#bc the college body is obviously diverse

[jawnkeets]

how did you feel that magdalen college was 'right' for you? did you have an application, did you choose it by yourself, did you have doubts between two or more colleges? what do you like the most about magdalen, and how can one decides which one to apply? sorry if im asking too much!! xx

in all honesty, when i was initially doing some starry-eyed searching i picked based on alumni, and obviously magdalen caught my eye bc oscar wilde, c. s. lewis (louis theroux…) etc. but i was put off by the grand architecture and huge grounds, the fact that it was averaging first on the norrington table, and i’d read on online forums that english at magdalen was particularly competitive. so i sort of ruled it out initially as i just assumed i could never make it and i’d be pooled and then the college decision would be out of my hands (don’t second guess the system like this, i’m glad i learned not to before the ucas deadline!).

before the open day i googled the colleges and whittled it down to two or three to visit (which i think was a good idea as going round and looking at the colleges in detail is pretty time-consuming), looking at youtube tours, social media photos, and things like the size of the undergraduate body, whether accommodation is for three years, distance from city centre etc (there may be different things that are important for you, idk). at this point, though, i had pretty much decided that i was going to apply to merton (as at the time i was obsessed with t. s. eliot, who was an alumnus of the college), and was lucky enough to be able to stay the night there before the open day (can’t remember how i went about requesting - think you can apply online or something) which further confirmed this.

i found merton beautiful, and even though its academic reputation was formidable it felt cosy and i was made to feel welcome and at home when i stayed. but tbh on the open day i didn’t feel like it all clicked into place in the way i thought it would, and i was left content, but not dazzled (other people that i’ve spoken to who have gone through the process last year and also this year have felt that merton was definitely right for them, which just goes to show how every individual is very different and that people will ‘click’ with different colleges). i was left wondering what to do; there wasn’t much time left of the open day and i only had time to visit one more college. earlier in the day i’d gone to some sample lectures and a tutor at magdalen delivered one of them; i found it really inspirational, and his ideas and the way he expressed them were so quirky and exactly what i was aiming for academically, and you’re not supposed to pick colleges based on tutors really as they may move, you might not end up having them, etc (though luckily i did have that tutor in michaelmas term and he was unreal), but it really made me feel as if i should at least have a look round magdalen, so i didn’t have that ‘what if’ feeling for potentially the rest of my life, when magdalen had been an instinctive first choice. 

so i went on the last tour of the day round magdalen. and it was just so magical in real life, in a way that online photos didn’t and couldn’t capture, and the atmosphere of the place just felt right. so i decided in that moment that it didn’t matter how prestigious it was, or how competitive, or even if i didn’t get in, because i knew i‘d regret it if i didn’t give it a go. it really helped that the geography student who showed me round was from a state school and assured me that it was possible (i think magdalen has the most or at least one of most disproportionate private to state school ratios of all the colleges, which at the time i found intimidating).

hope this helps! i hope that rather than being a guide or something to emulate this is instead a testament to the fact that there is no right way to choose a college, and that your selection process can be as deliberate and methodical or random and haphazard as you like (mine was a mixture of both). that said, i would definitely recommend doing your research, as i don’t agree with the people who say that there are no substantial differences between the colleges, and that you’ll have an identical ‘oxford experience’ at all of them.

[konaizumi]

Rating GMMTV’s 2022 BL Line Up

if you weren’t aware, gmmtv released the trailers for all their 2022 shows, and i got to say, they look pretty good and they seem to be branching out into different genres, so i’m excited. 

Star and Sky: Star in My Mind: 8/10

this one looks good, if a bit angsty

im happy to see joong again, i think he’ll do very well in this role (his acting also really sold it for me in the trailer)

score would be higher but i’m concerned that daonuea trying to resist the relationship may get annoying and repetitive

im sorry, just the way joong’s character is so soft for daonuea, i think i’m really going to love him

Star and Sky: Sky in Your Heart: 8/10

gmmtv saw how successful atots was and ran with it

but you know? they’re right, i’m super into this

prince is super cute, a little tsundere but not to the point that i think it’ll be annoying

the slight enemies to lovers to add tension

am concerned they’ll try to hard to follow atots and not be as good in comparison

Cupid’s Last Wish: 8/10

can’t believe earthmix got two bls this year

farm gays

jan, my beloved

friends to one-sided enemies to lovers, i’m here for it

i think body switching plots are a little boring in the ways they’re used for comedy, but this seems like it will focus a bit more on drama than comedy so maybe it’ll be alright

Never Let Me Go: 9/10

golden blood but more drama

conceptually, this looks very good, but i am concerned about pond’s ability to pull off this more serious and emotional role

but i think if this is good, it’ll be really good

i, like everyone else, love the mafia/bodyguard thing

Moonlight Chicken: 8/10

this looks very different from typical bl, almost queer film style, but i think earthmix will pull this off well

earth with his hair pushed back is very good

-1 bc i don’t like cheating plotlines, but this one looks like it’s done tastefully

i’m not usually into this style of story, but i think i’ll actually like this, but that might largely be due to earthmix

Vice Versa 9/10

the trailer was a little confusing at first, but this actually seems very interesting

new(ish) actors, but they both seem like they’ll do pretty well

i’m already anticipating the scene where they find each other again in their own world

i like that this brings a new idea to body switching where they’re both (plus other characters) in different bodies and they know it, rather than just the mc in a different body and the whole plot revolves around them pretending to be whoever’s body they’re in

good amounts of intrigue, angst, and fluff

My School President: 4/10

honestly, this doesn’t look very good

it looks like a collection of all the cliche bl tropes with very little originality

i recognized like two side characters from bad buddy, but otherwise it seems like most of the cast is made of new actors, which isn’t inherently bad, but i didn’t see any overly strong performances in the trailer

but it is just a teaser trailer so they’ll have a lot more time to work on it

seems like it’ll be cute enough, but nothing i’m super excited for

You Are My Favorite: 10/10

honestly, i think this is the one i’m most excited for

mike and krist is an unexpected combo but i think they’ll be good enough

(truly all the gmmtv boys are such good friends i think any of them could have good chemistry)

i am in love with the “desperately trying to avoid falling in love with someone but still falling in love anyway” plotline

The Eclipse: 9/10

it’s like the gifted but gay (canonically gay) and no superpowers

i am here for the social commentary bashing schools

also neo and louis are back as a couple!!

plus, obviously, my beloved khaotung

All in all, a pretty good-looking line up. We said we want genre diversity and gmmtv (normally addicted to high school/college) actually heard us.

[katierosefun]

I’m baaaaaaaackkkk! Once I finally got through all my ✨medical problems✨ (I’m a specialty cuz they couldn’t figure out what it was) I went home and was pretty depressed bc I had to quit my awesome seasonal job earlier than planned and move back home and but for my birthday my parents adopted two kitties and that helped me so much! I named them Loki and Bucky! But then I got covid (and even lost my taste AND smell 😭 my mom is an amazing cook and loves spices and flavors so it was so horrible to eat the food and it being like a family who dont use spices) and it went through my family so when I was out I was so sick I didn’t even want to watch stuff but than once I was healthy enough but still sick I finally started watching my kdramas again (I started rewatching Goblin)!

I finally finished ‘Weightlifting Fairy, Kim Bok-joo’ and I enjoyed it so much! The only problem I had was them using skinny actors when they could’ve used plus size actors! And how they used baggy clothing to make them look bigger. It was kinda annoying when I’m sure there are plenty of plus size actors that would’ve been great at that show! Also when they were lifting the weights it was really hard to take it serious when they were obviously fake or light. But that’s just me being nit picky.

It was such a different storyline not a lot of action but it was so nice to see family and the aunt and uncle basically adopting their nephew and him calling them mom and dad. Also Bok-joo and her relationship with her father was really nice to see. And I craved fried chicken every time they showed them at the restaurant. It was really nice show to watch when you’re sick and don’t have to worry about a major storyline to follow. I loved how she went to a weight loss dr just bc he was cute 😅 it was also fun to see the dr and his brothers relationship. Definitely fun to watch and the whole weightlifting team was hilarious. And I also enjoyed the roommates storyline that was cool tho she was a real bitch at first but her character definitely turned around at the end. I loved the two main characters and their relationship it was so cuteee! I give this a 7/10 just because of what my problems where above. If those two main problems it would definitely be a 9/10.

I also finished Vincenzo! That was really good show I enjoyed that but I also watched it when I was coming out of brain fog so I really don’t remember much 😅 but I do remember when V’s mom died and he went crazy and that was SO sexy! Also the entire apartment family where so funny and hilarious. Definitely recommend this one 9/10 (a LOT of violence)

I’m baaaaack and I’m so happy!

oh wow, i'm so sorry about everything that's happened--that all sounds like quite a lot, but i'm glad you're hopefully on the road to recovery? (and being at home and having cats! that's exciting and sounds like a brighter spot.)

ha, i also love the enthusiasm for the kdramas you watched! i remember how cute weightlifting fairy was (and i absolutely agree, i know that the main actress lee sung kyung gained some weight for the role, but like...? i wish they chose a plus-size actress for the role. definitely a huge critique i have of the entertainment industry especially in korea is how there's not a whole ton of body size diversity, which ://// but! yes, the family, friendship, and whole college/school love themes are very cute, even if i also wish that there was more diversity in body size. it was such a good drama to showcase that too, given that like? weightlifting?? sports??? but :///).

and oh, vincenzo! i still need to watch it, but song joong ki is such a great actor (i recommend one of his earlier kdramas, sungkyunkwan scandal...he's not the lead in that show, but it remains one of my favorite roles of his. also, his character likes guys), and i've def. been curious about jeon yeo been's works too (i heard she was in the kdrama save me, which is another hit available on netflix, although i've heard it's very dark).

glad you're enjoying yourself!

[snoopyrps]

hello lucky !! we hope you’re having a fantastic day, and that this ask finds you well !! us at touringhq were wondering if you could give us your opinion of us ?? we’re about the story of twelve recent college-aged friends who are faced with a choice they never expected; do they jump onto the opportunity to fulfill a childhood dream and tour with warped tour as their old high school punk band, or do they turn towards a life of monotony and job security, and leave music behind ?? thank you !!

of course !! i,, love doing opinions tbh. under the cut !!

url: ok, so my first thought related to how simple it is. i like that it gets to the point, namely because there have been some rps in the tags that i’ve gotten one impression of when it wound up being completely different ( i thought a small town rp was a boarding school rp for a very long time ). i think that’s generally going to be the first thing people look at. i don’t know how everyone else feels about really general urls, but i know what this is about off the bat and y’all also already have all of your pages linked using it SO.

graphics: i never talk much about graphics, namely because i can barely figure psds out, but i like the color scheme ! that’s gone over some more in the theme subsection of ‘accessibility’.

theme: i’m not one to really judge on themes –– as you can see, mine is very simple and i haven’t changed my header color to make it… more visible… in six months. that being said, i can still confidently say that i do like your theme and the color scheme. i really like the font ? i don’t know why but ? my compliments to the creator. accessibility – navigation: the links at the bottom are super easy to find – love that. the arrows ( or ‘next/back’ ) aren’t where i was expecting them to be, so i had to do a little bit of scouring, but overall: easy to find. navigation page itself is SO EASY. the pretty navigation pages of this day and age are nice, do not get me wrong, but the navigation page itself is so easy to navigate. accessibility – misc. comments: i don’t have any visual impairments, so i can’t speak on that matter, but i do feel like i could add on that i get overwhelmed by various themes VERY easily ( e.g. a friend of mine rec’d an rp to me and wound up having to link me to its mobile page ). the cool colors ( combined with the pastel warmer ones ) –– my compliments to the chef.

plot: i’m over here geeking out tbh. i… have never had a band… rip… but, boy, if i don’t act like i do ! ok, anyway ! i think that, overall, the plot is clear. it’s very easy to grasp and the tl;dr at the bottom really does sum everything up. the only tip i would give is mentioning when they went to high-school/the grade(s) they were in, that way people have an age range, and possibly mentioning the band name too ? 

rules: i think you about covered it all. the only tips i would have would be translating ‘72 hours’ to ‘three days’ for dumbasses like myself whose highest grade on a pre-cal test was a 34 ( then went to summer school and finally got those credits, but only passing with the bare minimum ). 

skeletons: i think you have a really good balance of characters in there. i really like the diversity you guys already have with your own characters, as well as the diversity you’re demanding for the singer, the drummer, the manager, and the groupie. i also like how you’ve kept the descriptions simple ! i would still recommend putting a hard age range on –– at least for the band members, as 20+ could be anywhere from 20 to 54 to 85 to me continuously using hyperbolic examples to get my point across. pinterest & playlists: awesome add-ons ! the one question i would have for the playlists –– and i totally get that you can’t really… answer it… in that link… but: are they based on the type of music the character listens to? or are they meant to sum up the character?misc. comments: “evans… and not remo.” - me, looking at the drummer’s pinterest, offended that my favorite brand has been tossed aside for its rival in the snare picture without the vic firth drumsticks. “no semi-hollow body guitars… i see…” - me, the biggest stan of semi-hollow body guitars, looking at the guitarist’s pinterest and pretending semi-hollow bodies are actually often used in punk. 

* glanced over characters and taken fcs, but figured there was nothing to give an opinion on.

banned faceclaims: this is just a quick one… but i… honestly… appreciate y’all banning bts. i feel like everyone needs to stop brushing off their problematic behavior ( especially some of the individuals’ like kim namjoon’s ), but that’s a topic for another time. i also like that you allow people to ask. i’m completely fine when a roleplay doesn’t, of course –– i understand the logic, but it’s nice to give people some answers.

application: the big one ! it looks like a basic semi-appless application, so that’s all good with me ! i feel like ‘the basics’ section is a little open-ended, but that can definitely be a good thing for a lot of people and can tell you how one person thinks versus another. i also know it’ll be harder for others who are used to more “give us 2/¾+ paragraphs about ____” or “list 2/¾+ headcanons for _____” or “list 2/¾+ possible connections for _____” etc. tl;dr: this subsection of my opinion was useless adfjl

faq: so you know i went through and read all of them ! ok, ignore my earlier age range comments – i would delete them, but i think i’ve made them a few times and i… don’t want to go back up and find them. anyway ! i still might think about putting the direct age range for band members on their skeletons, but that’s my only further suggestion ! that being said, i’d also recommend looking up the ages of suggested fcs, just because i saw some suggested early-30s fcs for characters in bands, but that’s it !

pinterest: do i love it ? yes sir’ee, i do ! i skimmed through ‘the before’ and ‘the tour’ and it really gave me a feel for that sort of ‘rag-tag team of kids actually tries to make it,’ which seems to be the foundation of this roleplay. playlist: i kind of have the same question as i did for the skeletons – is this what they sound like or what’s sort of supposed to sum all of them up ? going through it and looking at the bands/songs y’all chose, i’ve got a feeling it’s both which works very well, but i’m a curious sob.

misc. tips: i did notice one thing: for the most part, y’all use the same tags. there’s obviously nothing wrong with that – you want to reach your target audience – but i would suggest branching out into other areas that apply. i assume it’s going to be very writing-based – if i’m assuming correctly, i’d suggest ‘lsrp/lsrpg’ ( but only for Official Promos bc that tag is Fancy ) ; i’d definitely suggest ‘fame rp’ ; i’d also suggest the regular ‘rp’ and ‘rpg’ ; i’d limit the use of ‘rpc’ due to some members of the rpc not liking seeing promos that aren’t shoutouts/opinions in the tag ; i’d also limit the use of ‘small group rp’ – i’d still use it, just not as frequently as it seems you guys are due to it not being a super popular tag.

further questions: how will this run ? like, will it be a limited time deal, only running until the tour is up, or will you find ways to keep it running past ?

overall: i really like this ! i only had a few questions when i went through all of the pages, what as opposed to as many as i… do sometimes have and feel like it would be too critical to ask because no one asked for your opinion, lucky! i think it’s beautifully diverse. i love the amount of thought you guys clearly put into it. i had fun critiquing pinterest’s choice of drum heads (granted… i think the other picture is ambassador vintage remo…). i may even fool around and look at it further, this time from a potential applicant standpoint. 

9/10 !