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Not my favorite 🍳 to scramble in the morning. I’d rather scramble yours 😉

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#bbc #bigdick

Introducing myself. I’m Kenny, your dark horse

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10 unconventional college survival tips

If you have a choice between a morning quickie & some last-minute cramming for an exam (we’re talking like 5 minutes here), only choose the cramming if you haven’t already studied. Arousal of any kind boosts recall; sex relieves stress; stress depletes recall. You do the math.

If you find yourself losing focus in lecture, hold your pencil between your teeth. Facial feedback yields a more alert state. Plus, it makes you happier.

Always carry a toothbrush & travel toothpaste in your backpack. Nothing is worse than sitting through a long lecture with morning breath, and whether you were up all night studying in the library’s 24 hour room, crashing at a friend’s place, or simply running ridiculously late, this toothbrush will be your lifesaver.

If you get periods, consider investing in a diva cup. They’re more cost-effective than pads or tampons after 2-5 cycles (great for students who can’t afford to buy supplies every month or so); they can last you an entire day if necessary; you can put them in ahead of time, which means no more panicking about washing your sheets/pants/favorite underwear/favorite chair in the library; you’ll never be late to class because of an emergency tampon change again.

Morning classes are not the devil. Mid-afternoon classes are the devil. There’s a reason why many cultures have a designated siesta at that time of day! Yes, you’ll have to go to bed a bit earlier in order to get enough sleep, but overall you’ll be far more alert if you schedule your classes early in the day. 

If you have a mountain of work to do between 9pm and 9am the next day and you know you won’t have time to sleep, begin by alternating between readings and problem sets, then move on to writing, then move on to aesthetic tasks (finishing the setup of a presentation, sketching a design for a lab, etc). Frustration is often the largest impedance to getting work done when you’re exhausted, so if you get the big frustration-inducing tasks out of the way before you really start to get sleepy you’re good to go. Writing can be frustrating for sure, but it’s more of a “dammit why doesn’t this sound right” type of frustration than a “dammit why don’t I understand this” type of frustration, and in my opinion that’s way better.

If you’re feeling adventurous, don’t bring your phone to class. At all.

If you’re going to drink, stop studying a little while beforehand. Alcohol impairs memory retention; taking shots immediately after reading 100 pages of your textbook is basically shooting yourself in the foot.

Napping as a study break is actually a great idea, especially if you’re trying to memorize things.

Do your psets alone. If you need help, go to office hours and work with a TA. Do not, under any circumstance, work with other students on your psets unless you’re explaining a concept to them and already understand it well yourself. Working with others allows things to slip by. You might nod and say “oh, that makes sense,” but when it comes down to it you have no idea whether or not you’d be able to replicate it on the test and that’s not good.

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hipster blog

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When, my, time comes around Lay me gently in the cold dark earth No grave can hold my body down I’ll crawl home to her

@kisaageckos

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I want to be soft and gentle and kindhearted and warm and loving and have open ears and an open heart and have people know that I care about them and I’ll listen to them

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Book Recommendations: Books that have helped me think and write critically when it comes to scientific literature. I’ve never gotten below a 4.0/1st in a lab report.

This post will be especially helpful for those taking psychology, neuropsychology, neuroscience, cognitive neuroscience, pharmacy etc. All books are written by world leading academic researchers and are very well referenced. 

Bad Science by Dr Ben Goldacre - 342pgs, Age 11+.

If there is a book on this list that you read, let it be this! Dr Goldacre focuses on the misuse of science by journalists, homeopaths, schools and big pharmaceutical companies. The book has a great segment on understanding “The Placebo Effect”. Other topics include; Brain Gym, misleading cosmetic adverts, issues with vitamin pills and “toxins”. He has a blog he runs Badscience.net that has great free articles! The book is beautifully referenced and really easy to read, definitely worth investing in. If you can’t spend money on the book just yet, there is a similar free talk here. 

Drugs: Without the Hot Air by Prof David Nutt - 316pgs, Age 12+.

Prof Nutt incurred the wrath of the UK government when he put forth research papers stating that alcohol and tobacco were more harmful than many illegal drugs, including LSD, ecstasy and cannabis. In “Drugs”, he talks us through the science of what drugs are and how they work, quantifying and comparing the harms caused by different drugs, as well as drug addiction. This book is a great starting point and has educated me on all major drugs better than any textbook has. It’s written in simple English with numerous references and even has a wonderful segment titled “What should I tell my kids about drugs?”. I have had the pleasure of meeting Prof Nutt multiple times and given the slander he has endured, he remains passionate and dedicated to his field. Prof Nutt runs a website aimed at the general public Drugscience.org. There is a similar free talk here.

Bad Pharma by Dr Ben Goldacre - 404pgs, Age 15+.

Another gem by Dr Goldacre, this is a slightly heavier text than the above two books but is a must read for those going into pharmacy or research. Bad Pharma explains where new drugs come from and issues with missing data in clinical trials. Companies run bad trials on their own drugs, which distort and exaggerate the benefits by design. When these trials produce unflattering results, the data is simply buried. Dr Goldacre discusses the issues with design and also the harms of not making the missing trial data available. This book is not ‘anti-drug’, this book highlights issues with publication bias and how this needs to be and can be mended in order for doctors and patients to make better informed decisions on the drugs they are prescribing/prescribed.There is a similar free talk here.

The Man who Mistook his Wife for a Hat by Dr Oliver Sacks - 246pgs, Age 11+.

Written by the late Dr Oliver Sacks, this was the first book I purchased at the age of 13 in the field of neurology that made me go nuts for the brain. As a huge fan of Roald Dahl’s style, this book was just perfect. Dr Sacks turned patient case studies into short stories, inviting you into the incredible world of neurological disorders. The following phenomena are covered: visual agnosias, memory loss, Parkinsonion-symptoms, hallucinations etc. Dr Oliver Sacks has multiple books that are worth investing in, have a look at  Oliversacks.com. There is a similar free talk here.

Phantoms in the Brain by Dr V. S. Ramachandran - 257pgs, Age 15+.

Ramachandran, through his research into brain damage, has discovered that the brain is continually organising itself in response to change. Phantoms in the Brain explores case studies and experiments invented by Dr Ramachandran like the Mirror Box to help understand the underlying issues. Examples of the case studies involve a woman who persists that her left arm is not paralysed (albeit her entire leftside is paralysed) and a young man loses his right arm in a motorcycle accident, yet he continues to feel a phantom arm with vivid sensation of movement. In a series of experiments using nothing more than Q-tips and dribbles of warm water the young man helped Dr Ramachandran discover how the brain is remapped after injury. This book is really enjoyable and is a slightly more in-depth read than The Man who Mistook his Wife for a Hat. There is a similar free talk here.  

The Lucifer Effect by Dr Philip Zimbardo - 488pgs, Age 18+ (due to explicit images).

Prof Zimbardo provides an in-depth analysis of his classic Stanford Prison Experiment, and his personal experiences as an expert witness for one of the Abu Ghraib prison guards, raising fundamental questions about the nature of good and evil. This book has really interesting commentaries on The Columbine Shooting, People’s Temple Mass Suicide, Prison Abuse in Afghanistan etc. I enjoyed the book but it does get really repetitive (it definitely could have been made shorter by 100 pages), the publishers also use a really small font. There is a similar free talk here. 

Ages have been mentioned not as restrictions but as guidelines in terms of the writing style and sensitivity of the literature. Every book mentioned above doesn’t need to be read chronologically, from cover-to-cover. They have been compiled in such a way that you can dip in and out of the chapters without confusion. Lovely!  All free talks are given by the authors and they cover the same topics that are mentioned in the books. 

If you ever wish to discuss the literature, do get in touch with me! 

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You’re stronger than you know.🌟

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A Stanford dean on skills every 18 year old should have

1. An 18-year-old must be able to talk to strangers — faculty, deans, advisers, landlords, store clerks, human resource managers, coworkers, bank tellers, health care providers, bus drivers, mechanics—in the real world.

The crutch: We teach kids not to talk to strangers instead of teaching the more nuanced skill of how to discern the few bad strangers from the mostly good ones. Thus, kids end up not knowing how to approach strangers — respectfully and with eye contact — for the help, guidance, and direction they will need out in the world.

2. An 18-year-old must be able to find his way around a campus, the town in which her summer internship is located, or the city where he is working or studying abroad.

The crutch: We drive or accompany our children everywhere, even when a bus, their bicycle, or their own feet could get them there; thus, kids don’t know the route for getting from here to there, how to cope with transportation options and snafus, when and how to fill the car with gas, or how to make and execute transportation plans.

3. An eighteen-year-old must be able to manage his assignments, workload, and deadlines.

The crutch: We remind kids when their homework is due and when to do it— sometimes helping them do it, sometimes doing it for them; thus, kids don’t know how to prioritize tasks, manage workload, or meet deadlines, without regular reminders.

4. An 18-year-old must be able to contribute to the running of a house hold.

The crutch: We don’t ask them to help much around the house because the checklisted childhood leaves little time in the day for anything aside from academic and extracurricular work; thus, kids don’t know how to look after their own needs, respect the needs of others, or do their fair share for the good of the whole.

5. An 18-year-old must be able to handle interpersonal problems.

The crutch: We step in to solve misunderstandings and soothe hurt feelings for them; thus, kids don’t know how to cope with and resolve conflicts without our intervention.

6. An 18-year-old must be able to cope with ups and downs of courses and workloads, college- level work, competition, tough teachers, bosses, and others.

The crutch: We step in when things get hard, finish the task, extend the deadline, and talk to the adults; thus, kids don’t know that in the normal course of life things won’t always go their way, and that they’ll be okay regardless.

7. An 18-year-old must be able to earn and manage money.

The crutch: They don’t hold part-time jobs; they receive money from us for what ever they want or need; thus, kids don’t develop a sense of responsibility for completing job tasks, accountability to a boss who doesn’t inherently love them, or an appreciation for the cost of things and how to manage money.

8. An 18-year-old must be able to take risks.

The crutch: We’ve laid out their entire path for them and have avoided all pitfalls or prevented all stumbles for them; thus, kids don’t develop the wise understanding that success comes only after trying and failing and trying again (a.k.a. “grit”) or the thick skin (a.k.a. “resilience”) that comes from coping when things have gone wrong.

Remember: our kids must be able to do all of these things without resorting to calling a parent on the phone. If they’re calling us to ask how, they do not have the life skill.

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these lists of books to read before you die that are full of classics are all well and good but what if you don’t like classics? and what about the ya ones that are just full of popular series? so this is an alternative list of ya books you should read before you die. thanks to everyone who contributed books; i’ve had to miss some off because i’ve got more than 100, so i’ll probably include them on a second list. (also, i’ve not actually read all these books. it’s a group effort)

under the lights by dahlia adler

the wrath and the dawn by renee ahdieh

throne of the crescent moon by saladin ahmed

simon vs the homo sapiens agenda by becky albertalli

the absolutely true diary of a part time indian by sherman alexie

last night i sang to the monster by benjamin alire sáenz

aristotle and dante discover the secrets of the universe by benjamin alire sáenz

mosquitoland by david arnold

pure trilogy by julianna baggott

the fixer by jennifer lynn barnes

the last leaves falling by sarah benwell

ashes trilogy by ilsa j bick

the darkest part of the forest by holly black

curse workers by holly black

noughts and crosses by malorie blackman

anna duology by kendare blake

the princess and the captain by anne-laure bondoux

the diviners by libba bray

gemma doyle trilogy by libba bray

fire and thorns by rae carson

gallagher girls by ally carter

heist society by ally carter

graceling realm by kristin cashore

a hero at the end of the world by erin claiborne

artemis fowl by eoin colfer

the miseducation of cameron post by emily m danforth

i’ll meet you there by heather demetrios

just listen by sarah dessen

spiderwick chronicles by tony diterlizzi & holly black

penryn and the end of days by susan ee

engelsfors trilogy by sara b elfgren & mats strandberg

fearsome dreamer by laure eve

dragonfly by julia golding

since you asked by maurine goo

half life trilogy by sally green

to all the boys i’ve loved before by jenny han

burn for burn by jenny han

saving june by hannah harrington

the outsiders by s e hinton

shades of london by maureen johnson

shadowshaper by daniel josé older

everybody sees the ants by a s king

in honor by jessi kirby

charm & strange by stephanie kuehn

everything leads to you by nina lacour

micah grey by laura lam

momentum by saci lloyd

huntress by malinda lo

adaptation by malinda lo

we were liars by e lockhart

legend by marie lu

the lost girl by sangu mandanna

the lumatere chronicles by melina marchetta

on the jellicoe road by melina marchetta

wicked lovely by melissa marr

since you’ve been gone by morgan matson

yaqui delgado wants to kick your ass by meg medina

the lunar chronicles by marissa meyer

conquered earth by j barton mitchell

if you find me by emily murdoch

i’ll give you the sun by jandy nelson

chaos walking by patrick ness

a monster calls by patrick ness

the summer of chasing mermaids by sarah ockler

before i fall by lauren oliver

wonder by r j palacio

even in paradise by chelsey philpot

his dark materials by philip pullman

the demon’s lexicon by sarah rees brennan

the lynburn legacy by sarah rees brennan

slice of cherry by dia reeves

falling kingdoms by morgan rhodes

how i live now by meg rosoff

bone gap by laura ruby

the winner’s trilogy by marie rutkoski

written in the stars by aisha saeed

persepolis by marjane satrapi

the archived by v e schwab

between shades of grey by ruth sepetys

the bone season by samantha shannon

far from you by tess sharpe

more happy than not by adam silvera

jasper jones by craig silvey

unwind dystology by neal shusterman

grasshopper jungle by andrew smith

the secrets of lily graves by sarah strohmeyer

all the rage by courtney summers

an ember in the ashes by sabaa tahir

because you’ll never meet me by leah thomas

my heart and other black holes by jasmine warga

ms marvel by g willow wilson

don’t touch by rachel m wilson

brown girl dreaming by jacqueline woodson

howl’s moving castle by dianna wynne jones

dirty london by kelley york

made of stars by kelley york

how to save a life by sara zarr

falling into place by amy zhang

i am the messenger by markus zusak

wolfe brothers by markus zusak

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Me : 2 sec. :/ Me : 20 sec. :) Me : 50 sec. :3 Me : 1 min ~^_^~ (Starts wiggling like a worm on bed) Me : 1.20 💂🏼Picks trumpet and join the parade

if you’re having a bad day, here’s a cute little marching band

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That’s Louis Rossman, a repair technician and YouTuber, who went viral recently for railing against Apple. Apple purposely charges a lot for repairs and you either have to pay up or buy a new device. That’s because Apple withholds necessary tools and information from outside repair shops. And to think, we were just so close to change.

Follow @the-future-now

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More physics advice: Write down all the information you're given. Everything. With units converted to the proper form (kg, N, m, that sort of thing). If the question says that the mass is 5 grams, write down: m = .005 kg. Write down what they're looking for (e.g. h = ? m) By writing down everything, you can see what's missing and figure out what formula(s) to use. And by converting everything to the right units beforehand, you minimize the risk of losing easy points

@ the person taking the physics test!!!

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— (x)

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Before I started my final year of uni I was stressing out about finding a job. I did quite a bit of research and planning, and managed to receive a job offer before I even finished my degree!

Here are a few tips I would give to those of you in the same situation:

1. Know what your end goal is

Before you start aimlessly applying for jobs, take some time to think about where you actually want to go with your career. Where would you actually like to end up?

Do some searching and see what type of jobs exist in the area you want to work in. Search though graduate job sites, your universities careers website, or just Google. Make a list of all the jobs that appeal to you, and if you find any, make sure you note when applications open & close so you don’t miss out.

2. Google your name & clean up your social media act 

Employers are using Google to find out about potential employees, so if you search your name and something embarrassing turns up in the top results (i.e. drunk facebook photos/inappropriate comments etc), either delete the posts or make your account private. When I did this I discovered that there was someone with the same name as me who posted really embarrassing stuff, so I created a bunch of social media accounts with my real name on all of them to move those out of the top results. 

I’m not saying you can’t be the real you on social media, but try to keep things that you wouldn’t want a potential employer to see on your private accounts.

I would recommend taking at least one professional photo to use as your photo on social media sites.

Also make a LinkedIn! It’s really boring but employers use it and you can follow companies you are interested in. Add in all your skills and experience and write up a summary letting everyone know what kind of work you are looking for.

  3. Sign up to all of the graduate job sites 

In Australia GradConnection is really good, but other countries will have different sites. It probably won’t be hard to find them! 

Graduate job sites generally list a huge number of jobs from mainly large companies, as well as when applications open and close. Some of the good ones have a blog with tips to help you improve your applications. You can usually make your own profile which employers can look through.

If it is an option, opt in to email alerts, especially if you can get them tailored to the field you want to work in. It serves as a good reminder for submitting applications, and you may find a new job to apply for through the alerts.

Remember this isn’t the only way to find jobs! Smaller companies sometimes advertise through your university careers website, or general websites like Indeed, SEEK, etc, so make sure you look in a few places before ending your search.

4. Jazz up your resume and cover letter

I don’t mean making them bright pink or anything, but make them stand out in a professional way.

Resume tips:

Tailor your skills/experiences to the job you are applying for. Look through the job description and skills required and make sure you cover each skill on your resume.

When describing your skills, don’t just use examples from university. Try to use examples from part-time work, clubs you have joined and extracurricular activities as well.

Also don’t be too wordy, it probably won’t be read. Simple one or two sentence dot points should be okay.

Use a professional email! Plz don’t use sexygal@hotmail.com etc

Include a link to your LinkedIn/professional twitter etc in your contact details

Don’t submit a 20 page resume! It will most likely be deleted/thrown in the trash. Stick to 1-3 pages depending on your experience and make sure everything is actually relevant.

Inspiration

Resources [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

Cover letter tips:

Mention why you want the job

Try to mention something about the company that you like - e.g. that they work with a specific charity or they provide excellent training. Do your research!

Don’t drone on like a robot - keep it interesting and use your voice

Keep it to 1 page - don’t make the HR person’s job harder for them

Find out who to address it to - you can usually google who the hiring manager is

Resources [1] [2] [3] [4]

Also:

If you can, get your school’s career adviser to look over your resume and cover letter

Always submit your resume & cover letter as a PDF - it looks way more professional if you read it on the computer

Format it nicely, keep it consistent between everything you submit in your application

ok this is probably obvious but CHECK YOUR SPELLING!!~~~

Try using Canva to make your resume pretty

5. Make a personal website 

If you want to stand out more than other applicants, make your own personal website and include a link in your application. Make sure it looks professional and highlights the best you.

Things to include:

Samples of your work

Links to your (professional) social media pages

A short description of yourself, your professional interests and where you would like to head in your career

A blog if you are really looking to stand out

Skills, experience etc

Resources [1] [2] [3]

6. Network 

Contact someone from your dream company and ask them if they would like to go for coffee/ask to chat. If you know someone or even know someone with a contact - reach out to them! Try to get them to put in a good word for you - people usually like to help others out.

Attend careers festivals and meet people from the places you want to apply

Ask around - your lecturers/fellow students/friends’ parents might know some important people

Ask what the company is really looking for in its candidates

Resources [1] [2] [3]

7. Online tests

If you are invited to do an online test as part of the recruitment process, find out what type it is and see if you can get your hands on a practice piece. If it is a personality test there is usually no way to prepare - just be honest.

I found online forums really good for this. If you’re applying for a large company, chances are there are tons of people who have done the same test and there could be existing forums about this. See what people said about them and if there is anyway to prepare.

Some of these honestly aren’t bad. For one application the test I had to do was actually a game, and for others it was standard logic questions - it all depends on the job!

Resources: [1] [2] [3]

8. Interviews

Interviews are probably the worst part of looking for work - but it’s something you need to get good at. With larger companies, online interviews are becoming the new big thing because they are cheaper to run and it is quicker to weed out candidates. Usually a question will pop up on the screen for a minute or two and then you will have a couple minutes to record your response via a webcam - you won’t be speaking to an actual person so it can be a bit awkward, so i’d suggest practicing first.

Interview tips:

Practice answering common interview questions - try to memorize a few responses such as the most common one “tell me about yourself”

Research the company again before going in to refresh your memory. Find out when they started, if they have grown recently or changed their direction.

Bring in questions - trust me, they WILL ask if you have questions

Dress appropriately

blue makes you look trustworthy, black looks professional, plz don’t wear orange

in online interviews you have the advantage of not wearing pants ;)

Bring a copy of your resume & make sure you have it memorized

Make sure you know where the interview is being held

Don’t cross your arms/yawn

Smile and be friendly!

Pretend you are a confident person, even if you are secretly about to wet yourself ;)

Thank the interviewer afterwards

Resources [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]

9. Get some experience

It really sucks when you are looking for a job when everywhere wants someone with experience. 

Do an internship - you could get a job offer at the end

Volunteer somewhere in your field

Get a part-time/casual job while you study

If all else fails, try an online course - MOOCs are short courses you can usually do online for free. Do one that relates to the type of work you are looking for, it shows initiative and that you are actually interested in the field and dedicated. 

10. Apply everywhere 

I don’t mean somewhere that requires 10 years of experience, but don’t discredit a job just because it’s not exactly what you want to do. Try applying to places that are slightly outside of your field, as long as you have enough skills and experience to do it well - it could end up being something you love!

The more places you apply - the higher your chances of hearing back. But make sure your applications are of a high quality! Don’t just send out identical resumes/cover letters.

11. Don’t give up!

I applied for soooo many jobs in my final year. It was super stressful and I got rejected outright tons of times. I did a few online interviews and face-to-face interviews and some of them I never heard back from. This is not the end of the world! Find out what you did wrong, ask for feedback and do better in your next application/interview. You can do this!

More links & resources

97 actions you should take to become THE person companies want to hire - College Info Geek

Preparing for the future by @studysthesia

Job hunting advice by @harryjamcs

How to get a job fast as hell by @thechronicleofshe

lol

p.s. good luck & don’t neglect your grades too ;-)

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writing an essay in college is very different from writing an essay in high school. personally, i write more research/history papers than literary essays (the liberal arts life and curse), so this is going to be a post on how a general research-y essay that has a thesis and arguments. 

intro

don’t open with a quote and don’t be overly broad. 

avoid generalizations 

your intro should address the topic of your essay (ex. the significance of gardens in renaissance society), and then narrow down to what you want to talk about in regards to your topic (ex. the political influence of the Medici gardens during the renaissance)

thesis! it should include the argument you want to make about the narrowed down topic, and three (or however many your class requires) reasons to support it. I like to think of it as W = X + Y + Z. 

your thesis explains who, what and why in a concise manner. 

body

topic sentences should not be a word for word copy of your thesis.

the order of arguments in your thesis is the order of your paragraphs 

depending on the length of your essay, there should be at least two justifications to your argument. 

so, just as the intro has a formula, X = A + B, and so forth. 

A and B should be backed up with some sources/quotes. don’t forget that if you are quoting from class notes to put either the prof’s last name, or (class notes)

be sure to have clear and concise arguments, don’t be flowery

USE WORDS THAT ARE ACCURATE. thesaurus is great but if you use a word that sounds cool but doesn’t capture the meaning you want to convey then don’t use it, because it may just change the meaning of your argument

quote whatever isn’t yours. it is completely fine if 90% of your sentences are quotes. its weird to get used to, but don’t worry about it. 

conclusion

the worst part in my opinion. 

synthesize don’t summarize. show how your arguments relate back to the thesis.

try not to copy paste your thesis into the conclusion, word it so that the readers understands that through XYZ, you were able to conclude and support argument W (referring back to the thesis formula)

do not add any new information, do not add quotes. 

your final sentence should tie up the essay in a pretty bow, but try to avoid clichés 

protips

when writing the body paragraphs, your ‘weakest’ paragraph should be in the middle, strongest as your last, and the second best as your first.

if you’re stumped on the intro, skip it. write out the body first, then the intro and you’ll be able to concisely word your thesis

think of your essay as an infomercial. your intro is the loud and clear HERES MY PRODUCT, the body is blasting information on why the product is so cool, and the conclusion is the final push for the viewer to buy that product. make your teacher want to agree with your thesis! 

use a mix of paraphrase and quotes!

don’t forget your works cited lmao (the MLA Handbook is a gr8 tool, also OWL Purdue)

prime time for essay writing is in the morning or at night, but make sure you edit it meticulously 

EDIT ON PAPER NOT ON YOUR SCREEN

stay humble, study hard