#and i emailed one of my professors asking for some info on like... what i missed and he simply never responded and then when he did he-

[oh-katsuki]

remind me to never ask ppl in college for favors ever again jessusssss...

[slyandthefamilybook]

What is the Accountability Archive?

(I was gonna make this an addition to another post but OP turned off reblogs while I was halfway through my deep dive so I'm making my own)

With any activism (or something trying to pass itself off as activism), especially list-making like this site, the most important question to ask is "why". What is the purpose? What do they hope to accomplish? How will this data be used?

The answer is......eh? The list is being compiled so that possibly someday some future historian might maybe think about wanting to form a committee to explore the possibility of..."understanding how 'power holders' manufacture consent". These power holders are, of course, politicians, but also journalists?, and "public figures", which is an extremely vague term. Am I a public figure? I certainly make my opinions public. So when these future researchers want to understand the nature of the current conflict, they won't need to look at the history of the region, the contemporary local politics as well as the international stage, and the personalities of the specific people involved. They'll just check out this eyesore of a website to find proof that slyandthefamilybook supports genocide. And future lawyers will be able to use this incontrovertible evidence to...sorry, to prosecute war crimes?????? Sorry, I couldn't help but laugh at that one. Well if I am on there it shouldn't be too hard to check. Surely a site called the "Accountability Archive" believes in transparency

Oh. Well. I'm sure if you pass their screening process they'll respond promptly from their encrypted archive-less email and definitely give you access. But don't worry. They have a "vision" of one day making this public. When are we the people going to be able to see the info? I want the juicy deets on who is and isn't a Zionist!

So, sometime in the future. Maybe. Probably. Well what kind of info are they collecting anyway?

Alright, seems normal so far. I appreciate that when talking about targeting of civilian populations or infrastructure they've remained impartial. I submitted a page from the ADL cataloguing US professors who celebrated Hamas' pogrom on 10/7. I will let you know how or if they respond

One thing I've noticed is the distinctly European spelling of some words like "dehumanisation" and "analyse". So who are these people even? They must have pictures, or names, or evidence of their bona fides. They claim to be "middle east experts" [sic] so surely they'll link articles they've written, or talk about degrees or accolades they've received. Something, anything to let us know that they're real serious people who know what they're talking about

Well that's......I mean that's not even an answer. You don't answer the question of "who are we" with "this is the purpose of our website". They have a Twitter, which despite being made in October 2023 (huh. weird) only made its first post in February 2024

The site itself went live on November 22, 2023, but according to Google was only certified as of 9 days ago

I'm not going to try to dig into who potentially runs the account. I don't want to doxx anyone. But this should give you an overview of what this site is and why you definitely shouldn't use it

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for telling my Professor I dislike what my group members did for our final project?

I (20F) was in a group with four guys of unknown ages. All around my age or older. For my degree I had to take this management class. Our final project was to analyze this case study, give our opinion on what their new strategy could be, etc...

First day of the project (a month into semester) we get in our groups I sit around for a few minutes waiting for one of them to take charge or just say something (I figure they're all business majors of some kind). No one does so I do. I start to ask who wants to do what and say how I think we should break down the tasks. Two of them laugh.

For reference, I'm short, fem but visibly queer, and the school I go to is in the south. I don't know why they laughed. At the time and still I attribute misogyny but IDK I'm not in their minds.

For all of the following meetings I did the same thing: I would wait then take charge. They started to ask me all of their questions. Flash forward to the week it is due. I set a due date a day before the actual one (we do not meet that and finish an hour before the actual due date) and they ask me a bunch of easily answerable questions (on the syllabus or in class material). I did my part on time and read through their stuff. And in my opinion it just wasn't good. It was a lot of repeating the same information over and over again and didn't really follow the prompts of what we were supposed to do. Between that and how much they had yet to do I had a panic attack. My roommate urged me to email the professor. She replied to write up a thing explaining my issues w/ sections of the paper and include it when I uploaded my individual components.

I care about the grade so much because it is a large component and I receive funding for school from wealthy relatives based on how I do. It's not paying for my college but $200 here or there is a lot to me.

We got everything done on time and edited. I still gave my paper my all and helped with other sections and edited. I think it improved but still wasn't where I'd want it to be. So I did the thing she told me to and created the document. When I sent it to her I included that I don't want anyone to get a lower grade and I don't think anyone did a bad job (I don't think anyone was lazy).

I still feel like I might be an asshole because what I did could result in her lowing their grades.

[elumish]

Writing a Professional Email

I work in client services, which means that a frankly depressing amount of my job is writing emails, both for myself and for other people. There is an art and a science to writing professional emails.

The subject line

The subject line should be informative enough that somebody scanning through their inbox can tell what the email is about and whether they need to look at it any time soon. Depending on their job, some people get hundreds or thousands of emails a day, and they need to be able to tell at a glance whether an email is important to them.

When emailing someone particularly at another organization with a question, I will often use "Inquiry" or "Question" in the subject line. depending on industry standards, you may also use something like RFI (request for information).

If you want to be clear on why exactly you're sending an email, it is the standard in some industries to start your email with For Action: or For [Reason]: (e.g., For Review:, For Situational Awareness:). I generally only include that in emails staying within my organization, but depending on how well you know whoever you're emailing, you may or may not feel comfortable to do that outside of your organization.

You may not need to be that prescriptive in your email subject lines. if I'm emailing someone about tuition assistance, I might just use the subject "Tuition Assistance."

The salutation

How you address the person sets the tone of the entire email. A lot of this has to do with industry standards and the level of formality you're trying to convey.

At my organization, the explicitly-stated expectation is that you will address everyone, regardless of level, by their first name. If I got an email from someone at my organization referring to me by Ms. [Surname] I would be immediately confused and suspicious.

When emailing agents or addressing them in query letters, it seems like the expectation is often to use their first name--but you should always check, in case they specifically say they want to be referred to in some other way.

When emailing someone with an industry-specific title (professor, doctor, military or law enforcement) it's often your best bet to start with their title. You should make sure you know how to properly abbreviate them, if you do that--the same military rank, for example, is abbreviated differently depending on the service (e.g., Second Lieutenant is abbreviated 2LT, 2ndLt, and 2d Lt).

As you become closer to them, you may start to address them by their first name--but not necessarily.

Also some people/industries prefer "Hi" while others prefer "Dear". if you're really not sure, I've found that defaulting to "Good morning" or "Good afternoon" is often an easy workaround.

The body

Organize the body of the email so the most important information is clear, easy to find, and unambiguous. I frequently use bullets and/or tables in my emails. I also use strategic bolding and underlining, especially for due dates or specific asks.

If you don't know the person or they won't understand why you're the one emailing them about the thing, it can help to introduce yourself. If you're going to do so, keep it short and focus on the key info (e.g., "I am part of x team and am reaching out to you because of y").

If you think your email is too long, it probably is.

The closing

I recommend finding a closing that works for you and stick with it. What I see most commonly are Best, Regards, Best Regards, or Sincerely, but you have a good deal of flexibility here. (I use Regards.)

You should also consider whether to sign off with your first name, full name, or full name + title. I use first name because my signature has my full name.

The signature

Most (all?) email service providers let you set a default signature. My organization has a very prescriptive signature block, so for my work email I just use that.

If you don't have that, I recommend some version of

Full Name Organizational Title Organization

[xxgoblin-dumplingxx]

Can Ma Kent be the sweet old southern woman oddduck needs? Someone who listens and lets her talk about Bruce and her frustrations with Clark and Lois but not try to solve it or pry for more info or anything? I just want oddduck to have a safe space rn lol

"Ma I'm sorry I-"

Martha waved away his concerns cheerfully and kissed his cheek, "You know we'll be fine. Pa will be perfectly happy to watch the game and I'll go see Y/N-" Her eyes narrowed when her son winced, looking a little ashamed of himself.

"Ma I don't know if-"

"Even if she's irritated at you right now she'll be thrilled to see me," she snorted.

Clark nodded slowly and stooped to kiss her cheek, "Call if you need anything-"

"We''ll be fine," she assured him, watching him go. Shaking her head and picking up her jacket and her handbag.

"Kids fighting, you think?" her husband asked.

"Not fighting," Martha said, kissing the top of his head and making sure he had a cold drink at hand. "I think, Clark has been meddling where he shouldn't-"

"With what?"

"Never you mind," she said smiling a little. What Lois had let slip and what she'd gleaned from talking to you briefly would have been enough to make the rest of his hair go grey.

"Martha-"

"Can't hear you I'm going to so watch a Lecture," she said, heading towards the University where you taught.

_________________

Martha snuck in and hung near the back. It was a big room and the students you were teaching were in various states of paying attention. But the ones that were? They were enraptured. And Martha understood it. She'd watched you hone this for years- ever since you were a little girl.

She didn't know if it was innate or if you practiced it in the mirror. But either way, she enjoyed it.

"Alright All, remember. Mid Terms are next week. And there are 3 essay questions- You only have to do ONE. If you do all three and get them right, there's extra credit in it for you-"

She watched you dismiss your class and waited, watching you gather your papers and your laptop, making her way down the steps, "Excuse me professor?" she teased. Beaming at you when you look up.

"I thought-"

"They got called in to work," she explained, "so I thought I'd come bother you. Make you get a slice of pie and some coffee with me."

You smile and pull out your laptop again, "Just let me email my next class and let them know they get a day off."

_______________

Martha listened for a little while. She knew there was a lot you weren't saying. About how annoyed you were with her son and his wife.

"I told them to get a dog if they want something to parent," you tell her.

"Good," she said, smiling a little. "Now about this man-"

"He doesn't even like me that way so I don't understand-"

Martha shook her head fondly. If he wasn't sweet on you, he wasn't as smart as Clark said. You're a cutie. Not a model. But there was a girl next door quality. A sweetness. A warmth. And you were smart? He'd have to be blind and stupid. And she could see, from the way you flustered a little talking about him, the way your cheeks heated that you liked him. "What's your mother say?"

You shrug, "I'm sure she'd have a lot to say if I told her anything-"

"Y/N."

"I mean why would I tell her after-"

"That wasn't your fault," Martha said softly, patting your hand. Trying not to worry about the fact that you'd only taken a couple bites of your pie and were now aimlessly picking. You were upset. This was bothering you.

"I chose-"

"You chose him because he lied to you, baby," she reminded you. "And then he left you."

You nod and Martha squeezed your hand again, hoping that Bruce knew what he was doing. He was going to have his work cut out for him if he was going to convince you of anything. And she hoped you were wrong. That he did like you enough to do the work.

[hamofjustice]

Nemona the Unrivaled

Chapter 3 - A Fresh Start

Info / Chapter Select: here

(This is the last chapter I had lying around before I started working on Ham's League Club Expansion Pack for a while)

“Sigh... alright. How ‘bout we start over. Hi Nemona, my neighbor I’ve never had beef with in my life. It’s nice to meet you, I’m Arven.”

Nemona played along as she rose shakily from the ground to meet his pained smile. “Heh. Hi Arven, nice to meet you too.” She wasn’t really sure if it was normal to be letting him reset their relationship like this, but at this point holding the grudge didn’t feel worth missing out on a connection. She just needed one too badly... and it felt like she’d already made progress on humanizing herself to him, even if it wasn’t in a way she was proud of. It felt like she was just drifting on instinct with no plan now. Hopefully everything didn’t fall apart again...

Once he’d helped her stand, a few awkward moments passed where they were both unsure what to say, or where to look, or what to do with their hands once they’d quickly let go of each other.

Arven eventually decided to just turn to face Miraidon again, with one hand on his hip and the other rubbing his forehead. “So, uh... right then, let’s get to business. What’s that you said about finding this brute crash landed on the beach?”

“Oh, right. Yeah, it just fell right out of the sky like it ran out of fuel or something! I went down to feed it some Berries and fend off a bunch of Houndour that were checking it out, then when it felt better it wanted to come up here to the lighthouse, so we went through that tunnel back there...”

Arven crossed his arms. “Huh. Not sure why it’s here, but I guess it’s probably grateful to you.”

“Agias!” Miraidon affirmed.

“Hmph.”

Nemona couldn’t help but notice the way Arven seemed to resent this Pokemon for some reason, even after calming down. “So... if I can ask now... what’s your connection to Miraidon, Arven? Why’s it pawing at your door?”

Arven took a deep breath and gazed up at the horizon, toward the Great Crater. “You’re not going to babble about this to, uh... Chairwoman Geeta or whoever, right?”

“I meannn... you’re right, we do talk, but I can keep a secret.”

“You sure? President’s honor?”

“Promise.”

“... It used to live here with me. It’s something Dad found in Area Zero, I guess? He just... brought it home one day, didn’t tell me much. Guess it was confidential or what have you. But when it snuck out and people found out about it, he took it with him back into the crater before it caused more of a fuss.” he explained, nodding in the forbidden zone’s direction. “I haven’t seen either of ‘em again until just now, so seeing it with you was a bit much to take in. I used to at least get calls or emails from my old man, trying to convince me how much he still cared and he was totally gonna make it all worth it someday, but... those stopped eventually, too.”

He then turned back to Miraidon. “You really ruined my childhood, y’know.”

“Gia...” it responded, cowering again and looking away.

“Whoof... Well, I don’t know if that’s fair to Miraidon. I mean, Professor Turo could come back for you if he really wanted-”

“Yeah, he sure could’ve!” Arven spat, then stepped back sheepishly when Tauros snorted at him.

Nemona winced. “Sorry. Uh... w-what about your mom? Is she cool at least?”

“... Never really knew her. Took off after I was born for whatever reason. Mother of the year, eh?”

Nemona’s eyes turned to saucers.

”Apparently she used to work with Dad, but they fought so much that she just completely up and left one day. Don’t think they even had the chance to get married. Maybe I reminded her of him so much that she didn’t... wanna look at me. Kinda like how I don’t wanna look at this brute. Who knows. Who cares! She can shove it too. Probably just wanted a little lab assistant instead of a son. So yeah, I may as well be an orphan at this rate.”

“Oh my gosh, Arven... I had no idea...”

“Yeah. So that’s what me being ‘the big shot son of the famous, brilliant Professor Turo’ has gotten me in life. And then... uh...”

Arven seemed to be looking at something over Nemona’s shoulder and stopped talking. Nemona turned to look as well.

Adam was walking down the road as far away from them as possible, but when he noticed them looking at him -- or maybe when he heard Arven say who he was in such an over-the-top snarky tone -- he glared straight at them as he passed by. Nemona felt cold and sick again, but Adam never said anything.

Step by step, the anticipation was tearing Nemona up. But nothing happened. Adam just kept on going and eventually looked away and disappeared down the hill ahead.

Arven slumped forward once the new trainer was out of sight. “...Yeesh, what was that all about? S’like that little guy was possessed by the lingering spirit of my beef with you or something.”

Nemona snorted and smiled, to her own surprise. “Heh. Um... that was Adam, he just moved in next door. I uh, well... We, um... He doesn’t like me, no.”

“What’d you do? Uh I mean, what happened?”

Nemona narrowed her eyes at the implication it was her fault, but she resisted snapping back. “Well, uh... basically I told him I was a Champion who wanted to... start my team and my Gym Challenge over, to be a rival to somebody new, and picked out a new little starter Pokemon along with him. Y’know, I wanted to... take him under my wing, share some of my stuff and my knowledge, watch him grow! Maybe... maybe make a... a friend out of it...” she recounted, tapping her fingertips together.

Arven raised an eyebrow when Nemona got shaky at that last part.

“... But he seemed to think I was just doing it to, I don’t know, stroke my ego, or boss him around, or whatever the heck else people think I do. He...” Nemona had to hug herself while she thought about it. “...He kinda started ranting about it at me, until Director Clavell chewed him out for it. It was like Adam thought he already knew who I was and had enough of me in, like... minutes. It just... ouch, y’know? And, to be honest. I don’t think the Director sticking up for me did anything to help the kid thinking I was some kind of ‘teacher’s pet,’ either...”

“...Oh.” Arven guiltily rubbed the back of his neck. “...How many times did you battle him?“

“I didn’t even ask for one yet!” Nemona responded with an angry pout.

“Huh. So that’s the state you were in when I came along and did the same thing to you, huh...”

She softened. “Yeah. ...Yeah. Y-you didn’t know, it’s okay!”

“Is it, though?”

“We’re talking now, I think it turned out okay. But... but...”

Nemona sighed. She felt an instinctive anxiety that she was telling Arven way too much and she should stop, but it seemed far too late to stop now. He’d already seen her fall apart, he should know why too. Especially when he’d revealed so much to her today.

“... I dunno, it all just left me wondering... If... if a total stranger who just moved here can hate me that much, what hope do I have at... at ever...”

Nope, couldn’t keep it together long enough to finish her sentence. She covered her face as her jaw quivered. The audible sniffle probably told Arven what he needed to know.

“So uh... you don’t have life handed to you on a platter like people might assume either, eh?”

Nemona rapidly shook her head no without uncovering it. “N-no. My family’s basically never home either. Today’s the first time I’ve seen them in ages. They kinda... leave me to fend for myself out here. Not that I don’t like the freedom sometimes, but... I dunno.”

“Fend for yourself, huh...” he repeated quietly, looking down at the ground.

Nemona removed her braced arm from her face and rested it in her other palm. “Well, I mean, not literally -- housekeepers come by here and there -- but they know I don’t really like being taken care of like that.”

“Hmph. Well, still no substitute for family, I s’pose.”

“And then when I get out of there and back to school where I belong, it feels like a lotta kids are jealous of me, and everyone I battle or even talk to about Pokemon just gets mad. I wanna have fun with ‘em, maybe even help ‘em get stronger, but they’re all sour grapes about it. Like I’m making fun of them by just... being here, and they’ve gotta fight back.”

Arven scratched the back of his neck some more and looked away. Nemona also averted her gaze, toward her Tauros.

“... Some days, it feels like all I’ve got is my Pokemon.” she continued as she pet the loyal bull. “Everybody thinks ‘cause I’m a Champion and have a rich family and decent grades and stuff, I’m, just... born different. Like I can do things they never could. Like I’m gifted and special, or cheating, when...”

Nemona showed Arven the red glove on her right hand. He took a step back defensively, but then took a closer look at it as she flexed her fingers.

“...When I have to wear this brace just to be able to throw a Poke Ball even halfway right or get through a day of homework without pain, and I can barely make it up the stairs to school without help, and... everyone looks at me like I’m an alien or a science experiment, or like Pokemon battles are an annoying niche interest if I’m the one talking about them...”

Nemona crossed her arms and looked out at the ocean. When she glanced back at Arven, there was a strange mix of emotions on his face. Mostly like he was sad and unsure what to do, like Clavell was, but there was something else going on there too that she couldn’t quite put her finger on.

“Well, no... that's not fair, the new teachers are fine, and little kids like me... and-- S-sorry, sorry, I’m totally unloading on you, I’m sorry, you’ve got it worse. I’m okay, really...” she quickly apologized, rattling her head and turning away again.

“No you’re not.” Arven said firmly.

“Yes I am sorry, you--” Nemona started, falling into her old habits around Arven.

He raised his hands. “Nonono, shush, I mean, you’re not okay.”

“Don’t shush-- Y-yeah, and what about it, huh?”

“And that’s rough, but... pretending you don’t need help isn’t... i-isn’t the way to make it better, is it?”

“Oh.” she responded, deflating. “...Yeah, I guess it really hasn’t been. I just... don’t wanna look needy.”

An awkward pause passed. Both of the teens’ eyes searched the road for nothing in particular as Nemona thought about what Arven said.

“... W-well, I’m as shocked as you are that I ended up being the person you told all this to. And spice adversa, I guess.” he acknowledged as he combed a hand through his fluffy hair.

“... Vice versa?” She quietly corrected.

“Ghk-- Shush, you... nerd.”

Nemona snorted and smiled a bit. “Just making sure you have it right next time.”

“Sure. Anyway... it sounds like you could really use someone in your corner. I could too, I suppose. Maybe we have enough in common to make something work.”

“You... wanna be friends?” Nemona guessed as her face began to light up back to the brightness it belonged at, like the sun rising over the horizon.

“... Yeah. I’ll give it another shot.” Once again, Arven offered her his hand, this time to shake on it, though he was looking away like it was a little embarrassing for him.

Nemona shook his hand eagerly. Somehow, falling apart in front of someone she thought hated her just led to him putting her back together instead of kicking the pieces around. Maybe this morning wouldn’t be so bad. Best not to dwell on how long ago they could’ve been friends if they’d just been a little more open, though...

“Yeah! Sounds good to me, amigo! We should get to school soon, though. Uh... what’re we gonna do with Miraidon?”

“Woorgh?”

“Ugh, right, where are we going to keep that brute now? We can’t put it in a Ball because it’s already registered to my dad, and I’d rather not leave it unsupervised...”

“Oh wait, hold on! I found a Poke Ball in the sand next to this fella.” Nemona remembered, and went to dig through her satchel for it. Being in a different pocket than the others made it stand out. “You never know, this could be it.”

“Agias!”

“Well, try it and see, I suppose...”

Nemona attempted to recall Miraidon into the Poke Ball, and sure enough, it succeeded. Whatever this thing was, it was in her hand now... even if it was apparently not in any shape to be used yet.

“Well I’ll be a Mankey’s uncle, that solves that problem! Normally I’d tell you not to go parading it around Paldea, but actually, now that I think about it... I’m honestly all for doing anything that would make my old man steamed, so go ahead. I have to admit Miraidon was pretty clever bringing its own Ball along like that, though. Hmmm... unless Dad sent it back here on purpose for some reason? If it’s supposed to be his messenger, I don’t know what the message is, or how an email wouldn’t have been easier. I don’t suppose there were any sticky notes under its, uh, saddle or anything, were there?”

“Don’t think so. Um... you think something bad happened to the professor?”

“... It’s possible. Last time I went-- Uh, last time I heard it was a really dangerous place. Really earned that restricted access.”

“Dangerous? Like, full of super-strong Pokemon? I could probably handle those!”

Arven rolled his eyes. “... Well, yeah, but also the thousand foot drops, and I doubt all the radiation from those crystal things has been healthy for Dad’s brain in the long term... Anyway, right, school. I was just gonna walk, maybe train up this Skwovet I caught earlier, but now I’m pretty behind schedule. Err, uhh, not that this little chat wasn’t worth it, ‘course.”

“You wanna ride on my Cyclizar?” Nemona offered eagerly. “I think it’s strong enough for two. Can't go skipping class if I bring you there myself!”

Arven pinched his brow like this was the hardest decision of his life. “...Fine.”

“Heh heh! Alright! Get on and let’s vamos!”

And with that, the ornery outdoorsman clung tightly to Nemona’s back as they zipped through the rest of Poco Path, the nearby village of Los Platos, and the hills beyond on her galloping Cyclizar. The entrance gates to Mesagoza were soon just a few minutes away despite the interruptions.

Nemona hadn’t even considered that Arven would have to do such an overly familiar thing when she brought up the idea to hitch a ride, but he eventually gave up his pride after falling off for trying to be hands-off. She had to admit -- at least to herself -- that a hug from a peer felt pretty nice even if it was for purely practical reasons.

“Soooo, that Skwovet you mentioned! Are you starting over with a new Pokemon too, then? Or did you just finally decide to start training something besides that Mabosstiff?” she asked loudly enough to be heard while they were moving.

“Mmm. Uh. You remember him, huh?”

“Of course! You two seemed as inseparable as it gets -- a real inspiration for how close a Trainer and Pokemon can be!”

Arven took a deep breath for some reason. “...Thanks. Yeah, I guess I am... s-starting over. Sorta. I’ll put Mabosstiff back on my team when everyone else, uh, catches up to him, ‘course...”

“Hey, alright! Maybe we can get some battles in with your Skwovet and my Sprigatito then! You ‘n’ me could even do that idea I had with...” No, no need to say that kid’s name anymore. Forget him. “...Uh, that idea to start new teams and do the Gyms over and stuff!” Calm down, don’t ask for too much. “......If you want. No pressure.”

“Yeah, maybe I could use the help.”

[skrelpson]

It's that time of year- time for skrelp to revamp his entire blog lmao

Howdy! Call me skrelp, Elliot, or Malon! I use a bunch of pronouns! Right now the main ones are They, Sylv, and She. I'll pick up pretty much anything you put down, though.

Interests!

-Pokémon

(Favorite Gens are 2, 6, and 3!! Favorite characters are Milo, Bugsy, Erika, Jasmine, Sonia, etc...)

-The Legend of Zelda

(Favorite games are Minish Cap, OoT and MM!)

-Dungeon Meshi/Delicious in Dungeon

(I'm caught up on the manga!)

-In Stars And Time

-Lucky Star

(I've started watching the anime recently!)

-Pixel Art

-90s / 00s Media

Passive Interests!

(Meaning I don't talk about them as much (or know that much abt them), but I still think they're cool!)

-Kirby

-Vocaloid (~pjsk as well)

-Ace Attorney

-Sailor Moon

-Deltora Quest

(If you give me a copy of the DS game I'll love you forever and ever/hj)

-Splatoon

-Marine History

(Predominantly shipwreck archeology)

-World of Horror

-Professor Layton

-Cosplay

-...And more!

Anything Else?

-Feel free to tag me in things!* And send me reccomendations for shows and games!

-Due to my hip and cool(/s) anxiety, I tend to overthink and panic about a lot of things. So I may be slow to reach out! But! I do wanna talk!

-If I ever reblog something/say something offensive, please tell me! It's never my intention to hurt anyone.

-Let me know if you'd ever like to contact me outside of here! I have like...discord. Or email or something DJKFHAJ

- I also run @flo-aroma, which is a Pokemon sideblog! Check it out if you'd like!

-Basic DNI ig? Not like that one carrd that's been floating around, just...don't be an asshole! No bigotry, racism, transphobia, etc. Chances are I'll just block you if you make me uncomfortable 👍

-If you're a Pokemon IRL Blog and wondering why I followed you, that's because I have a few of my own! You can check out @skrelps-cafe for more info.

*for like, fun ask games or cool art you think I'd like! I don't participate in 'reblog if you think X is a valid thing', etc. They stress me out. Similar situation with chain asks(?) (is that what they're called? lol) also due to anxiety.

Tag List!

skrelp speaks - posts of my own creation

apollo's "art" - posts featuring my own drawings

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That's all now go drink some water u deserve it <3

[as-if-and-only-if]

So, I think I'm finally going to apply to grad school for math!

But there are a few issues!

One issue is that I've got pretty severe ADHD. I think that means I ought to look for a professor first, and a school second. I think I need to find a particularly accommodating professor who's willing to take on unorthodox Ph.D. students.

Then there's the issue of: well, what do you want to do research in? And honestly, I kind of want to spend some time learning a lot of things in multiple areas of math. I already have a lot of exposure from taking mostly grad courses in undergrad, but I want to understand things more deeply. I don't want to be tied down to a specific area; generally, I'm interested in: understanding complex systems; connections between different fields of math; the foundations of "abstract nonsense"; fundamental theoretical physics; the places where group & representation & number theory come together; computer realizations of mathematical practice (UX for actually doing math research, knowledge organization, and formalization); and some more "philosophically-oriented" things which tend not to be part of any named fields. I've also got interdisciplinary inclinations and have some budding interest in nanotechnology; and I'd like to be in a place that mixes everything together, and exposes me to even more things to be interested in.

So really, I'm looking for either a professor or two who are also interested in all sorts of things, or a department that allows you the freedom to do all of this stuff at once! A lot of Ph.D. programs seem to signal that they prize specialization, but that's just not an option for me. Sure, I'll do a thesis about a particular thing, but ideally it'll involve a lot of things!

And that's another crucial desideratum: I want a vibrant culture. Far too often I hear about grad experiences in which the grad students are working away in isolation without much community or energy. I want to be around people who are excited about all of the things I'm excited about!

So, three things: accommodations for unorthodox working style; encouragement of interdisciplinary/wide-ranging interests; and a vibrant, exciting culture.

This is really a diary/processing post, but feel free to consider it a request-for-info post—if you happen to have any helpful ideas or connections, pls don't hesitate to share! :D

(I could also use some advice on how to find what I'm looking for, including pointers to groups of like-minded people or places to ask questions. Right now my strategy is "read the faculty bios on university websites, see if anything jumps out, and cold-email the professors", which, you know. We'll see how that goes.)

[superiorsturgeon]

hey I just saw your big post on why you like sturgeon and was wondering if you could touch a bit more on the ways you got started in your career/studies involving these fish, specifically if you have any tips and/or advice for someone hoping to pursue a career in the study of these cool guys (funky gar for your time)

Your offering pleases me.

First of all, I put a lot of thought into writing this to help anyone interested in working in my field, so it took me a while to respond to this ask. Sorry it took so long, but I hope it’s helpful!

I got into fish/biology because it was one of two things I really enjoyed learning about in school, and it seemed to be the more solid choice as far as a career (the other being music). Now, I was raised in the US, so most of my advice will be in dealing with grease-slathered American education and workplace experiences. I’m EXTREMELY bitter about certain facets of the system that I discovered the hard way, but I’ll try to stay focused here and I don’t want to discourage anyone!

Getting started…

Assuming you’re interested in actually studying fish like sturgeon, you’re probably going to want a degree of some kind. Now, most colleges these days are happy to take anyone who will pay tuition, but you definitely don’t want just any college! Some universities don’t have big biology programs, and some that do are focused more on pre-med tracks than on studying nature (my undergrad program had me in the basement a lot of the time). What you want is a program that will actually give you skills you’ll need for a job, such as electroshocking, designing/implementing experiments, counting fin ray/otolith rings, and other practical skills. You’re going to be paying a lot of money for this paper no matter where you get it, so you’ll want to do some research to get the maximum value!

The best way to go about choosing a program is to research the professors studying what you are interested in. Find a school, look up something like “fisheries” or “fish biology,” and you should be able to find info on the people actually involved, along with their CVs (curriculum vitae, basically an academic resume). This will tell you what their research focus is, as well as their professional specialties.

When something catches your eye, email them! If they’re any good at their job, they will be happy to tell you about the program, their own lab, and what skills you can learn at that university. Once you’re actually enrolled, you’ll be assigned an Academic Advisor, a professor whose job is to answer these questions. It’s very important to get in the habit of reaching out to professors at college, both in person and by email to ask questions like these. Tell them what your goals are and ask what courses you need, if there are any opportunities to volunteer in labs outside of classes, what workshops are available, etc, because these will help set you apart from the slobbering masses who just fulfilled the minimum requirements to graduate.

Paying for college…

You’ve probably heard that the cost of college in the US is outrageous these days, and studying fish definitely does NOT pay a lot, but there are a few ways to reduce the cost! Once you’ve found a university with a program that meets your needs, see how many basic courses/credits you can get out of the way at small community colleges, if possible while still living at home (on-site housing and food courts are marked up a lot, and many four-year colleges insist on living there at least two years). Remember how I recommended that you reach out to professors to choose a program? Do it again at community colleges near you or your chosen school and ask which credits can be transferred. It’s a common practice so they almost certainly have some procedures in place.

Second, never pass up a chance to apply for grants, scholarships, etc, any money that you don’t have to pay back, even if you BARELY qualify. Many of these cost nothing to apply besides your time, and it’s surprisingly easy to get approved! There are apps available that will give you a list of scholarships applicable to your degree, and your professors should also be able to help you find more possibilities. Seriously, apply to every grant/scholarship you can, because the worst that can happen is that you don’t get it. I myself received a grant from Trout Unlimited that caught me completely off-guard because I wasn’t even studying trout, but I wrote an essay and applied anyway! If your school has a writing lab, take your applications to them for proofreading! (Side note, being able to write grant applications is actually a valuable job skill for professionals doing science, so take the opportunity to learn!)

Developing marketable skills…

I touched on useful skills above, but I’m going to go into more depth. In theory, colleges are supposed to teach you what you need in the expensive courses they offer, but I can tell you that some colleges are happy to just get “butts in seats” and award diplomas for the bare minimum. It’s scummy, but it happens, so I recommend that you take some steps to make sure you get real-world skills, because basic biology lectures won’t impress recruiters after you’ve graduated.

The exact skills you want depend on whether you’re looking to be outside or in the lab, but my advice is to get as many as you can. Competition for jobs like mine can be fierce, so it never hurts to add more to your resume! Employers will look for things like the ability to drive/back up trailers, welding, using statistics software like R, determining fish age, operating boats, pipetting, basic electrical repair, plumbing, and electroshocking, to name a few. I had a master’s degree when I applied to a previous job, but my boss told me what really caught his eye was that I had experience fixing my own car and a little bit of construction. Some things like measuring/weighing fish accurately are easy to learn on the job, but just like anywhere else employers want to get new hires up to speed as fast as possible, so they’ll be pleased to see that you volunteered to collect data for someone’s graduate research or attended a weekend workshop learning to sample fish in a nearby river. If you find a good school program you’ll learn things like this, but it’s a good idea to ask your professors if there are any extra opportunities to pick up skills!

In addition to what you learn through the school, you can also pick up a few things on your own! The internet has become swamped with targeted ads and bullshit, but you can still find videos demonstrating things like basic engine maintenance, plumbing, electronics, etc (of course, make sure you’re being safe when researching that last one). If you have a relative with a trailer, see if they’ll teach you how to back it up safely in a parking lot! If your school has a statistics professor, find out when they have office hours and ask them for advice learning to use R!

Continuing your education…

After I got my bachelor’s degree, I decided to go back for a master’s degree, which a lot of research types decide to do. One thing I wasn’t told about until it was almost too late was how to actually get into grad school; the person who explained it to me called a simple application the “kiss of death,” unless you had a one-in-a-million rockstar GPA. You’ll have to seek out and take something called a GRE test (basically ACT/SAT for grad school), and then reach out to professors whose research/interests are close to your own and ask if they’ll take you on as a grad student. They’ll often want to interview you like you’re applying for a job (which is basically what grad school is), and they’ll often want you to apply for funding or a teaching assistantship to pay your tuition and living expenses. A teaching assistant usually does basic teaching at a university like Biology 101 labs or other grunt work, but in exchange, you get teaching experience, paid tuition, and usually a small stipend (I taught 3 labs and got about $1000/month, so it’s not exactly lucrative).

Grad school itself can be fun if you’re a real academic who loves learning. You’ll be taking a few very high-level courses, and also running a research project of your own. Remember that professor who interviewed you earlier? You’re going to be working as a researcher under their supervision, from designing a project to collecting data to writing a peer-reviewed thesis. It’s a lot of work, but it’s good training for doing science professionally! (This is why it’s good to get some practice doing/helping with projects as an undergrad).

Here’s a few tips for grad school. First, NEVER miss a chance to apply for funding! Your project will probably require some $ for materials, and I’ve seen everything from Trout Unlimited grants to a roommate who set up a successful crowdfunding campaign on GoFundMe to study wolves. Grad school is also much more like a job than school; it’ll be your responsibility to plan the stages of your project around your other obligations, coordinating with your advising committee, writing and rewriting a scientific paper, and possibly organizing a crew of volunteers to help with your project. Your advisor is there to help you, so don’t be shy about asking questions and scheduling meetings.

A few helpful tips for your graduate thesis: first, you’re going to be reading a lot of scientific literature so buckle in and get used to it, because it’ll both give you the information you need to draw conclusions and show you how publications are supposed to be written. You’ll be making use of Google Scholar to look up published research papers, but you’re not going to be able to access all of them beyond the author and the abstract (a quick summary of the article), which can be limiting. Either make use of a website that allows you to get around paywalls (eg Sci Hub), or use the information in the abstract to seek out and email the author of a paper directly (the authors of those publications don’t see any of the money from journal subscriptions, so they’re usually happy to give you a copy)! I’ve done this many times and never been turned down. In addition, you’re going to have PAGES of cited sources (I had a relatively short thesis and I had three pages)! Rather than suffer through the ordeal of doing it by hand, look up and download one of these two programs: Zotero or Mendeley. These programs will pull information from a scholarly paper you want to cite, catalog it for quick reference, and come with a plug-in function for Microsoft Word that will insert the citation and compile a Works Cited/Bibliography section in whatever format you choose. Be warned, sometimes the program gets confused and you’ll have to manually fix what it spits out, so make sure you proofread carefully!

After graduating…

Now, everything up to this point has had to do with getting an education before applying for a job. I was offered a PhD spot after presenting my research, but turned it down at the time to enter the workforce because my primary focus was on fisheries management. Certain areas of study expect you to continue in academia, while in other fields a PhD can actually limit you. Ask your advisor what’s right for you. Remember all those job skills I recommended earlier? Here’s where you’re going to want them.

Unfortunately for everyone, there’s a lot of competition for the decent jobs in fish research. It’s kind of like teaching, in that the people who stick with it tend to be passionate about their work, and that sometimes leads to being exploited. A LOT of government jobs expect people to spend time doing temporary work or seasonal work before they’re eligible for a full-time job that pays the bills. “But Supersiorsturgeon!” you may say, “What’s the point of getting an expensive degree if I have to spend years working part-time to get a job that pays enough to live on?”

The tl;dr of the whole situation is that colleges will take your money whether it’s worth it or not, and there are more passionate fish people than there are jobs, so employers can afford to make us jump through hoops. Unless you’re very lucky, the best advice I can offer is to minimize the amount of bullcrap you need to tolerate by getting as much experience/skill as you can while you’re still in school and MAKE it worth your money. In addition, a lot of those seasonal gigs in hatcheries, lamprey control, etc can be scheduled in summer around classes, so with some care, you can do your time while still in school! Talk to your advisor about building your resume, and try to develop connections whenever you get a chance.

Searching for jobs…

When it comes to finding jobs after you graduate, you’ll probably have to look online unless you’re lucky enough to already know staff at a research facility or hatchery. While these jobs do occasionally pop up on Ziprecruiter, Indeed, or Craigslist, you’ll find much better options on state websites for state/province Natural Resources departments (usually accessed through the state government website), the federal Fish and Wildlife Service job board, the American Fisheries Society (AFS) job board, and the Texas A&M job board. At time of writing, Alaska and the Pacific Northwest states seem to have the most work available for Americans, but by no means are they the only places hiring!

Be prepared to send out a lot, and I mean a LOT, of applications before you get an interview. I wasn’t kidding before when I said that competition can be tough, and the application process can be longer and more frustrating than some of these jobs deserve (No joke, I’ve applied to entry-level and seasonal jobs that demanded long-answer writing assignments or proctored standardized tests, in addition to resumes, transcripts, and cover letters. Government jobs are especially prone to this.). I’ve missed out on interviews for positions for which I was definitely overqualified because one or two minuscule details in my essay didn’t perfectly match my undergraduate transcript from eight years before. I’ve applied to jobs in other locations, only to find out later that the hiring agency had a secret policy of hiring only residents of that state. It can be extremely frustrating and discouraging, and unless you managed to develop some contacts with the department beforehand, you’ll have to apply to a lot of jobs, often in various locations across the country. To make the process easier, request electronic pdf copies of your transcripts and save them along with a base resume in your computer. Read the job descriptions carefully and tweak your resume/cover letter to what they’re looking for. Make careful note of the closing time/date for applications, and keep in mind that they may be for a specific time zone (I missed out on one dream job because I was in Pacific time and didn’t notice the deadline was for Eastern). When you DO get an interview, try to fill up the time allotted with your qualifications while still answering every question they ask (I know of several states who consider it a dealbreaker if you can’t do this). When you are allowed to ask questions of your own, don’t hold back. Ask what a typical day at work looks like, what the hours are, is there paid training, is there a union, etc! It shows that you’re seriously interested in that job and that you’ll take the job seriously if you’re hired. And if you’re applying for government jobs, expect them to take a while to respond.

On the job…

And finally, there are a handful of things you should be prepared for once you’re actually working in the field!

The first thing is that you will be counting. Like, a LOT. When you’re dealing with eggs, baby fish, etc the most efficient way to track their size and inventory is to take a handful of fish, measure their volume or weight, then count how many fish per gram/milliliter, etc to get an average size. Once you’ve got the average weight/volume, you can use that number to estimate total numbers without having to count out 10,000 tiny fish one at a time (better brush up on your algebra too!). Now, counting sounds straightforward, but when you’re taking a bunch of counts in a row your mind will eventually wander, and you’ll eventually find yourself thinking “wait, was that 49 or 59?” For my own peace of mind, I went online and bought something called a lap counter, which simply counts every time you press a button. You might miss one or two fish, but you’ll never completely lose your place!

Second, sooner or later you’ll have to deal with dead fish, or possibly euthanize them yourself. Especially in big hatcheries or aquaculture farms, you may have to deal with literal tons of dead fish. My old boss claimed that “you’re not a real fish tech until you’ve killed a tank of fish,” as a way of philosophizing the inevitability of making mistakes, but no matter how well you handle it someone will have to remove them from the tank or possibly finish them off. It’s never fun, but if you want to work with fish as a career, you have to accept the fact that you can’t save all of them, no matter how hard you try. Some people simply can’t handle that, and there’s nothing wrong with it. Conversely, some people get way too into killing fish, and I recommend they find a career path that doesn’t involve dealing with animals and talk to a therapist.

Thirdly, fish are animals and they don’t know or care what our schedule might be. Most jobs dealing with animals require work outside of the traditional capitalist 40-hour workweek, such as on weekends, late at night, and on holidays. Good organizations have rotating schedules to cover weekends and spread on-call time around fairly to make sure the fish are cared for, but sometimes things like nighttime spawning, larval drifts, or facility emergencies are all-hands-on deck events. Be prepared for these, but at the same time make sure you don’t burn yourself out by volunteering for constant overtime.

Finally, you’re going to get wet. And hot. And cold. If you’re working for any kind of decent organization, they’ll have rain gear or waders available, but you can’t always count on high quality or perfect fit for every possible body shape. Furthermore, anyone who does a lot of fishing will tell you that it’s not a matter of IF you’ll fall in the water/pop a leak, but WHEN. I had a supervisor who went through at least six cell phones in two years because he was constantly getting wet in the tanks. Working with big, powerful fish or moving water? Be prepared to get soaked by a big tail sweep or lose your footing on an uneven bottom! Not even planning to stand in the tank with the fish? You’ve gotta get them out somehow, and that means sticking your hands in the water or handling wet nets.

My advice? Accept that it will happen and take precautions! If you can, leave your phone and wallet somewhere safe, but if you can’t, then buy certified waterproof bags and don’t trust the pockets in waders or rain jackets to stay leak-proof! If you’re working in the cold, pack some synthetic or wool base layers, mid layers, and wool socks to stay warm if you get wet. Avoid cotton in the cold, it’ll hold moisture and suck the heat right out of your body. For hot weather, make sure you have plenty of water, sunblock, and possibly a sun hat to avoid heat stroke! And don’t forget bug spray, because fish live in water, and in a lot of places water means mosquitoes! Finally, don’t leave your waders or jacket outside overnight, because sooner or later you’ll find them full of rainwater.

One further tip regarding waders: when your waders inevitably spring a leak, you can often patch them! Plenty of waders are sold with patch kits included, but to increase your odds of success you should try filling your waders with water to locate any pinholes and dry/clean the area inside and out with alcohol. If you don’t have a repair kit, I’ve had great success a product called Shoe Goo, which is often available at hardware stores or Walmart.

If you have to/want to get clothing of your own, here are my favorites:

For footwear, I like Red Wing shoes and Xtratuf boots. Red Wing seems to be one of the few companies that still makes products that last, and they can often replace boot soles as they wear out, meaning a set of footwear can often last for years. Xtratuf boots are my choice for rubber footwear with a 1-year warranty, and even though people will tell you that they used to be higher quality before their manufacturing was sent overseas, they’re still very popular in Alaskan fish hatcheries. I’ve heard that the insulated boots are extremely well-insulated, to the point that people I’ve met from Alaska prefer to wear uninsulated boots with thick wool socks.

When it comes to wet weather, I’ve had my best luck with Grundens and Helly Hansen jackets and bib overalls. Their jackets come in both pull-over and full-zip with neoprene or elastic cuffs to keep out rain. They’re both great quality, and I once knew a guy who used his HH jacket for ten years, long after everyone else’s gear wore out. In cold/wet conditions I liked to pair a good jacket with either neoprene diving gloves (for sticking my hands underwater) or Showa 282 insulated gloves (for when I want to stay dry).

Like everyone else who works outdoors, a lot of fish people like Carhartt work wear. I personally think that some of their products have declined in quality over the years (I was gifted a Rain Defender vest that was both NOT waterproof and had pockets separating at the seams after a couple months), but I still have/use the first Carhartt jacket I ever purchased, so it seems that the garments made with thick cotton duck material hold up well.

Summary…

Find a good college program

Email your professors/advisors with questions about developing good job skills

Try to get as much college as possible at cheaper community colleges

Apply to every grant/scholarship you can

Seek out job skills like plumbing, stats, lab skills, driving trailers, etc both in and outside of the classroom (ask your advisors or look at job postings for the skills you want)

Get experience doing research as an undergraduate if you can (ask your advisor!)

Consider grad school if you want to get deeper into research

Learn to read scientific literature on Google Scholar

Use Zotero or Mendeley to make citations in your writing

Look for seasonal jobs in the field while still in school and cultivate relationships with potential employers

Search for jobs on Texas A&M, AFS, Fish And Wildlife Service, and state/provincial government agency websites

Apply to a lot of jobs

Get a lap counter and practice algebra for calculating averages

Be prepared to deal with dead/dying fish

Be prepared for late night, weekend, and holiday work

Be prepared for inclement weather conditions and especially getting wet

I hope this all helps. I’m by no means an expert in navigating finances, politics, etc, but I tried to lay out as much as possible here to help you avoid the many pitfalls I plowed into headfirst. Fish research is rewarding, but not particularly lucrative, so it calls for people who are truly passionate about fish. If you’ve got questions about anything I wrote above, I’ll try my best to answer them!

Best of luck out there!

[mistressoffandoms]

I posted 37,762 times in 2022

82 posts created (0%)

37,680 posts reblogged (100%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@griancraft

@fwippedowbit

@an-inspired-eternity

@firefly464

@aromanticgoldfish-deactivated237

I tagged 925 of my posts in 2022

#unreality - 119 posts

#fanart - 19 posts

#toh - 19 posts

#the owl house - 19 posts

#toh tagteam au - 17 posts

#owl house - 17 posts

#my art - 16 posts

#comic update - 16 posts

#reblog - 15 posts

#digital art - 14 posts

Longest Tag: 140 characters

#and one type that’s vanilla caramel. very tasty. especially if it’s been a rough day and you add some cream to make it coat your tongue well

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Hey, for anyone that is upset about the discourse, I'm just going to be reblogging fun posts about anything else for the rest of the day if you need somewhere to go to get away from it.

Update: I hit post limit (the bastard) and as such will be continuing this on my alt @mistressoffandoms-alt

29 notes - Posted January 30, 2022

#4

Dream: crying over being rejected by George again

Sam:

See the full post

44 notes - Posted February 14, 2022

#3

Hello.

This is your sign to go reblog a piece of art that you like.

Thank you.

70 notes - Posted September 2, 2022

#2

Hey, just want to let anyone considering following me that I look at blogs when the follow notif comes in to make sure they’re not bots. If you haven’t made any posts or reblogged anything, only like posts and haven’t changed your blog appearance, most likely I’ll end up blocking you. This goes triple if your avatar is the default or a photo of a random human face.

This site requires engagement. If you don’t engage with it in full, I will assume that you’re not a real person. It’s as simple as that.

90 notes - Posted August 29, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Amazing discoveries that I have made so far during my time in college:

If you review the notes after class, you will start piecing together the knowledge that you didn’t quite understand and find that one very specific equation that wasn’t on the equation sheet and fucked you over on the last quiz

Some professors actually aren’t horrible unapproachable monsters and you can like, ask them to clarify or review a concept that isn’t making sense to you without getting in trouble

You can just sit in office hours and do your work and will pick up so much information even if you didn’t know what questions to ask at the time and it will help you on finishing the work you’re doing

If self-imposed deadlines don’t work because you don’t have to actively like, submit something, Google Classroom is free and you can make a class and then include all of your assignments and require a submission and it will automatically email you reminders that you need to do the assignments that are “recommended but don’t need to be submitted” because I will not do assignments unless something reminds me continually that I have said assignment and I have to actually submit it somewhere

Take notes on the lecture slides and record the lecture audio. Writing out all of the notes takes so much energy and you lose so much of the context of things and just, no

In a worst case scenario, you can review for an exam like a day or two before by going through all of your notes (and recorded lectures if you took my advice a/o got that as an accommodation) and then you go through and pull out the most important information and look over any practice problems you were given or any practice quizzes you have to try and figure out what types of questions are likely to be on it. And then before the test or quiz, look back over you list of all of the most important info

205 notes - Posted February 10, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[heyftinally]

More:

If you had an IEP or 504 in K-12 school, you probably qualify for accommodations in college. Find your school's disability services department ASAP once you get on campus (ideally before classes start) and find out what you need to do to get accommodations. Find out what you need to do, what your profs need to do, and what you need to do in following semesters/years (some make you resubmit stuff every semester/year, other's don't. Check *before* it screws you over).

Unless you have accommodations for attendance, play it safe and be as on time as possible to every class for the first week or two. Some professors are chill if you're a little late or don't care much for attendance, others will be demons from hell that will mark you absent for being five minutes late. Make sure you know who is who *before* you decide to cut class.

READ. THE. SYLLABUS. PLEASE. I promise, it's important. Some are shittier than others, but make sure you pull out whatever info you can. Like when the midterm is due - put that in your calendar NOW so you don't forget later.

Walk the campus before the first day of classes and find your classrooms, if you can. Find what path you want to use to get from one class to another, especially if they're back to back, and practice it. Time how long to takes you to walk between classes if you need to worry about being on time.

If you have a roommate, do your best to be pleasant with them, and PLEASE be considerate of them, and expect the same in return. It's not out of line to say "Hey, is there any chance you could turn down your Netflix while I finish this essay?" or " if you bring food in the room, can you please sweep after? We're starting to get bugs". If they aren't being a considerate roommate, talk to your RA, student affairs, or the housing center about getting some moderation.

BRING. WATER. Seriously, dehydration will get you out of nowhere, and if you have an 80° classroom you'll be glad you have it.

Check your schedule and make a note of when you'll be able to eat. If you have class before the dining hall opens or after it closes, you'll be pretty unhappy. Compare your schedule with the dining hall hours, and if there's a conflict make a plan for how you're going to deal with that.

WATCH YOUR MEAL PLAN. It's *SO* easy to over spend early in the semester, and by the last few weeks you're starving. Depending on how your school works will change exactly how you approach it, but as a base level you want to divide your total amount or meal plan by the number of days in the semester, and then divide that number by three. That's how much you can spend per meal (roughly).

When you're planning your schedule, plan time for school (and homework), fun activities, time with friends, and time to decompress. Sometimes those things can overlap - a bunch of friends doing homework is fantastic if that works for you, so long as everyone can respect that people are trying to get work done. But if you can, plan one day a week that's just for you to relax.

It's okay to use Google or ask for help if you can't figure out the laundry machines. Just make sure you stay on top of your laundry.

If you're having trouble in a class or with an assignment, talk to your professor. Your chances of getting an extension go up by about 98% if it's more than three hours before the assignment is due (and your odds get better the earlier it is). Go to office hours. Ask to meet to have them read your rough draft. Tell them you're struggling and need support. Most of the time, they're willing to help as long as you don't make it last minute.

Learn how to write a professional email. It might sound dumb, but seriously, professors are WAY more likely to respond the way you want if you ask politely in a professional manner. Doesn't have to be big, just a simple "dear professor X, as I am working on my American History essay, I am not anticipating having my best work ready to submit to you in class tomorrow. Is there any possibility you would be willing to offer an extension, please? All the best, Name"

As an extension of the above, make all of your email subject lines "course code - assignment". For example, ENG 114 - Shakespeare Compare and Contrast". Every professor will appreciate it, and it will earn you points for making their life easier.

Actual good first-time college student advice:

Wear jeans/pants that “breathe” and bring a sweater, even if it’s scorching hot out, until you know which building blasts the AC to 60 degrees F and which feels like a sauna

Backpacks with thick straps are your friend!  Messenger bags are cool and all but if you’re commuting with a lot of stuff, symmetrically styled backpacks are better for your back

You are your own person and you can walk out whenever you need to or want to, so long as you’re not disrupting the class.  Meaning you can go to the bathroom without permission, take a breather if you’re anxious, answer an important phone call, etc.

If you don’t like the class on the first day, if you can- DROP THAT CLASS AND TAKE ANOTHER ONE!  It’ll only get worse from there!

If you can, take a class outside your major; it’s a good break from your expected studies.

You are in charge of your schedule.  Your adviser and guidance counselor is there to ‘advise and guide’ but if you don’t like certain classes and you can substitute for others, that’s your choice.

Consequently, if you are changing anything drastic in your plan, talk with your adviser and instructors.

Pay attention to your credit hours and grades.  Never leave this to the last week of school, you will be sorry and stressed beyond belief!

Unless it’s a lab book or otherwise specified, go to the class for a week or so before buying an expensive textbook.  Some classes, while having it on their required list, do not actually use the textbook a whole lot and you might find some of it scanned online.  Rent if you can or buy used online (schools actually don’t give discounts).  Use your best judgement on what you think you need.

Tell the people who go up to you selling or advertising things you are not interested in that you are in a rush to class and don’t have time to listen to them.  It’s less rude and they’ll leave you alone.

The smaller the class, the better it is to have some sort of acquaintanceship with a couple classmates.  They might save your ass if you are absent one day or need to study.  And talking with them makes the time go by faster without it being so insufferable.

You don’t need to join a club or sport, but internships are cool and useful!

If you can afford it, take a day off once or twice each semester if you’re too exhausted.  Just be aware of what you missed and if it was worth missing!

Your health is the most important, this goes for mental health too!!  Note: College-age/upper teens is when mental disorders like depression and anxiety are most commonly diagnosed.  Most schools have therapy services, especially during exam time.  Look into it if you need to!

Communicate with your professor if you are having trouble with something.  Anything.

Eat and stay hydrated.  Bring a water bottle and snack to class.

All-nighters will happen but never go over 36 hours without sleep.

It’s going to be hard and there will be times you might think about giving up.  This WILL happen.  You just have to make sure what you’re doing isn’t making you absolutely miserable and/or there is something rewarding and positive to look forward to at the end!

[superfluouskeys]

vent time!!!!!!!!!!!

god I am just so frustrated!!!!!!!!!!  I am honestly and sincerely trying my best here and I just never know what the fuck I’m doing, always feel like a massive failure, always feel bad for trying to take a little time to relax, never end up actually relaxing, and the clown cycle continues!!!!!!!!!!!!!  so last night (thursday) I was like okay here’s the plan, I have these weekly assignments to submit so I’ll just pop in briefly around like midnight-ish on friday, finish up the weekly thing and submit it, check if there have been any updates on the like 2 minor—and I cannot stress how minor and how insignificant and how simple—admin tasks I asked the prof about, and then be on my merry way for the rest of the weekend right?

surprising absolutely no one, utter unhelpfulness awaited me in my inbox.  she responded to my very straightforward question with “when would be a good time to call you today” LOL NO.  and then much later an attempt at an explanation that was so profoundly unhelpful i'm just astounded lol like my question was basically here is a document, I am looking at these pages of the document and getting this info from them, is that correct?  and her answer basically amounted to, you need to get some info from this document. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAa

so then I had asked her in teams, again more than 24 hours ago at this point, (thinking that was her preferred method of communication since the last time I e-mailed her a vaguely time-sensitive question she kind of chided me???? lol for not texting or calling her instead sdnkjfknjfknj) if I could send her a form she has to sign and how I should do that.  it is a common form that she has signed many times.  there should be zero confusion about the form.  I described the form in the message.  an appropriate answer would have been, yes email it to me, or no bring it to me to sign in person.  instead I get “what form am I signing?”

MA’AM. I LITERALLY DON'T KNOW HOW TO BE ANY CLEARER.

and these btw are just really minor annoyances compared to the big major insane things that keep happening I’m just trying to be as vague about this as possible but my GOD I am going insane!!!!!!!!!  I’m going insane!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  here I am feeling bad and like I’m shirking my responsibilities bc I want to take a little time for myself which btw I just spent applying for jobs bc I don’t even have time to do that usually and I come back thinking oh surely these two minor things will have progressed in some way and I can finish those up and feel like I accomplished something however empty and meaningless but NO.  it’s all just going to be next week’s problem yet again because this professor doesn’t know what she’s doing and makes it everyone else’s problem.  but I will tell you what it is NOT going to be is this weekend’s problem because I am DONE tearing myself apart over this bullshit, or more precisely I am TRYING to be done tearing myself apart over this bullshit but unfortunately I think tearing myself apart over bullshit might just be baked into my personality at this point and I genuinely do not know how to make myself be okay about this.

i try to find some solace in, like, personal growth and all that, because I really don’t think myself from even a couple of years ago could have handled this situation at all and I would have just completely melted down by now lol, but I’m not sure that i would be wrong for that.  instead I’m basically trying to content myself with doing a mediocre job, and trying to stop trying my best, because it’s not worth it, and it will never be good enough. honestly even if i were doing a good job, the only reward would be more bullshit to deal with. so i should probably just content myself with being an idiot LOL.

idk I guess the other main thing is that I try to kind of brace myself for whatever bullshit is going to happen every week but it’s completely unpredictable lol like I really genuinely thought these little simple things would be a non-issue.  but I guess ultimately the solution is to figure out how to not, like, feel bad for the time when I am not available LOL.  I’ve already done like most of my allotted hours for the week, I am under no obligation to be available just whenever, I am an adult with a life, and if she chooses to just respond whenever she feels like it then I should have the same freedom and there’s no need to beat myself up about that when she clearly doesn’t.

but it’s just like……….i am genuinely trying, but I KNOW I’m doing a very mediocre job and it IS killing me inside LOL like I’ve gotten comfortable half-assing stuff that is just like really minor and doesn’t actually matter but this is like a whole 30+ hour per week life commitment that I am not doing very well at and it’s not because I’m just stupid and can’t do it, and it’s not because I’m not trying, it’s because I am receiving absolutely negative guidance and then being condescended to when I inevitably fail LOL!

anyway I wrote this instead of finishing up my work and sending it tf in LOL I think the prof has officially made some of this next week’s problem so that’s that on that.

[eliteprepsat]

In my previous article, I wrote about some surefire ways to annoy admissions officers. Today, I want to look at the other side of the coin and offer some suggestions regarding the types of insightful questions you can ask admissions reps.

During your college research, it is important to look for qualities in the college that demonstrate how you and the school would be a great fit. These qualities could range from academic rigor to social life to campus culture to career prep opportunities, among others.

Think of it as a puzzle: the more pieces that fit with what you’re looking for, the higher your chances of academic success and happiness once you start college. Therefore, it’s important to thoroughly research the schools on your college list. The internet should be one of your primary research tools, especially college websites, but sometimes you just can’t find the answers to some of your questions. When this situation arises, you may find it useful to call or email the admissions office and receive responses directly from the source. Contacting the admissions office with insightful questions serves to dual purpose of actually gathering valuable info to use during your college search and showing admissions officers that you really are interested in the school. If you’d like to learn more about why that’s important, I’ve written a whole article about demonstrated interest.

Need some inspiration? Here are some examples of the types of questions you could ask:

QUESTIONS ABOUT ACADEMICS 

1. MY FAVORITE SCHOOL SUBJECT IS _________. HOW COULD THAT TRANSLATE INTO A MAJOR AT YOUR SCHOOL?

This question could be a great way to get an idea of various majors you could pursue if you’re undecided.

2. ARE THERE DIFFERENT ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS FOR DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS OR MAJORS?

It is vital to know the specific requirements for the programs you are interested in. For example, USC’s School of Engineering has two additional required essay prompts.  

3. WHAT UNIQUE PROGRAMS ARE INCLUDED IN YOUR SCHOOL’S CURRICULUM?

Find out what sets a school’s curriculum apart from everyone else’s and whether that matches your expectations.  

QUESTIONS ABOUT SOCIAL LIFE

4. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MOST POPULAR CLUBS ON CAMPUS?

Get a sense of where student interests lie and what social outlets the students prefer.

5. WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE FOR ME TO START MY OWN STUDENT ORGANIZATION? WHAT IS THAT PROCESS LIKE?

If a club in which you would like to participate isn’t offered, this is one way to demonstrate interest, particularly if you want to continue an activity that you are passionate about.  

QUESTIONS ABOUT CAMPUS CULTURE

6. WHAT IS THE SCHOOL CULTURE LIKE? / HOW WOULD YOU CHARACTERIZE THE STUDENTS WHO COME TO YOUR SCHOOL?

It is impossible to know how you will adjust to college until you’re there, but try to gain a sense of how you would acclimate to a school’s atmosphere by exploring campus culture.

7. WHAT DO STUDENTS ENJOY MOST ABOUT THIS COLLEGE?

If what students enjoy most fits with what you’re looking for, you’re probably on the right track. If not, it may be a good way to challenge your expectations and/or find other schools with a better fit.

8. WHAT DO STUDENTS DO FOR FUN? ARE THE EVENTS MOSTLY ON CAMPUS OR OFF CAMPUS? WHAT WERE SOME OF THE BIGGEST OR MOST POPULAR EVENTS ON CAMPUS LAST YEAR?

Discover which live performances, sporting events, social gatherings and more take place on or around campus.

QUESTIONS ABOUT ACADEMIC SUPPORT

9. WHAT TYPE OF SUPPORT IS OFFERED FOR FRESHMEN?

The first year of college can be a major transition, and you want it to go as smoothly as possible.

10. ARE THERE ACADEMIC SUPPORT SERVICES ON CAMPUS SUCH AS TUTORING AND WRITING CENTERS?

Seek out the assistance you need. The learning curve can be sharp in college.

11. IF REQUESTED, ARE PROFESSORS AVAILABLE TO GIVE INDIVIDUAL ATTENTION TO STUDENTS?

Some schools require professors to hold designated open office hours, which can serve as additional learning opportunities outside of the traditional classroom/lecture hall.  

QUESTIONS ABOUT CAREER READINESS

12. WHAT DO YOUR STUDENTS DO JUST AFTER GRADUATING?

There are many paths students can take after college, so try to find opportunities that align with your goals.

13. WHAT ARE THE UNDERGRADUATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR INTERNSHIPS, RESEARCH, AND EMPLOYMENT?

Seek out professional experiences that can set you up for your future plans.

14. WHAT PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS FIND SUMMER INTERNSHIPS AND/OR JOBS BEFORE GRADUATING?

You want to get a sense of how strong the school’s career preparation programs are for undergraduates.  

These are just a few of the questions you could potentially ask. Hopefully, they inspire your own original questions based on what you are looking for in a college or university. Remember to be professional and polite in your interactions with admissions representatives, and always follow up with any representatives you communicate with. A little appreciation can go a long way!

NEED HELP WITH COLLEGE APPS? WITH ELITE PREP’S COLLEGE APPLICATION SERVICES, YOU’LL WORK WITH AN EXPERIENCED COUNSELOR AND MENTOR TO CRAFT A WINNING COLLEGE-APPLICATION PACKAGE THAT SHINES A LIGHT ON EXACTLY WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU’VE ACHIEVED. SCHEDULE A FREE CONSULTATION TODAY.

[interloper-lore]

First Cast: Part 1

Praline's Team:

Pinnipeo (Stage 1)

Guinimini

Plazdragon

"Professoe Spruce!"

I scrambled to the ranch as fast as possible, trying to find the professor. I burst in the building frantically, I need to tell her-

"What is it, Praline?"

I turned around and there she was, "I heard rumors about a new Interloper sighting-"

The professor thought on this for a second.

"How did you come to find this out?"

"...U-Uh, well you see-"

"Hey professor," a casual voice calls out from the other room, Rocker saunters in looking at his watch, "people are saying there's a new Interloper sighting at Lexlie Ruins."

"Squakler?" The Professor raises an eyebrow at me. My cheeks turn red.

"W-Well you see-" The professor's glare does not dull at my words trying to escape.

"I think this is a legit source, Professor."

"I didn't even realize Lexlie had ruins in them." She turns to Rocker.

"Well that's the thing," Rocker explains, "Nobody did until just the beginning of this week."

"Why that is interesting, thank you for bringing this to my attention, Praline." The Professor started walking toward her office.

"Heyyy-" Rocker complained. Hesitantly, I follow Professor Spruce and Rocker back to her office.

When I walk in, the professor was mindlessly leaning back in her chair staring at the ceiling, while Rocker glanced between the computer screen and his watch.

"What's up?" I ask.

"We don't-" the two started saying at the same time. They gave each other a look, and the professor spoke up, "We have no idea where the ruins are."

"Ya, it's hard to tell when it's so big." Rocker mentions. I peeked at the huge sand tan blob painted on the screen. It looks like the closest civilization to it are towns dotting the coast at the edge where the desert meets the ocean, and even less towns that inhabit the desert, likely used as trading posts.

"Have any of these people geo tagged their location when posting these?" I asked. Rocker looked up at me, and then back to his watch and speedily tapped on it.

"There...... does seem to be one actually." Rocker informs us.

"Where??" The Professor sits up in her chair.

"Well I doubt it's the exact location, but the location they tagged was Kersoma City.

"Kersoma...?" The Professor leans forward in her chair back on the computer, "Right here?" The Professor circles her mouse around Kersoma City.

"It could still be anywhere around that radius-"

"Unless we ask the person directly." Rocker started typing again.

"Give me the contact info, I can make it sound more official." The Professor demanded.

"Uh huh, sure." Rocker nods sarcastically, "Sent." He confirms after a few more taps on his watch.

"Dear..." the professor confidently said out loud, until she had to look at the contact info, "Barley, I hope you have been having wonderful travels. Our team has noticed you posting some new kind of Interloper on Sqackler, and I the head researcher at Velosonia Ranch, would like to inquire further about what you found. Hoping for your swift reply, Professor Veronica Spruce." The Professor pushes back from her desk and presents the final letter to us. Without objection, the professor sent off the email to Barley.

[wolvesloveyou]

I hate my brain sometimes. It is currently nearly 1 am and I can't sleep, my brain is running too fast, and now I'm kinda anicking over school. Like... I got an email at the beginning of summer saying I was ineligible to participate in plays this coming semester, the two classes I took this summer with the plan to not have to take them this kept year I'm 90% sure I failed and will have to take again, so I have to reconfigure how that'll work cause I GRADUATE in May and I don't wanna go to my parents (despite knowing they won't be mad) for fear of them being mad for some reason cause I can't get my act together and I keep failing classes. This is the 3rd or 4th time I'm nearing a full breakdown over whether I should continue and get this degree or not (do I really need it? It's theatre) and I really wanna drop out cause the professors give me high bouts of anxiety, but everyone is expecting me to graduate and is waiting for me to graduate in May. On top of that, I did an internship this summer, which was fun, but also stressful because of the uncoordinatedness of it all and I wasn't getting info I needed and had to ask for simple things multiple times and when I was given the chance to do what I want to do (costume design) I wasn't given MEASUREMENTS OR SIZING OR ANYTHING for 37 children, most of them under 10, ND had to figure it out, thus leading to my supervisors having to hold my hand because I was not revised information I should have had weeks in advance, so now I feel inadequate at the one thing I want to do and idk if it's worth even trying anymore.

This summer has been a lot. A lot of good, and a lot of stress. And I'm not sure I'm cut out for all this.

Sorry for the rant. Ignore if you want.

[loucutie]

super depressed and in pain bc it’s 38 degrees out and i physically can’t do anything when it’s cold like my body is Stiff and it fucking sucks and i took my adderall this morning bc it helps distract from pain but i’m also just so throughly depressed like i’m 24 and i can’t do anything without assistance in some capacity. i always feel like a burden and i drain everyone around me i feel like a bottomless pit of take take take and no matter how much my partner or my family or friends say i’m ok i feel useless. i can’t drive, i haven’t gone to college yet, i don’t have skills, i can only work a job for so long before i get fired or quit bc of my pain. i lost the house i grew up in after grandma died and my mom was getting paid to take care of her so she lost her mom and her job and i feel responsible. i got sick in middle school and she was in her last rotation for dental assisting but she left school to help me bc i couldn’t get out of bed without physical assistance. she could’ve had a career and financial freedom but she left school to take care of me full time and i carry that with me everyday. my dream is have a history doctorate i want to study archiving i want curate entire exhibits. i haven’t even gone to community college. i tried but had to fail out bc of attendance. professors were unwilling to prerecord lectures or even let me attend virtually. that’s why seeing how quickly schools made accommodations for virtual learning made me so angry. the exact protocols for online learning especially in the area i went to school are things my mom and i spent my whole high school career fighting for. when i requested to be able to zoom into class i was told it was ridiculous and it was just never going to happen but flash forward 2 years and it suddenly matters to accommodate able bodied students. location shouldn’t stop a child from learning! but it didn’t matter when it was me bc i’m already a lost cause. black, poor, physically disabled, why should we help her pass? it’s not like she’ll make anything of her self so let’s not waste the resources. i graduated by the skin of my teeth. i start working at a second hand teen clothing store (iykyk) it’s great and they’re willing to accommodate my needs. i work there for years but my body gave out and i couldn’t pretend to be “normal” so even with all the accommodations i still had to leave bc i couldn’t handle it. i apply for community college and it’s great for a while until my professors decide not to accommodate me anymore. one of my professors is also disabled. he had no interest in my 504 plan. i emailed him my dr note for missing class a couple days in a row and he emailed me back saying essentially he can’t worry about me and even if i have notes he refuses to record his lecture and so any info i miss is my problem. i asked what i could do to make my accommodations easier for him. keep in mind this is a cis white man who also uses mobility aids. he told me that i need to help myself more and stop relying on others. at the same time i’m also being medicated for my adhd for the first time and trying to adjust. i asked my english teacher for extra explanation on an assignment and she took every single opportunity to belittle me. i even explained my recent diagnosis and she said that if it’s not on my 504 she does t have to do anything about it and told me to ask classmates about it. she constantly critiqued without teaching us how to do better. a truly vile woman who is def racist (like when she failed my paper on the angry black woman stereotype bc “i don’t understand how being powerful and strong could be a negative thing. women have been seen a delicate and too weak to do anything so this must just be something you made up” and in the next essay prompt she put a little not that said not to talk about taxes or religion or social justice bc “my taxes are high enough.” like she writes grants for the hospital in the area which is terrifying. a racist writing grant for a hospital that has a history of profiling it’s patients.)

all of this to say i’m having the worst time with self worth and confidence in my abilities. i don’t have anything to show for living this long i can’t even drive a car or cook that well or move around when the weather is cold. laying in bed for rest is the most isolating experience. when i was a kid my days were just taking medication that would make me sleep for hours, wake up to eat something and watch animal cops, take more medicine, and fall back asleep. it was truly the worst experience of my life. i lost so many friends and even family bc i couldn’t physically get out of bed.

this pain has taken everything from me and so tired. i want to do something with my life but i’m terrified i’ll have to give it up bc i can’t stand for too long or be in cold temps too long or bend over or lift anything heavy. it’s so isolating. my partner is helpless when i’m having a bad pain day bc she’s a doctor but knows she can’t do anything for me in the moment. i know how much of a burden my disability is on my friends and family and i hate myself so much for it. i’m grateful they love me but i don’t want to trap them in this with me. they say they don’t mind but can see the toll it takes on them. i hate seeing my partner cry bc i’m in so much pain and she can’t do anything. i feel so guilty when she gets home from work and has to help me bc i couldn’t get out of bed all day. i feel like i’ve been afforded too much kind that i didn’t earn. all i do is ask for help or hurt myself trying to do it myself. both are humiliating in completely different ways.

i’m so exhausted like physically mentally emotionally exhausted.