what do you do? 

In this case, it was a drill, but no one knew it was a drill. Is that how you prepare a child for the day it isn’t a drill? By making them anxious to come to school? By scaring the living hell out of them? The makers of the show clearly wanted to make a point with this episode. 

I could do a full analysis of the techniques used in the episode, but I’m sure someone smarter will do that at some point and I don’t have time to go minute by minute to analyse it, but I can point out some key things I noticed.

From the moment the announcement is made, we see panic in some of the students, confidence in others. Some try to convince themselves it’s a drill. The music makes you feel like you’re in the situation yourself. You can almost feel what they must be feeling in the situation. We see both Jessica and Estela make phone calls that must’ve been inspired by some of the real life stories of calls and texts to loved ones. 

The jocks want to fight, Tony decides to share what he found in Tyler’s backpack, Clay wants himself to be the hero (he has a herocomplex, but we know that already). They all want to save everyone, but they feel helpless. Zach and Winston open up to each other (which will obviously have later plot problems). Alex and Charlie got even closer (bless them I had been waiting for that). 

Now I’ve hated Clay for most of the season, but I wanted to crawl through my screen and defend him. You can’t put a kid who has gone through this much trauma through an experience like that and then say: “Hah no worries! It’s fake!” There are many children in that school that aren’t okay. I have been through shit not even half as bad as what has happend in that show and I know that even I wouldn’t make it through that just to hear that it was a drill. I mean look at Tyler.

These drills aren’t enough. The fucked up system has to change. Children shouldn’t be preparing for things like this! I, as a student in Belgium, have never had to be in this kind of situation. I can’t imagine going to school and knowing, in the back of your mind, that you might have to go in lockdown. That you might have to hide in a closet, a bathroom, behind a table. 

CHANGE THE SYSTEM, DON’T PREPARE FOR IT  

[gootjuuh]

How to survive the boredom of corona

So, we’re young, most of us aren’t gonna die from corona, but we might die from the boredom of staying at home by ourselves or the stress of becoming your own teacher/ following up on online classes. These are the things I could come . up with to survive. 

1. School and learning

So a lot of universities and schools are closed now and are implementing distant learning. For a lot of university students, online classes are a thing but for me, they just want me to do it myself (aka become my own professor somehow?) 

It involves reading texts on my laptop which I find hard because I need to be able to add some kind of structure to my text. For that, I use the extension called Weava Highlighter for Chrome, which allows me to highlight in PDF-documents and on most websites 

Another problem I often run into is being distracted by other websites or my phone while trying to focus. For my phone, I use an app called Forest, which I’m sure a lot of people already know, but you can also just use downtime on iPhone, which is already implemented. (I don’t have any knowledge on android devices, sadly). For my laptop, I use StayFocusd to block sites I usually go to to distract myself, which is tricky as I often Google random facts that don’t have anything to do with my classes.

For people who are now at home and don’t have any classes to keep up with, or have some extra time, this is also a great opportunity to learn new things.

You can learn to code with Codecademy 

You can watch TedTalks 

There are lots of sites that offer great courses, like Khan Academy, Udemy, Skillshare, etc.

Learn a new language using Duolingo 

Disclaimer: I haven’t used any of these sites except for Codecademy so don’t come for me if they suck!

2. entertainment

Some of us aren’t allowed to leave the house anymore, but some still are. I’ll divide these things into two categories: first I’ll talk about the ones you do have to leave the house for, next I’ll talk about the ones you can do inside (using materials most people have lying around in their house). To finish off I’ll also do suggestions on things you can watch.

outside

Go for a run. Extra challenge: you’ll have to maintain a distance from everyone on your path. 

Buy some hair dye and dye your hair. Who cares if it sucks, you’re mostly stuck at home anyway!

Write your information on a piece of paper and offer your service to older people or people with children who need babysitters. Do it for free!

Go on a walk and take pictures 

Disclaimer: When going outside, wash your hands before and after, and if you offer services to elderly people, try to do things you don’t need to be inside for as much as possible, only if they really need help inside the house you should go inside, but groceries, for example, can be dropped off at the door.

Inside

Paint with whatever you can find. If you don’t have paint at home, use that make-up that you never use, food coloring,... be creative and maybe you have a new painting by the end of this!

Try on all of your clothes and clean out your closet. Extra fun if you do this while on FaceTime with your friends. 

Open that bottle of wine you’ve been saving for that special occasion and FaceTime with friends or watch a movie (considering you are of legal drinking age!) 

Try learning TikTok-dances. Again, fun guaranteed if you do this on FaceTime with friends

Write a story, might I suggest a lockdown situation because of a virus called Covid-19 as the plot.

Read a book 

Movies and other recommendations 

Completely free:

Starkid musicals: there are 12 in total and they are all uploaded on YouTube. You might know them from the Very Potter Musicals or the ‘I don’t really wanna do the work today’-vine. Darren Criss (Glee and American Crime Story), Devin Lytle (Former Buzzfeed employee) (both were mainly in the older musicals) and Joey Richter (Petey in Jessie, is in almost every Starkid Musical) are also Starkid members. Their musicals are funny and silly but I love them a lot. Disclaimer: their first musical (A Very Potter Musical) was recorded over 10 years ago, so the quality isn’t the best. Also they use a lot of explicit language...

Brat TV is a YouTube channel that has shows with young actors (read Dance Moms kids, TikTokkers, etc.) which they upload on YouTube. Younger kids seem to enjoy it a lot, but when I watch it, I watch it to laugh at how bad it actually is. 

Your local broadcasters might have free to watch shows that you maybe haven’t seen before. In my country, I was able to watch the first season of Killing Eve through the public broadcasting company. 

Netflix:

Watching new things on Netflix can be kinda hard, so here are some suggestions of shows you might’ve missed

Crash landing on you: What can I say, it’s Korean, I wasn’t really sure at first but once I got into it I couldn’t stop. It has 16 episodes that usually last over an hour. 

Inception: I thought everyone knew this movie but apparently lots of people don’t. It’s cool, watch it.

I actually don’t have more. There isn’t that much content on Netflix that is actually good and people haven’t already heard about. 

Other platforms, I don’t even know where bc I watched these illegally:

Modern love: 6 episodes, each a different story about love. 

Fleabag: Phoebe Waller-Bridge is really funny, and in this one, which she wrote herself, she plays an unnamed character who goes through some shit. Especially season 2 is wild. 

Into the wild: emotional story based on the experiences of  Chris McCandless. Yes, this story really happened... You’re gonna cry.

Radius: I can’t explain this one without revealing the plot. Just watch it. 

What Happened to Monday: 7 kids are born in a world with a 1 kid-policy so naturally they are all named after one day and take the identity of one person 

And if you’re really, really bored, might I suggest watching movies that just look like they’re gonna be bad, and they are bad and you just have a fun time laughing at how bad they are lol.

Good luck! Stay safe! Wash your hands!

[gootjuuh]

So the other day I was watching Call Me By Your Name for the 3rd time, and for the first time I really paid attention during this scene. I don’t know why I hadn’t seen this before, I just haven’t until now.

The whole scene is just so funny to me. Elio’s dad is telling Oliver about the statues, and the more pictures he sees, the more his face turns into this kind of worried state, almost as if he’s thinking “not a straight body in me either, f*ck”. I just loved it lol

[gootjuuh]

International movies I enjoyed

This list consists of movies I’ve seen and enjoyed in different languages, with a short introduction from what I remember 

GERMAN

Die Welle (the wave) (2008) 

Available on YouTube for €2,99 

TW: self-harm and suicide

For a project week at a German high school, a teacher has to give a class about autocrats. When the students don’t seem too interested in the theme, he starts an experiment and creates a movement called Die Welle (The Wave). 

Extra information: The concept is based on true events, the actions of the characters are fiction (maybe some of it happened in real life but most of it not)

DUTCH

Jongens (Boys) (2014)

Available on YouTube for €4,99 or on Zapp.nl if you live in the Netherlands (or set up a VPN from the Netherlands)

Marc and Sieger are both in a relay team together with 2 other boys. They fall in love but not everything goes that smooth at first. 

FRENCH

Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain (2001)

Available on iTunes and Google Play 

Amélie has a bit of a strange childhood, she lived apart from other kids because she was believed to have a strange heart condition. As an adult, she lives a pretty normal life. One day she finds a little box from a previous owner of her apartment and decides to find the rightful owner. She decides that if she can find the owner and he’s happy with her help, she will help others. 

Extra information: music by Yann Tiersen 

[gootjuuh]

So I finished Leah on the offbeat

SPOILERS! (Duh)

Yeah took me long enough, and yeah it’s the time of me finishing things, I have time now lol.

Honestly, Abby being bi came as a surprise to me. At first I thought maybe Leah would date Morgan or Anna (that is before the whole Morgan drama thing) or that she would just end up staying single or something, but come out to Simon.

I really liked it though. Next up to finish: the people vs. tech

[gootjuuh]

I finished season 3 of 13 reasons why and I have problems with it

SPOILERS!

It’s fucked up. The show started as a way to raise awareness for mental health. They didn’t do a very good job at that, but at least their intentions where good. In season one, they showed a high school student dealing with the loss of a girl he cared about, and dealing with her story. In season two, they showed how a mother fought for justice for her daughter, and how a bunch of teens had to deal with court. They talked about rape. About the victims who had to overcome pain.

This season, they talked about a crime. A crime committed by one of these teens. What was the message they tried to give this season? If you kill a bad kid, blame another bad kid? Because that’s fucked up. They covered up a fucking crime. Yes, Bryce was a bad guy and yes Monty was too, but killing someone makes you just as bad, and they (Clay, Justin, Tony, Ani, Zach,...) let Alex get away with it because Bryce is bad and Alex is good. That’s some fucked up shit.

Something else that bothers me is that they try to make us feel bad for Bryce and Monty. Did it work? Yes, yes it did. But it’s fucked up. Bryce had a fucked up childhood, didn’t see his parents enough, he tried to become a better person and he was getting there slowly. But he raped a lot of girls, and he lied about it in court. Yes, Bryce didn’t deserve to die, but he doesn’t deserve sympathy either. Same thing for Monty. Yes, his home situation is fucked up. And he hated himself for being gay. But what he did to Tyler can’t be excused. Yes I felt bad for him when he got killed. But he did bad things and Clay and Ani could have done something. Remember when Clay and Ani were at his house and they saw him and his dad? Clay, out of all people (with Justin and everything), should have known that Monty was in a bad place at home and that it was fucked up for him. But Clay and Ani did nothing.

I had a very hard time watching this season. I’ve been fine every other season but this season hit me harder for some reason. I think it’s time that this show comes to an end. The story has been told. Hannah is dead, Bryce is dead, Monty is dead. If they add more to the story, I really start to fucking wonder how these kids get through life. They’ve been through enough. Another season would realistically mean most of them wouldn’t be able to deal with everything that has happened anymore. They were responsible for one death, some for another, at least they all helped to cover up another.

This post is probably all over the place, but I just felt like sharing something. I had to clear my head. This is not the show I started watching anymore

[gootjuuh]

We did this today. Best thing ever.