murderouslysimple

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"I cannot make you understand. I cannot make anyone understand what is happening inside me. I cannot even explain it to myself."

– Franz Kafka

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Anaïs Nin, from a novel titled "A Spy in the House of Love," published in 1954

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— roach-works

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museum of noticing

love elizabeth s.

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— Arundhati Roy, The Cost of Living

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I’ve been gone, but coronavirus has been a bitch and so has been trying to organize how I want to pick up Japanese again. I’ve decided to forego traditional book learning which drives me nuts (sorry proponents of Genki; I just can’t) and do the 80/20 method. I’ll explain more of that later, but I did it with German and it made it much more fun and intuitive.

Lastly, if there are things you want to know about my blog, its:

1. Cursive>Printing. As a 90’s kid, I was told my teachers would yell at me if I didn’t write in cursive in middle school.

2. I like cherry blossoms. A LOT. And pink. A LOT.

3. I don’t take myself too seriously. You’re only as old as you feel.

Now, excuse me while I burn a Sakura candle, drink from my Starbucks Japan 2020 Sakura collection tumbler (OMG IT FINALLY CAME!!!!!!!./&7:;$3,!:&/.!;&382@$), and watch Steve Wilkos reruns 😘🌸🌸🌸

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☀️ out 👅 out! First walk of the year ❤️

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2020 Quarantine Challenge

week 4, april 19 - What is you biggest tip to someone starting to learn your major/favourite subject/degree?

Talk to a couple psychologists before you choose this major; the ones at your fingertips will obviously be your professors in the department. Get an idea for what the branches do. Getting a degree in psychology is very flexible. Research all of your options at each degree level, and think of how you truly want to utilize it in the end.

I talked to my advisor, who was a research psychologist, and realized that spending 7 years chopping the heads off of rats didn’t sound appealing. Therefore, I chose to get my master’s degree. I also really wanted to dip my toes into cross-cultural psychology. I was inspired by a professor who worked solely with first and second generation Asian-Americans in her practice. I learned a lot about cultural considerations in her class and it piqued my interest so I chose to follow that route.

It’s a degree that requires a lot of hours of practice, getting out of your comfort zone, feeling okay when you fail, intense studying, and it’s not cheap. But I look to the future (regardless of my loans) with excitement because of all I will be able to do for other people and the knowledge I have at my disposal. I hope you discover the same passion!

I could do a whole post on the differences between degrees and the pros and cons. I spent WAY too much time fretting over them 😂

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2020 Quarantine Challenge

week 4, april 18 - what is your best tip on how to relax?

Put on your comfiest clothes. We are talking the stuff you wouldn’t wear outside of the house.

Get a comfort food. Calories and diets can take a hike; that’s more stress and you’re trying to truly relax.

Get a yummy drink. Tea, coffee, cocoa, whatever floats your boat. Now take your snacks to the place that you feel most comfortable in (the couch, laying in bed, etc).

What’s a movie/tv show that tickles your fancy? Maybe you’ve seen it 100 times but who cares. Or binge something you’ve been dying to watch but haven’t had the chance to!

If television isn’t your thing, pick up a hobby you had to set down due to responsibilities. Get lost in it for a bit.

Lastly, if you’re gonna truly relax, make a DAY out of it. Wake up and be lazy from sunrise to sunset. The Pomodoro technique, but 15 minutes here and there isn’t enough time to really unwind like this.

My boyfriend’s couch is my comfy spot (Artemis’s too❤️) I love watching murder/true crime shows and Happy Gilmore if I’m feeling rather dejected that day. I enjoy making my grilled cheese as a snack and drinking water with Mio in it 😋 My clothes consist of an oversized Aerie cardigan from their 2008 Christmas collection (still amazingly comfy, don’t judge me) and some plain ass black leggings.

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2020 Quarantine Challenge

week 4, april 17 - what is your biggest tip for organising your study space/study materials?

Good question lol I think that simple desk organizers help a ton. Being able to have a designated space for one type of item (be it notebooks, pens, pencils, washi, etc.) goes a long way, and it’s super basic and cheap. Another thing I find is that, if I have a number of different topics, putting certain topics in a specific type of notebook is helpful. For example, I have all of my grad psychology notes in those thin, colorful, Kokuyo Campus B26 notebooks. Meanwhile, all my language stuff is in patterned notebooks I get at Target (a.k.a. The Mothership). That’s just what works for me though!

So it’s April in Michigan... and this is what it looks like. It was also 70 degrees last Thursday. You never know what you’re gonna get here lol It sure is beautiful, though!

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2020 Quarantine Challenge

week 4, April 15th & 16th: What would be your advice to you from five years ago, and what is the best advice you’ve ever been given (e.g. from a teacher or friend)?

Five years ago, I was in my third year of college, just ending my first year of my psychology major. I think I would have told myself to study more. I was just passing classes, not absorbing the material. It’s something I regret but time only moves forward~

The best advice I was ever given was by a mentor of mine, Simone, from my university’s TRIO program. I entered college four years late and I knew that my degree would take me close to thirty to finish. I was taking on too much in the beginning which was doing me no favors and my grades were starting to reflect it. Simone told me: “Some people arrive to their destinations by car, some by plane, and some by walking. It doesn’t matter how fast you get there; the most important thing is cherishing the journey to that destination.” If your university has a TRIO program, utilize it. It does wonderful things.

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2020 Quarantine Challenge

week 4, april 13: what is your biggest tip for staying focused?

My biggest tip would be to make what you need to focus on be the only thing you CAN focus on. What I mean by that is getting an app to lock your phone and a program/plugin/extension to block websites on your desktop. I’ve mentioned before that I use the app Forest on my phone ($2.99) and I’ve been trying a program called Freedom on my computer recently. If I can’t fall down rabbit holes, all I can do is focus on my work! If you still can’t focus, walk away and make a snack (like avocado toast with everything bagel seasoning) or get some water! Sometimes you just need to step away.

week 4, april 14: what is your biggest tip for not getting cabin fever?

Return to old hobbies. Trying something new can be fun, but I love rediscovering my love for things I lost time for. I don’t necessarily see anything terrible with cabin fever; I’ve been napping at least once a day lmao but I’ve taken up knitting again! I haven’t had the time to do that in a year and it’s given me a craft to get into in my spare time. I also started coloring and reading again. It’s not new, but it’s something I have passion for and will throw myself into all day long. I personally think that’s more exciting. It’s like seeing an old friend again :)

I don’t think Angel will appreciate the blanket I’m making for her though 😂

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On losing motivation

I feel like I need to make this post on losing motivation, because a lot of the time, on here, it seems that when people lose motivation to study, they try and just force and bully themselves into being motivated. That’s not a good method, studying the things you love should be joyful, not a horrendous chore. And motivation via negativa only leads to less motivation long term, where as motivation via positiva leads to a strengthened sense of being able to overcome obstacles and more motivation long term. 

If you are losing motivation, usually there is some other reason for it. You are a whole person, not just a shard of academic intellectualism, and the other elements of your being need to be taken care of. We sometimes forget that. So if you have noticed your motivation is slipping, check in with yourself:

Keep reading

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2020 Quarantine Challenge

week 3, april 12: what is your favorite joke?

If spaghetti made an action movie, what would it be called?

...Mission Im-pasta-ble~

.....I’ll see myself out ＼(´ε｀ )／

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week 3, april 11: where is your favourite place in the world

Chicago! I have extremely fond memories of Chicago. My ex-fiancé, now best friend (it’s complicated, don’t ask), took me there for the first time to see the Final Fantasy Distant Worlds concert on tour for my birthday. Hayao Miyazaki is, like, the reason I entered band class so it was a dream come true! We went to Chinatown, the Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, and stayed in The Renaissance Blackstone; a retro, Art Deco hotel with black marble, gold decor, and period furniture. It was EPIC. No trip will compare.

This was the view out of our hotel room one year we went :3

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week 3, april 9th - what is the song that makes you happy no matter what?

Hatsune Miku has always cheered me up since I first heard her in, like, 2011. She always makes me want to dance like no one is looking lol I have all of the Project Diva games, all of her concerts, and it’s a dream of mine to go to one of her concerts in Japan. While I love Miku’s regular songs, I’m also a big fan of her trance/synth style songs. This artist, Clean Tears, is one of my favorite Miku artists, and this album is absolutely STUNNING.