#im applying to work study positions and jobs off campus

[mueritos]

why tf is it so hard to find a job in boston,,,,,,

[nice-kill-tanaka]

May I have a my hero and ohshc matchup plz

I'm a short girl around 5'2 with long brown hair and eyes and a leo. I like anime,dragons,reptiles,drawing but I'm not good,tarantulas,sweets,video games, memes,dark humor. I am very kind but I care more about others than I do myself. I have bad anxiety. I tend to overthink about everything. I love to sing especially country music but I am tone deaf. I have trouble standing up for myself because I was bullied alot. I can be very blunt. I also love to swear. I can be very loud. I love a good mystery and cop shows. I love dad jokes and puns.I am terrified of bees and heights. I am very lazy but I can be good at doing stuff if motivated. I have a very kind heart and sad stories or ones with very happy endings make my heart happy or hurt like crazy. But even though I'm kind that doesn't mean i am nice all the time. I am extremely grumpy and have a short temper especially on no sleep or if I just woke up. I also do have adhd and some anxiety I dont like being touched randomly unless I know it will happen or if I touch someone. As for dreams I'm not sure I wanna be a voice actor but not too sure if its right for me as I don't know how to edit or even have the equipment. I want someone who can just listen to me as I ramble on about things I love. I want someone to understand that I think differently then normal people. I also want someone to be able to understand im not the most affectionate person but I can be if given time but I will help someone if they are touch starved like I am.

[🌄 @cutelittleriot requested one (1) regular My Hero Academia matchup. I have just the ingredients for that! Sit tight while I get to work.🌌]

YAYYY!! First bnha matchup!! I gotchu bud 👍 I’m thinking about trying something new for the bnha fandom in particular. So, I’ll try it out and see what you think! Also, I got a little carried away with this one, so if it doesn’t seem characteristically accurate to you, please tell me!! 😖

And, the lucky person is:

⛰Eijiro Kirishima⛰

Quirk: Dragon

Dragon is a mutation quirk. It manifests slowly over time, until the user becomes about 60% dragon-esque at around 15/16 years old.

Scales and tough skin appear on the arms, legs, and face. Sharp teeth and claws grow in. Horns protrude from the forehead. A tail grows from the spine. Finally, wings grow from the back.

Flesh becomes twice as tough in places where scales are.

Depending on the user’s body type, wing usage is limited. (Since you’re generally shorter than average, “flying” and gliding comes easier to you.)

When the user consumes pressurized carbon dioxide, their stomach converts it into flammable gasses. Which allows the user to breathe- er...burp...fire.

Fire must be carefully used however. The smoke produced can accidentally be breathed in, causing lung damage.

🌱Humble Beginnings🌱

I’ll start by saying this: Being bullied is never fun. Being bullied over something you can’t easily control or change? Rub salt in it, why don’tcha?

You weren’t sure what the select few kids in your grade thought was so hilarious about your quirk. But, they managed to find enough wrong with it to do their damage for most of your time in school

First, the patches of scales that showed up on your skin were “too weak”. Then, your awkward transition stage with growing horns, wings, and tail was suddenly “ugly”

By the time your quirk fully manifested, the jeers finally devolved to “freak-ish”

Like a river carving out the Grand Canyon, the work was slow and wore you down over time. But, the impact was a lot bigger than even you’d initially thought

While you managed to somewhat heal and learned to guard your emotions against such hurtful things, that’s all you learned to do: Guard yourself. You were a shield with no spear, since you never fought back

With the help of supportive parents and teachers, your self-esteem wasn’t so low, but you did often downplay or underestimate your abilities

Like, Bitch??? You can burp fire??? Know your power???

The people you were on good terms with seemed to see a potential that you either disregarded, or didn't know about all together

They saw the way you treated others with consideration and forethought. How, despite (or because of) your anxiety, you remained hyper-aware of the problems of others and how to accommodate. And while your anger did have its vices, people knew how hot your righteous rage could burn

It actually took a lot of convincing for you to even apply to U.A. 

Outside of your other aspirations for the future, you didn’t particularly feel worthy for the job. Of anything you could be, you weren’t a fearless, upstanding, unshakable individual, not even giving a second thought to throwing yourself into danger for the good of others. You weren’t your alleged definition of a hero, and that was enough to deter you

But, whenever you recited your polite (well-rehearsed) decline, most gave you the same weirdly optimistic retort:

“Just try, maybe you’ll do better than you’re giving yourself credit for.”

So, here you were at an entrance exam full of people you hardly knew, wondering how you even rationalized to yourself that this would go just fine

The written exam went okay. As well as you could for literally guessing what to study to pass

All you had to do was do your best on the physical exam, and you’d be done for the day

But, your issue was in the people around you, not the exam itself

You were aware of the high amount of attention the moment you walked onto campus. The way other kids measured you up from a distance, studying everything about your not-so-human body. Watching your every move, especially the way your movements were strained from soreness (A short period of intense training tends to do that to you). You assumed they also wanted to see if your disposition was as powerful as your quirk suggested

((You specifically noticed a coltish, green-haired kid muttering to himself, questioning if your wings could actually support your body weight))

Even now, as the prospective heroes-in-training warmed up, you felt the stares burning into you

Half of you wanted to lift your eyes and rhetorically ask what the hell they were looking at, only feeling more annoyed as you snorted and returned to what you were doing. The other half wanted to fold into yourself until you disappeared (If only it were that easy)

But, you had enough (Roughly, one billion) worries on your mind to put confrontation on the list. Shaking off your anxious shivers as you lowered your head and continued with your “stretches” seemed so much easier

(A.k.a. Staring off into space as you held your limbs in awkward positions)

The time to begin the physical test was drawing near, and your self-doubt hadn’t eased up. Maybe this was a mistake. You didn’t belong here. Not when so many other students could fill the space you’re wasting so much better. Maybe if you slipped through the back now, you’d save yourself the disappointment of not living up to your own standards

“Hey, brown-haired girl! With the horns!”

You heard a gruff whisper from not to far behind you, from the left. You tensed for a moment, wondering what the voice could possibly want from you. But, the sight you saw was rather unexpected

The voice definitely matched the body, bulky and slightly rough looking, a little taller than you. Matched with a sweet face, sharp teeth, and bright, spiky, red hair. The smile he showed you instantly calmed your thoughts

“…Hm?”

You gave a short response, not wanting to jump to conclusions yet

“I saw you looking kinda psyched out over here, so I thought talking to you would make you less nervous!”

You felt a warm and fuzzy sensation in the pit of your stomach. As much encouragement as you got to achieve things, you didn’t see much of it to consider how you felt. How you could feel better. You liked it, which was surprising, considering the encouragement came from a perfect stranger

“Oh, uhh…thanks then. But, I’m fine, I promise! I’m no more nervous than you are.”

“Well, that’s also why I came to talk…I’m kinda freaking out too…”

This boy’s transparency was almost scary, but on the other hand, very comforting. You didn’t catch him trying to stare at your mutated parts once as you talked. Your eyes were the thing he seemed the most focused on, and while it made you embarrassed, it was the good kind (if that makes sense)

But, soon enough, the announcement for the beginning of the exam came over the loudspeaker, and you and your acquaintance had to look out for yourselves. But, before you parted ways, the redhead turned to you

“I’m Eijiro Kirishima, by the way! See you when I see you, Shortie!”

🌳Flourishing Love🌳

The beginning of Kirishima seeing you as a romantic option happened not too long after parting ways at the physical exam

He was almost completely cornered by one of the machines students could disarm for points. And just as that was happening, you had just turned the corner after shaking off another one

You saw Kirishima, but he definitely didn’t see you, trying hard to look tough, but struggling to stand his ground

It quickly dawned on you that Kirishima didn’t have a quirk that could easily deal with the hostile device. And if he did, he was too scared to use it

You vetoed the idea of charging in head on first. You didn’t feel like getting yourself or Kirishima hurt. Especially without a plan. You needed to be smart about getting your only acquaintance out of this situation

Your heart raced and your execution was all but clean, but you ended up using your fire breath to weld the robot’s wheels to the concrete

Before you let your inhibitions get the better of you, you climbed the machine and punched out the camera on the front. From atop the beast, you hung your tail over the edge low enough for Kirishima to grab. You didn’t dare look down at the ground

“Dammit Eijiro, grab on!!”

Once you felt a weight on your tail, you used your wings to propel you both forward. Obviously, away from the robot

You were too high on adrenaline and fear to notice, but Kirishima stared at you like you were the embodiment of Heaven on Earth. The stars in his eyes almost seemed inappropriate for the situation 😅

You looked just as—if not more—afraid than he was. But, you seemed so okay with the fact that you weren’t fearless, and acted like a true hero anyway. He admired, dare I say loved that about you

And he didn’t even know your name

As soon as you found out that you and Kirishima were in the same class, you felt instant relief. At least you were familiar with someone at U.A.

You guys’ friendship developed rather fast, like and extrovert adopting an introvert

Kirishima quickly noticed how fast you opened up once you got comfortable around him, and loved you all the more for how bright and vibrant the unfiltered you was

He found himself picking up on your sense of humor, telling dad jokes you whisper under your breath to the Bakusquad (Much to Bakugou’s dismay 😅)

Don’t worry, he always gives you the credit 😉

As time went on, Kirishima learned to appreciate how blunt you were. He realized that he needed someone to tell it like it is (“It isn’t manly to sugarcoat things! 😤” he says)

And while Kirishima prefers physical activities over video games, he loves to hype you up while you play before classes

It was only natural a mutual crush would form :D

Kirishima finally worked up the guts to ask you out after the U.S.J. Incident

You and him had gotten separated (You had gotten trapped with the cold son of Endeavor. And you both took out the villains with an awe-inspiring display of fire and ice)

Kirishima was faced with the reality that either of you could lose each other at any moment. And while both of you came out alright, he realized he couldn’t be wishy-washy about his feelings for you

He told you on your way to school the next morning:

“Look. What happened yesterday really scared me. Normally, I wouldn’t say that, but I think you deserve to know. Because…you mean a lot to me!! More than I can put into words. I love when we have fun together, and I don’t know what I’d do with myself if I never got to tell you how I felt…”

“Basically…I like you!! Like…in the romantic way…”

Your early morning grumpiness dissipated almost instantly, replaced by momentary confusion and disbelief, then embarrassment and joy. Was this really happening…? The boy that took a chance on you since the beginning, confessed that he had feelings for you…? Even though you didn’t question your relationship, you always assumed the nice things Kirishima said, the way he looked at you, was all part of the pleasantries. You questioned if you were even worth all of that

‘But you are.’ The little voice Kirishima helped you develop said. ‘And he would say more if he didn’t look so embarrassed.’

And so, you accepted Kirishima’s confession. And he saw the sweetest smile you had ever given him since the first time he complimented your puns 😊❤️

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

[🌌 There you go bud! That’s one matchup for the road. Hopefully it lasts for a while, but if it doesn’t, feel free to come back! I’d be thrilled to see you again.🌄] —Reagan

[bladengineer]

Bladebreakers: College Edition

anyone who’s already read my fics knows exactly what i’m about, so lets get straight to business about the college headcanons im about to slap yall with

also all under the cut bc this went way too long lmfao Hilary and Kenny should follow shortly bc it got really long and im just. oops

Kai is the first to go which is like. logical considering he’s the oldest and most driven out of all of them

not to mention he had the entirety of Hiwatari Corp. about to be put into his name as soon as he reached 18 and he’s just like aw man here we go

to be honest? he’s not keen on taking over the company, never has been (excluding the time where he felt obligated to under his grandfather’s influence) and the thought of actually having too just kinda. embitters him

so he gets himself sucked into the whole Business classes to get himself the necessary qualifications – and despite being bitter, he doesn’t half-ass shit so he studies on the regular

it isn't until Max wrangles him into finally giving his own interests a go and he changes his path to a History Major with a Minor in Business

he is so much happier

History, specifically Ancient History, had always been an avid interest in Kai’s books so he basically dives into his new studies with his own brand of stoic enthusiasm

its also the sole reason why he’s been amassing so many books in his personal collection at home, Hilary had implored him to buy bigger shelves after Max nearly broke his neck tripping over a loose pile

Kai likes to study alone, preferably in his private study (Tyson keeps making fun of him for having a private study at the age of 18, what are you, a grandpa? damn rich kid lmao) with soft instrumental music playing – he’s especially fond of rainy ambience music

of course, Kai is often seated at the back of the classes, but is indisputably one of the best students with very insightful and well-researched essays, naturally, most of his professors adore him

except a select few traditional-minded professors – they’re still bitter that Kai stood his ground when they had overlooked Cleopatra’s history and reduced her to the Ancient Sex Symbol and Kai was ready to cut a bitch at the blatant disrespect towards an Ancient Political Mastermind

the majority in his class has a fat crush on him but thats nothing new

Max, for a long time, had a bit of a dilemma as his parents urge him to start choosing his preferred path; was it going to be Engineering like his Mother or Mechanics like his Father, and honestly? the poor boy was so torn

in the end, he confessed he wanted to do neither – he loved Beyblade but it wasn’t something he wanted to dedicate his life to forever

instead, his heart had always belonged to the ocean and he dreams of being a Marine Biologist

his father was very supportive, while Judy had her doubts so it took a little convincing – in the end, her son’s joy was more important to her and she too gave her blessing for him to pursue his dream

Max goes on to major Zoology, directed towards marine animals, and takes up a minor in Engineering because hey, it pretty much runs in his family and it stayed an avid interest of his

his university wasn’t too far of from Kai’s own, so sometimes when he stays over at Kai’s he gets a free ride to class

he returns the gesture by always providing the best butter croissants for breakfast (they’re still warm too!)

Max usually studies in the campus library, noise-cancelling headphones on, bopping silently to whatever music he’s listening to as he reviews his notes for the next exam

he researches a lot for his topics and has collected so much trivia about the ocean and its inhabitants in general

Max: did you know jellyfishes have no brain? Kai: Max don’t bully Tyson Tyson: excuse me?

the professors love Max tbh, he’s always fully engaged within class so they usually let him get away with things mainly bc he’s just their Favourite

pretty sure half of the university knows of Max in some way or another, being a social butterfly and all and maybe having flooded the campus once by accident

Ray also had a hard time deciding what to do and what to study; being from a rural village with traditions certainly made him question wether he should pursue a modern career or stay within his community

the White Tigers were quick to kick his ass over it however, booting him straight to Kai’s doorstep and telling him to do what he feels was right for him

now, he’s managed to get himself applied to one of the prestigious university for culinary arts – he’s not too sure yet which path he wants to take in terms of culinary skill

he loves cooking and working in a kitchen, however after many work experiences he has found that working at the command of someone else wasn't exactly to his tastes, not to mention, he’d like to dabble in more traditional culinary arts

as of now, Ray particularly enjoys the sweeter side of cooking, preferring to create intricate pastries and confectionaries, often stemming from his chinese roots but also applying his skill within the japanese side of things

his homemade mooncakes are honestly to die for

next to his obvious passion for cooking, he’s also taken up classes in horticulture, mainly bc he’d love to grow his own ingredients and create his own sets of spices and various artisan products

since his career path is very labour focused, he often practices at home and takes inspiration from various chefs all around the world. his bookshelves are full of recipe books and general insightful cookbooks

Max had suggested to him to make videos of his dishes, mainly for self-improvement, but also being able to put them online to start a crowd interest for his work

its going pretty well actually, his videos have become quite popular since they are aesthetically pleasing, the food looks tasty as hell and also a wide crowd of older people have voiced their joy in seeing more traditional confectionary being made

his friends secretly love their birthdays nowadays bc without fail, Ray always gifts them homemade foods, from neat boxes of handcrafted chocolates to cute jars of sweet jams

he knows, he always takes time to create flavours he knows they will appreciate

Tyson, surprisingly, knew exactly what he wanted to do, and it wasn’t anything to do with Beyblade

Hilary: WHAT ARE YOU SICK Tyson: i- no? i just– Ray: hold on maybe he’s running a fever Tyson: would yOU GUYS JUST LISTEN–

look, he loves Beyblade, it’s something he’ll treasure all his life, something he’ll still pursue in the future, but

it won’t be what he wants to do full time

instead, he majors in Anthropology in order to pave his way into Archeology and everyone is so proud they start crying

next to his Major, he also minors in Business, mainly due to his longstanding position within the BBA, with whom he stays as a particular poster boy and star

next to his work with the BBA, he occasionally helps out in the Dojo and everyone kinda realises? that this guy is literally holding down two (2) whole jobs while also studying and if that isn't hardcore my dudes i don’t know

then again, he’s grown a lot and his interest in his father’s career had always accompanied him since he was a kid – however, his studying habits are still all kinds of atrocious and the only reason why he can even halfway ace his exams is bc he refuses to go down quietly, actually is really critical and analytical is he puts his head into it, and the fact that he employs Hilary to stand vigil with a rolled up magazine to smack him back into focus should he slack off

otherwise, he’s friends with most people in his class and regularly exchanges notes with them and even has become a favourite with a select few of his professors

most just find him exhausting but can’t refute his elaborate essays, which are both thoughtful as eyebrow raising

he attends the same university as Kai (much to his chagrin) and they stick together just as much as they bicker (one-sidedly) just like old times – however, they are both ancient history buffs and its one of the very few topics that they can be heard talking about in actual peace without Tyson going apeshit when Kai loses interest in the conversation

Tyson and Kai are also those college students who pull ridiculous all nighters to study

Max once got so nervous for an exam he made a terrifying concoction of Red Bull and Instant Coffee to stay up and study

he aced the exam but he cannot for the life of him remember what he did in those 24hours bc as soon as he went home he crashed for nearly 32hours straight

Tyson and Ray who were present at the time refuse to speak about it and when asked about it, they kinda just. disassociate for a minute at the sheer horror they had witnessed

Kai rarely ever communicates with classmates yet somehow gets always invited to all the frat parties

who are those people? he doesn’t know

[chaolavry]

sooo this is chaol like kale, and im harley like the motorcycle *finger guns* and i’d love to plot with all of you this is dumb long so i apologize !

『DANIEL SHARMAN ❙ CISMALE』 ⟿ looks like CHAOL AVERY is here for HIS SENIOR year as a BIOLOGY student. HE is 24 years old & known to be IDEALIST, BRAVE, DETACHED & OVERCRITICAL. They’re living in MORIS, so if you’re there, watch out for them. ⬳ OOC HARLEY. 23. CST. SHE/HER.

random bits.

pinterest board.

before college.

chaol was born into a family where the parents should probably have skipped being parents, they were detached, aggressive and infrequent their love was built on weekend long drug binges and screaming matches all day.

the kids were a shock, they were a beacon of the idea of change and as soon as they were born things would look up before crashing down just as fast, and eventually they would be shipped off to distant family members.

chaol was the last born and by the time he came along they had given up on the idea of change and hope, so as a young kid chaol witnessed everything that they would throw at one another figuratively and literally.

when chaol was around ten his parents were fighting one night and it was pretty standard yelling, blaming him, his father blaming his mother, anger i think you get the point. eventually his dad got a bit too aggressive.

( tw violence, abuse ) his anger was pointed towards chaol and that led to him hurting his son and while his mom wasn’t mother of the year she stepped between them.

in the morning once his dad was passed out drunk, chaol woke up to being left at his aunt and uncles. 

did they want to raise him nope, did they for a while yes - chaol was an angry child he was always getting into things he shouldn’t have been, always skipping class - staying out late, sneaking out the older he got the more things he did which just caused a bigger headache for his aunt and uncle.

as the years progressed and his anger at the world controlled him his aunt and uncle would eventually lose chaol to group homes but they didn’t really care it was a weight lifted. 

the group homes would lead to a foster home where he found discipline and someone that really believed in him and help calm him down

he was encouraged to try and apply for college, his grades were good he was smart but he never showed it, he was fine everyone seeing him as a grumpy boy.

currently.

he enrolled with no idea what he wanted to study he eventually landed on biology and was graced with a scholarship which is a shock he hasn’t fucked up

still kinda angry a lot currently also works part time as a barista and hates it, honestly is stupid and edgy because ‘feelings get you hurt blah blah’

chaol isn’t like as bad as he claims to be if you can push the dumb shit aside he has a good heart and really just wants to find a place to belong.

also does the occasional tutoring session for a little extra cash but i think he just does whatever he can to stay busy so he doesnt overthink

his birth mom recently has come back into his life and he feels like he owes her something so he ends up giving the money he makes from his job to her only saving a little for himself.

spend a lot of time high, talking nonsense or like skating around campus probably doing some tagging here and there

has a giant stuffed alien in his room, and probably only wears black, likes parties but acts as if he is tooooo coool *edgelord*

tldr.

a set of bad parents let chaol to develop an anger that would follow him into his childhood and teen years causing him to lash out. eventually he would land himself in group homes and eventually a permanent foster home. now he is here in college finishing his senior year as a biology major tryin to not be so trash

plots. these are just some ideas but im open to whatever ~

family he lived with - so basically the cousins whose parents raised him he was either little asshole to them or they had broke those walls down and got the nicer chaol

group home/foster home - probably the closest to family i guess all the misfit toys in one island ya know

exes good term - ya know a shockingly ex that turned out good maybe they just both felt like hey this isn’t working and we are better off as friends

exes on bad terms- we crashed and burned and now we’re both just angry

good influence - someone who is positive and all that jazz

bad influence - lets party and get drunk spring break vibes but also lets just do shit we shouldnt

tutor - he can tutor them ~

roommates - like roomies in moris 

ex friends - I mean i get it

we were in a threesome together and now its awkward - okay hear me out threesomes happen and ya know it was probably a drunk thing but now no one ever talks about it just like hey i saw your “insert here” and now its weird because maybe they were friends at one point

childhood friends that drifted - people grow up and apart and thats what happened here, maybe they can rekindle it but maybe the damage has been done

ride or die besties for life - probably have been attached at the hip forever also probably had some fights here and there but always stuck together

friends with benefits - nothing more nothing less

smoking buddy - lets get high and convince ourselves that the lady who runs the dry cleaners and go is an alien

friends - all you need is friends

exes mixed terms -  is it bad or is it good one moment we are electric the next we are strangers

[taylor-on-fire]

Cigarettes and Alcohol (one)

She was told to never get involved with three things; Cigarettes, Alcohol and Rock Stars.

Obviously, something fate never intended for her to live by.

Pairing: ? x Reader

Series Rating: Mature

Chapter Rating: Teen

Chapter Warnings: Swearing

~/-*•|•*-\~

The remainder of the summer had disappeared within the blink of an eye. If unpacking the rest of my belongings and furnishing the flat hadn't consumed the vast majority of my free time, my newly accumulated job had.

I had walked into Regency Cafe on my third day in London, resume in hand and extraordinarily low expectations. It was stationed five streets away from my flat, and a hub that I had scoped out soon after arriving. Because of this, I assumed that it was too good to be true, and being as popular as it was, would have copious amounts of workers and applicants alike. But, I had seemingly hit the jackpot that day. As soon as I walked into the cafe and spotted the only waitress behind the counter - a gray-haired, flustered woman in her late fifties - and mentioned the ‘Help Wanted’ sign stuck on the glass window.

‘You here for the job, Honey?’ I nodded, and she immediately thew an apron my way and hustled back to the till.

“Rose.” The woman nodded to me and slid over a tray. “That’s for table 7.”

“Y/N. Great to meet you, Rose.” I threw a tea towel over my shoulder, smiled, and picked up the tray to serve.

-

Ever since then, I had been working ten hour shifts at the Cafe. The crowds only  ever thinned out at around the three ‘o’clock mark, when it was too late to be considered lunch, and too early to be considered tea. But, even then, there was never a moment to take a breather, let alone have a smoke. I wouldn't complain though - It kept my days occupied and helped me save extra money for when the next semester started. And Rose was lovely. 

After we had locked up the cafe that first night - a pretty successful day as per usual - We had gotten talking about everything and anything over a cup of Coffee. Rose’s other two waitresses had called in sick, and with no available family to help, she was forced to fight the rush head on. Obviously that's where I came in. 

Coffee after lock-up had become some sort of ritual after I was hired, and after the hour or so chatting with the grandmother I never had over pastries, I would walk to my flat and go straight to bed. I rarely went back out once I got home, and thus hadn't scoped the area as much as I usually would. I mean, I knew of a few pubs and student clubs nearer to the university campus, and a few clothing stores, but London was huge. It would take longer than a night to discover all there was to see.

Undoubtedly, now I’d have less time to dedicate to finding the hot-spots of the city. As soon as my head hit the pillow, I was awake again - Pulling on jeans and a plaid jacket haphazardly. Apparently snoozing an alarm clock six or so times eventually added up to an hour. So, now I was 65 minutes behind schedule, and would be inevitably late to the first lecture of my first semester at Uni. 

Way to make an impression, Y/N.

I checked the clock again, simultaneously buckling my sandals, and true to the time, I had 40 minutes to complete a half an hour bus ride and trek to the other side of the campus. 

Luckily, Imperial was by far the closest Uni in the area. God forbid i had applied to another college instead - I would hands down, never make it to the campus on time. Being rejected fro the course for numerous lates wouldn't come as a shock to say the least.

I made my way outside and lit up a smoke, securing my bag on my shoulder and making my way towards the near-empty bus stop. It was fairly cold outside, despite it not being too early. It was the middle of September although, and despite the summer feeling very recent, it was slowly fading out into a chilly autumn.

However, I wasn't exposed to the British temperatures for too long, as in a few minutes, I was seated at the back of the bus, willing it to go quicker to ensure that I wouldn't be late to class.

-

I had constructed a whole plan on how my mornings would go from now on, and sorted a precise routine to avoid this one situation. I didn't imagine it being disregarded so early into the school year. Yet, I was notorious for being late back home, despite my best efforts. It was evidently not a good trait.

As I hurried across the campus, barely navigating the way from memory and already five minutes late, I hoped that this wasn't an omen for what my life would be like here. 

The corridors were quiet, a few groups of people scattered around - obviously early and awaiting their first lecture - and all of their faces blending into one. I paid no heed due to the sheer rush I was attempting to downplay in the presence of other students.

The lecture hall seemed abnormally distant. But, as this thought flashed through my brain, a large notice on the wall displayed the word I was desperately searching for in black, block letters. I heaved a sigh of relief and searched for the class number. 

EB1.1...EB1.3...EB1.7...EB1.15

Seeing that I had arrived at my designated room, I paused momentarily, glancing down to check my wrist watch. Fifteen minutes late. Fifteen used to be my lucky number, but after this, I'm not too sure. I turned to walk towards the door, not looking up, and immediately came into contact with something solid.

Before I could comprehend what was happening and steady myself, I was falling backwards, the notes in my hand and bag falling everywhere. 

“Im sorry! Im so, sorry. I completely missed you there! I was just late and...” A boys flustered voice cut me from my internal monologue of how great the day was turning out to be. He immediately dropped to his knees to collect up the newly created mess, whilst simultaneously glancing back towards me. Presumably to see if I was fatally injured.

“Its fine. Im sorry. It was probably my fault.” I laughed, moving to my knees and picking up a pile of notes scattered to the left of me. “I have a terrible habit of being late to everything.”

“I should have seen you though. Are you okay? Not hurt are you?”

“I’m completely fine. despite my pride, obviously. Are you okay? I completely barrelled into you.”

We both continued to pick up the notes scattered around the corridor together, and finished rearranging ourselves in seconds flat. The man quickly stood up, holding out his free hand to me, which I grasped firmly. I let go, and he clutched his notes, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck, a red blush overtaking his features.

“I’m completely okay. I must apologise again.” he spoke, still anxiously rubbing his neck. A small smile was playing on his red features.

I paused for a second and adjusted the strap on my bag.

“You said you were late to class. Whats your major?” I questioned, not much left to lose considering over a third of the first lecture was over. I looked towards the class door, knowing that I was obviously more than a quarter hour late now. This couldn't be good.

“Engineering. Electrical, more specifically. But Engineering is apparently just one big degree here.”

“Im majoring in that too. But, I prefer the Aerospace branch.”

The man smiled at that, before adjusting his shirt collar and swinging the strap of his bag over his shoulder..

“I have a friend that would love that. An Astrophysics Major.” He turned and pointed to the room EB1.15. “I guess we're headed to the same place, then?”

I nodded, smiling back.

“Y/N Y/L/N.” I raised my right hand out to the boy.

“John Deacon. Lovely to meet you.” He grasped my hand, and we shook, before splitting and turning to enter the classroom. John took the lead, entering the class before me, and holding the door open for me to enter too.

I guess chivalry isn't dead.

We both stood there momentarily, well aware of thirty or so sets of eyes turning in our direction. Under any other positive circumstances, I wouldn't be fazed, but knowing that I was in the wrong and destined to be given fails for the next academic year - and in front of so many strangers - I was uncharacteristically nervous.

From the looks of it, John also wasn't one for being thrusted under the limelight. He shot me a short, wide-eyed look, before hesitantly making his way to the lecturers desk at the front centre of the hall. I trailed behind him, probably appearing like a lost puppy, but in reality, unsure what the protocol was for such a situation.

Do i just sit down and ignore the fact that I missed half of the lecture? Or apologise profusely? At this point I’m ready to just leave campus, drop the course and move back home. Although, nothing worse than moving home immediately comes to mind.

However, John quickly spoke, explaining the issues he faced with his travel this morning etcetera, etcetera, and luckily, he included me within this tale. Apparently, we had gotten scheduled 8:15 AM bus, and due to a road-traffic accident, we were diverted for over three quarters of an hour. Credit to him for elaborating so. I was almost convinced myself that I hadn't overslept this morning.

As he concluded his tale, John took a step backwards, next to me, and awaited a response. The lecturer nodded, a blank expression on his face. He waited a second before responding.

“Ive already assigned the Initial Assignment. I want a 2,000 word essay on your reasons behind choosing Engineering as your major, the branch you major in, and the gateways this degree opens for you. Any other details are on the board.” The man held his stoic expression, and we nodded back at him, awaiting a sign to take our seats. “Michael Ford.”

I muttered my name in response, as did John, as we turned to take the only two free seats at the back of the lecture hall. We were stopped abruptly.

“Next time, don't let your romantic life come in the way of your studies.”

I froze, unsure of what to reply, other than a quick nod. I went to hurry off once again, but glanced at John who was beet red -  even redder than before in the corridor -  a wide-eyed expression on his face. It took all I had in me to not burst out laughing. 

[theancientgeekoroman]

hi! i'm a high-schooler who wants to pursue a career in classics and ancient history and you're a massive inspiration to me, I was wondering if you have any advice for an aspiring classicist

Hey! I’m glad to be an inspiration :3

So, the first thing I would suggest is to read, read, read. I know it’s expensive to get a lot of books, but remember that public libraries (and check your high school library, too!) might have many of the books you might want to read before you head into a Classics program.

If you would prefer to have these things online so you can access a lot of different things, here are my favorite websites to refer to:

http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/

https://www.gutenberg.org/

http://www.sacred-texts.com/search.htm

The next thing to remember is that if you’re an undergraduate student, you’re not going to know everything in every class. Be open to exploring - take courses that have a focus on the ancient world, but don’t be afraid to stray into other courses (I took enough Medieval courses (history, literature, art history) that I was one course away from a minor). One of the things that I would recommend is searching for schools that have a program you think you’ll enjoy and e-mail the professors! I e-mailed the director of the Classical Studies department at Villanova University back and forth for a long time before I applied to the graduate program and she was quite supportive and explained things well to me. This was a big reason I decided that I decided that Villanova was right for me. The professors and how they interact with potential students will tell you a lot about the faculty as well as the program. Look through the potential courses at the universities you’re interested in, and whether they have all the courses, you would be interested in, including courses for other aspects of the field.

Classics courses can be under Anthropology or Archaeology, Art History, English/Literature, Greek/Latin, Library Sciences, Law, Museum Studies, Theatre, etc. If you’re interested in exploring any of these areas of Classics, I would suggest exploring these courses if the university offers them as well. This would also help you hone in on what area of the field you might be most interested in pursuing - a lot of people who go into Classics either end up teaching or working in a museum, from my experience. However, those aren’t your only choices, and we’ll get back to that more towards the end :3

If you’re not sure if you’d like archaeology, if you can afford an archaeological field school, I would say try to participate in one when you’re an undergraduate student, or if you can’t, see if your local state parks have any need for archaeological volunteers. That’s something that I’ve been investigating in Las Vegas (where I live); this isn’t Classics specifically, but much of the work will be similar so you can gauge whether you like digging enough to do it for a living. This past summer I did my first archaeological field school (three years after I completed my B.A. in History/Classics), so if you wait a little longer, that’s okay, too. But, I loved it, and I definitely want to dig again, so I think that it’s important to find a way to pursue those opportunities when you can (I was lucky to get a full-time job a year before I went and was able to save up - I didn’t take any vacation time in the year and a half from when I was hired until after the field school). There are field school scholarships that you can apply to, like the Jane C. Waldbaum Archaeological Field School Scholarship (https://www.archaeological.org/grants/708), that are for students pursuing their first field school, amongst other funding, so make sure you look everywhere and ask your university if they have a database for field school funding. A lot of your anthropology and archaeology professors will be helpful in asking about this. Your university might also have archaeology opportunities on campus as well; my alma mater, the University of Delaware, had an Archaeology Laboratory that I volunteered in for extra credit and continued to do so once my course was over because I enjoyed it so much. See what’s around and how you can help out!

In the same vein, if you’re interested in museum work, look to see if you can volunteer over the summer, or once you’re a university student, see if you can enroll in an internship for credit. Sometimes your university galleries and museums might have a program, so look into that, too! I did a Curatorial Apprenticeship Program at the University of Delaware and was able to conduct an Independent Study for credit through the museum program (now the University of Delaware has a Museum Studies minor). I’ve always known that my end goal was to be a curator, but there’s plenty of other aspects of museums you can explore: education, administration, museum libraries, and a lot of other departments, depending on the size of the institution. If you’re in the U.S., you can check my museum post to see if your state has ancient art (https://theancientgeekoroman.tumblr.com/post/179105816745/master-list-of-museums-with-greek-roman), and if you’re in another country, don’t worry, I’m working on master lists for other countries, too.    

Many courses may be taught in translation (especially if you’re taking it as an English Literature or Foreign Language in Translation course), so see if you can find the best or most highly recommended translations by professors. See what the book lists are for the courses at the universities you’re looking at and try to find your favorite translation. I just bought the Emily Wilson translation of The Odyssey, which I have a feeling will be my favorite translation. This is The Iliad translation I have (http://www.librarything.com/work/3426497/book/161094444), The Aeneid (http://www.librarything.com/work/11862/book/161072440), Metamorphoses (http://www.librarything.com/work/3439/book/161072432), and The Love Songs of Sappho (http://www.librarything.com/work/237534/book/161093187). All of these were assigned textbooks for my Biblical and Classical Literature and Mythology courses at the University of Delaware between 2007-2015 (those links take you to my LibraryThing, which will tell you most of the books that I own or I have on my wishlist, if you want to check them out; I haven’t finished organizing their categories yet, though, so it’s a WIP).   

If you haven’t been exposed to Ancient Greek or Latin at the high school level and university will be the first time you encounter these languages (as was true for me), you don’t necessarily have to know anything by the first day of class. However, if you would like a head start, here are some lessons on Ancient Greek in YouTube format (http://www.openculture.com/2016/08/learn-ancient-greek-in-64-free-lessons-from-brandeis-harvard.html) and in text format (https://lrc.la.utexas.edu/eieol/grkol). Latin, unsurprisingly, has a lot more resources for free online learning (I even bought a Udemy course to review my Latin): The University of Texas at Austin: https://lrc.la.utexas.edu/eieol/latol, http://learn101.org/latin.php, and this list is good to consult: https://www.omniglot.com/language/articles/latinapps.htm. I haven’t used all of these myself, so explore and see which ones would be best for you and works best for how you learn.

If you decide to continue with Classics into the graduate level, keep in mind that you’ll need German AND French or Italian. I took both French and Italian as an undergraduate and I can read French pretty well because I took it for four years in high school and studied abroad in Caen for five weeks as an undergraduate. Italian I can kind of read alright, but I know no German, which I need to work on. So, if you have a language requirement and your Latin or Greek does not count, keep those languages in mind. (Sometimes you have to take a certain amount of Latin or Ancient Greek for it to count, and your program may not require as many ancient language courses for your major as the language requirement for the university, etc. I only needed to take Ancient Greek or Latin, but I decided I wanted to do both.)

Classics is an extremely interdisciplinary field, so you have a lot of options, both as an undergraduate and a graduate student. You don’t necessarily need to go straight into graduate school, either. You can teach at the high school level, you can go into archaeology fieldwork or museum work, or do a variety of other things. It’s up to you. I took a year off, got a different Master of Arts degree before I applied to my M.A. in Classical Studies. It’s different for everyone. I’ll be 30 when I get my M.A. in Classical Studies, so take your time and explore things that call to you. Don’t rush things and have fun!

Of course, I’m sure you want to know “What can I do with a Classics degree?” Luckily, many places have already made lists like this! Here they are:

https://www.angelo.edu/services/career/majors/classics.php

https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/careers/subjects/classics/

https://classicalstudies.org/education/careers-for-classicists/an-undergraduate-degree-in-the-classics

https://www.exeter.ac.uk/media/universityofexeter/careersandemployability/subjectfactsheets/subjectfacsheets/2016ese030_Classics_st1.pdf

http://loveofhistory.com/what-jobs-can-you-get-with-an-ancient-history-and-classics-degree/

https://www.prospects.ac.uk/careers-advice/what-can-i-do-with-my-degree/classics

And I made a post with different places that post Classics positions as well, for when you’re ready to look for those (I check them regularly to see the requirements people want for these positions to either match up or if I need further training or credentials): https://theancientgeekoroman.tumblr.com/post/178955792555/since-im-still-in-my-ma-program-for-classical   

TLDR & recap:

Read, read, read

Research your potential schools

Volunteer

Explore aspects of the field

Have fun!

Additionally, I found this list of people that have Classics degrees :3

https://rogueclassicism.com/folks-you-didnt-know-maybe-had-classics-degrees/

I hope you found this helpful and I apologize for the length, but feel free to drop me a line whenever you like if you need more advice or would like me to expand on any of my experiences!

All the best,

The Ancient Geeko-Roman

P.S. Folklore Fiancé wanted to make sure I didn’t overwhelm you and wanted to encourage you to make sure you take your time and take breaks when studying. Don’t overwhelm yourself with your research; take your time to explore different areas and don’t tackle too many things at once. *takes off parent hat*

[notbecauseofvictories]

hi sarah! i know you've mentioned a couple times how you didn't do so well in your first year of law, and how you turned that around - can i ask, how?? i'm five weeks away from finishing my first year now, but between an exhausting job and bad health i know im not doing as well as i should. i used to be a great student, but now im struggling so much, and i'm scared that falling behind will put me in a bad position for the future. any advice would be really lovely

I’m not…going to lie to you, doing poorly in your first year of law school does set you back. It does. It’s an incontrovertible truth. You won’t be invited for as many on-campus interviews (the main way large law firms hire) and if you don’t pull your grades up second and third year, you’ll be at the bottom of the pile compared to your classmates.

There are really only two ways I’ve found to make up the difference: a) I worked my absolute ass off doing other things, and b) I hit the pavement like nobody’s business.

Over the course of my second and third year I: was a member, then executive editor for two journals, champion of a moot court competition, and worked—internship or not—every semester. I wanted to demonstrate to potential employers that while I might not be the best at traditional black-letter exams, I was very very good at juggling a lot of different projects, meeting deadlines, thinking about a myriad of issues, and managing all of that extremely well. The fact that I had a lot of work experience also came in handy with potential employers; in an interview I told one firm that the reason I worked so much was because as much as I enjoyed the study of law, the practice of law was a different animal, and I wanted to have experience in that too.

(He was very impressed by that answer.)

As for the second aspect—if you don’t have the grades, it is not an insurmountable difficulty. But you are going to have to work very hard to make up for it in terms of the connections you make, the jobs you apply for, and the general job-finding effort you are going to have to put in. For example—by the time I graduated, I had meaningfully joined three different organizations (the local bar association, the local health law association, and the national health law association). I had two attorney mentors, I sat on a committee, my career adviser knew me shockingly and somewhat shamefully well, and I applied for every job that even sort of fit my desired career path. 

That was the cost of doing business. If you can’t get through the door on sheer numbers, you elbow your way through as best you can.

And that’s the truth. In order to end up where I am, I had to develop a lexicon of job-searching strategies that top-tier students, who got a summer associate gig and transitioned to junior associate, never have to develop. (This complicated by the fact that I do not and never will look like a sleek first year associate---I’ll never look good in a sheath dress.) For good or ill, that was the cost of doing badly my first year. I had to put in a ridiculous, horrific amount of effort.

I imagine you will too, and in this, I wish you luck.

[realtalk-princeton]

Is it hard/competitive to get a (student employment) job through the university? Is it uncommon for people to have jobs with businesses in the Princeton community rather than Princeton itself (i.e. Starbucks)?

Response from Aspen:

not too competitive as far as I know, I got a job through there recently and know plenty of people not work study eligible who get jobs thru there since there are soooo many so it depends! i don’t personally know anyone who works off campus but im sure there are some

Response from Viola:

It depends entirely on the job! Grader, TA, and library  jobs tend to be much more competitive bc they’re really popular, but the dhall is almost always looking for people to work and there’s a bunch of random campus offices which have jobs for students too!

Response from Ocean:

I’ve applied to three different campus jobs and gotten two of them, it’s not super competitive except for what Viola listed.  (I’d also like to add Orange Key tour guides and RCA positions as competitive jobs, but not typically what one thinks of when thinking about “campus jobs”.)  I knew one girl in my zee group freshman year who had an off-campus job at a restaurant on Nassau street, but eventually she left and got a dhall job instead because it was more convenient and worked better with her schedule.  I also worked off campus for a bit (I did babysitting).  So I guess it is somewhat uncommon for people to have off-campus jobs, but not unheard of. 

[optomstudies]

Hello everyone! It’s #optomstudies here again with another study tip on Part Time Work! I received the following asks from anons, thank you for prompting this! :) I’m by no means an expert, but this is the advice that I gained while looking for my own job. 

hey, i recently finished reading all your study tips so far and i just wanted to let you know that they’re super helpful!! i’m starting uni next month and im soo glad that i came across your series bc now i feel less anxious about starting!! if you have time, i would love it if you have any tips about getting a part-time job in uni? like yourself, i didn’t think that i could manage high school + part time job so i would rlly love some advice from you again if possible! 

Realise that you can juggle part time work, but don’t bite off more than you can chew. Working more than 2-3 days a week will stress you out, as you won’t have time to complete both uni work and enjoy a little destressing time. I’d advise max 1.5 days a week for a 5 day degree, and that’s if you use 80% of the remaining time studying. Count any other commitments as part of these ‘work’ hours too - if you have church, younger siblings to cook for, etc. Most unis advise 2 hours of self-study per contact hour at uni for degrees like science/engineering, and up to 4 for arts/commerce degrees! So factor that in when you’re planning. 

Research an entry level job that relates to your degree. The best types of jobs would be those in which you are assistants to the position you want to work in once you have graduated. Just ensure that the position promises you on-the-job training, as most students likely have limited employment experiences outside retail and tutoring. 

Research how to write a great first resume and practice interview skills. Your university careers website will contain plenty of information, as well as templates for your first resume to highlight your strengths. There is a wealth of information out there regarding the actual process of CV-writing and interviews, so refer to those :) Make sure you research the company you want to work with, their values and also personalise your resume and cover letter to highlight why you would be suited for that position and what you can bring as an employee. 

Hand in your resume personally to each store you apply to. Politely ask if you can speak to the manager, dress in business clothing, introduce yourself in a friendly manner and ask them to consider your resume if a position ever opens. If it’s for an advertised position, call back in 1-2 weeks to check up on them and thank them for their consideration. Even if the position is filled, you can still gain valuable information by asking them why you weren’t hired (politely of course), since you have nothing to lose. They may have noticed something about your cover letter or resume that put them off choosing, or they might let you know it was fine but they just had a more qualified individual applying. 

Prepare for common questions on interviews, and just be yourself. My manager, who was so kind as to give me a chance despite not having much work experience, told me that she liked my honesty and enthusiasm which is why she hired me. Most of the time for an entry level position, they aren’t looking too much for technical skills as they are looking for personality (well at least for retail positions anyway) and transferable skills like communication and interpersonal skills. 

I hoped this helped everyone! I do have an #employment tag but tips don’t float around the studyblr as often as posts on study methods (please send me links if you find anything, thank you!! :D) so I’ve just linked the posts here:

7 questions to ask at the end of every interview

jobs and careers masterpost by @study-well

MY STUDY TIPS

Please see my #optomstudies tag or my study tips directory (web only) for the full list of study tips + see my langblr posts + stationery + bujo spreads! ^_^

UNIVERSITY STUDY TIPS SERIES

Part 0 Choosing a Degree - what’s right for you? popular!!

> Things to Consider Before Switching Degrees!

> Changing Degrees

Part 1 Administration - choosing majors, available services, choosing class times etc.

Part 2 Getting to Class - pros and cons of attending class, when you should choose not to attend, advice about choosing a backpack and other essential equipment.

> Laptop Considerations and Recommendations

Part 3 Studying - differences between high school and uni, basic tips on how to keep on track, class types like lectures, tutorials, etc.

Part 4 Extra-Curriculars - what clubs to join, what to do outside class, and other great things to discover around campus.

Part 5 Exams - everything to know about examiners, how to prepare, what happens during the whole examination process.

Part 6 Social Life - differences between high school and university, some hard learnt lessons, etc.

Part 7 Part Time Work

Part 8 Four Secrets The Uni Tells You

Part 9 Best Study Spots On Campus

Part 10 Saving Money 1 - Food, Transport, Entertainment

Part 10 Saving Money 2 - Textbooks, Tax, Scholarships

Part 11 Adapting to Uni Study - 3 big differences from studying in high school popular!!

Part 12 How to Study From Textbooks in Uni

Part 13 Dealing with Lazy Group Members popular!!

Transitioning from High School to University popular!!

OTHER POPULAR POSTS

Weekly Planner Printable with Extra Space for Sat/Sun  popular!!

Overcoming the Planning Fallacy

Study Spaces Masterpost

Studying and your Visual System

Catching Up with Your Studies  popular!!

Sleeping and Waking Up Early  popular!!

My 2017 Planner and Bullet Journal  popular!!

[houses-of-healing]

help! i have no idea how to juggle work and school. i think everyone at work basically hates me because i come in at the most erratic times (i try really hard not to) and school is hard because when i get home all i want to do is go to bed. i thought taking online classes was a smart idea, because i wouldn't have to suffer in commute so much, but im just suffering so much more now!! how do i balance everything out while battling add and depression?

Greetings, my friend,

It might help to look at the positives as well though – look at the things you’re doing to improve your life! You’re taking classes, you’re working, and you’re thinking about the ways you can do these things without it being too stressful or difficult. It’s okay if it’s not working out quite that way yet. Sometimes this takes trial and error.

Now, for concrete suggestions…I don’t know what you’re currently doing about your work timing, but it doesn’t seem to be working. So, obviously, you need to try something else, right? Like I said I don’t know what you have already tried, but a few possibilities might include…

- setting your alarm a little bit earlier (I’m talking maybe 5-15 minutes, not something drastic like an hour) to give yourself more time in the morning.

- Some people also find success with setting their clocks AHEAD a few minutes, e.g. you see 12:30 on your clock but it’s really 12:25 or some other slightly earlier time. It tricks you into being early.

- Some morning when you don’t have to rush off to work, get up and pretend that you do, then time your morning routine to see how long it actually takes. (Even better, do this a few times so you get an idea of how long it takes when, say, you struggle with motivation because of the weather or bad mood, or when you forget where you put something you need and have to search for it, etc.). You can compare this to your current actual morning routine to see what adjustments you need to make to your scheduling (e.g. just how much earlier do you really have to get up?)

- Is there any way to simplify or streamline your morning routine? e.g. maybe you can switch dog-walking duties with someone else, or switch the dog’s walk schedule to the evening. Maybe you can simplify your makeup routine so you don’t have as much to do. Maybe you can lay out things like your outfit, your morning medicines, and anything you have to pack for work the night before. Obviously not all of these will be relevant to you (or maybe they are), so just use them as a jumping-off point for figuring out what you might be able to change.

- Set a series of alarms to help you move along in the morning. 

- If you’re not currently on a regular schedule at work (e.g. some mornings you are scheduled to come in at 8, others at 10), think about asking your boss for a more regular schedule. It might help you establish a routine. Or, if you already have a regular schedule, consider asking your boss if there can be some adjustments to your schedule (e.g. maybe 8am is too much of a challenge right now but 9am is more doable, and then of course you would have to stay an hour later as well). 

The same basic idea will apply to your schoolwork as well – if the current system isn’t working, you have to find ways to change the system. For example, maybe it would be a good idea to find someplace near your work (like a library or cafe) where you could do your school work right after your job. Then you avoid the temptation to immediately go to bed when you get home. If you have friends who are also studying, maybe you could get together with them for a study session once or twice a week. It might be worth it to consider taking classes on campus instead of online next semester, just to see if it makes a positive difference (if not, you can always go back to online classes later). 

If you have a therapist who is already working with you, it would be a good idea to talk to them about what’s going on and see if they can offer any other solutions more tailored to your specific situation. If not, maybe this is a good time to consider trying therapy out. Again, if it doesn’t help, you don’t have to keep doing it. 

If you can’t find any solutions with these kinds of changes, then you might have to take the more drastic option of cutting back on something entirely. For example, maybe you could take one less class, or drop a couple of hours of work each week. If your situation allows, you might also consider finding a new job closer to home or to your school (if you decide to take classes on campus), so you don’t have as much commuting to do. While there are downsides to this (e.g. less income, changes to your financial aid status at school), the mental health trade-off might be worth it. 

In any case, my friend, I hope that is helpful!

-- Aragorn

[siliconwebx]

Putting Together A Great Web Developer Portfolio

Having a solid portfolio is a must for any web developer. It’s hard for an employer to make a decision for a position based on cover letters, CVs, or resumes that simply describe projects you’ve made. Your talent and skill don’t really shine through that way. So having a great web developer portfolio that you can include is as important as anything else. But having a great one versus having a good enough one is huge. And it could be the difference in landing the job and being passed over. So let’s look at what you can do to help ensure as much success as possible.

What Makes a Great Web Developer Portfolio?

If you look around the internet, the concept of a development portfolio is pretty wide. Some people include every project they’ve ever worked on to show their improvement over time, some folks make it a barebones CV with lots of text and links, while yet others focus on languages learned and overall skillsets while using the portfolio site itself as an example of how they practically apply their skills.

You won’t find a right or a wrong way to do this. But you will find some elements that run across the most successful web dev portfolios. We’re going to look at these elements and break down why they work and how you can easily implement them in either a new portfolio or an update to your existing one.

1. Your Name and Professional Contact Information

It is actually pretty easy to miss putting your name and contact info on your resume and portfolio. You might be so concerned with making sure that your work history and talent shines so much that you forget the simplest thing. Or you do think about it, but you don’t place it prominently on your portfolio, making the recruiter or hiring manager work for it. After all, you are trying to work for them, not the other way around.

Sure, keeping the info at the top is great, but consider having a floating box or small section that scrolls with the user. That way, you’re never more than a click away from a call or email. You could even take it a step further and put like a Facebook Messenger tab where they can contact you directly via IM. Just, whatever you do, don’t bury the information in the footer. Or at the end of a long section, or make it hard or confusing to find.

Also, consider making sure that it’s all totally professional contact info. We’re sure you’ve heard this before, but if your email is captainbobo@hotmail.com, you’ll be taken less seriously than if they see stephanie@amazing.dev.

1a. A Photo

We didn’t want to include this as a full entry in the list, but we thought it was worth mentioning. If you can finagle a way to have a picture of yourself alongside your portfolio (the contact info is a great spot to place it), giving potential employers a way to put a face to the work will humanize you far more than just seeing a name and list of programming languages you know. Hiring managers tend to also hire for personality fits within companies, so if you have candid shots that would fit into your desired industry niche and show that you are comfortable there, use those somewhere.

2. Consider Combining Bio, Experience, and Education into a Narrative

Storytelling in marketing is huge. Your portfolio is how you market yourself. So it only makes sense that you would want to make yourself as interesting and human as possible. And a bulleted list of universities, bootcamps, certifications, company names, and employment dates aren’t terribly interesting or memorable.

Your story, on the other hand, is. And while it is possible to glean your story from those lists, putting it into narrative form is better. The thing is, there are ways to do this that still highlight all the info and make it easily accessible. But it makes it much more of a delight to read. And makes you seem like more of a person.

Also, there’s a good chance that you already have a bio/about section as part of your portfolio. Sprinkle in the same information you would the lists, but make it something they can read and scan for highlights.

Your history is likely going to be lengthier than a bio/about section allows, but including links and highlights while telling about yourself is a great way to stand out.

Here’s a re-work of my current bio with some of my experience and history highlighted:

Outside of just being pretty awesome, I have a Master’s degree in English from The University of North Alabama in 2009, spent almost 10 years teaching college English (literature and composition at various levels) and working as the director of the campus writing center at Martin Methodist College in Pulaski, TN. I started working with WordPress in 2008, which means I can pretty much make it do whatever you need me to. 

After learning enough PHP, CSS, and JavaScript to be dangerous while WordPress was my hobby, I transitioned to freelancing full-time and building the websites you see below. I didn’t want to give up writing altogether, however, and was published by magazines such as Like the Wind and The No’Ala. That led to me starting to freelance for Elegant Themes in May 2017, and I started as a full-time Content Creator for ET later in September.

Now, we know that you may be thinking: I’m a developer, not a writer. That is a very valid point. So you can still put a narrative spin on your bio, experience, and education. It doesn’t have to be a narrative in prose. It could be something like a timeline that tells your story.

2a. Use a Timeline

We suppose the advice here is to avoid bulleted lists as much as possible. We think that Kyle Ledbetter has done it very well with his work history. He places it on a timeline that’s easily digestible, scannable, and gives a sense of his story until now.

While this is a fantastic example of a web developer portfolio, he doesn’t actually tell or show what these projects are. In traditional CV/resume fashion, Kyle describes his role on the teams he worked with. However, none of the work here links out to the actual projects he describes. His portfolio is entirely separate, and it includes these examples. They are disconnected from the timeline, and while this is a good example, giving direct examples of what the end results of each job were would make it great.

3. Show and Describe Your Projects

The meat-and-potatoes of every web developer portfolio is, well, the portfolio. It is not uncommon for a portfolio to be a simple (and useful and functional) grid with thumbnails. In our eyes, there’s no need to fix what’s broken. These kinds of grids are excellent at showcasing your talent, projects, skill, and creativity (like this one by Adham Dannaway)

What they’re not excellent at, though, is telling the story of that project, showing off the intricacies of the project, and giving a full picture of just how amazing you are at making it be as amazing as it is. That’s where Adham really made his web developer portfolio shine. It’s great.

Because when you click on any of the entries from the grid, you are not taken to the final result of the project. By far, that is the most common use of these portfolios. The click-to-see-what-I-did approach. What Adham does, however, takes a good idea and makes it great. He breaks down each project from conception to completion. He is being totally transparent about reasons for each decision that was made over the course of the project.

This breakdown shows not only the awesome work that came out of the project, but it also shows the talents and skills that the developer has that aren’t necessarily visible just by looking at a finished product.

You might not have the time or inclination to include a full case study for each project; however, you can absolutely get in some blurbs and descriptions about major aspects of the project that potential clients and employers should know about.

What If Your Portfolio is Empty?

One caveat to putting together a great web developer portfolio is that you have to have web development experience. If you have no projects under your belt to show off, it’s pretty hard to have a robust portfolio that shows off your expertise. Everyone’s been there. It’s not a fun place to be, but it is a fairly easy place to get away from.

First, check out First Timers Only. This site is designed specifically for people to get their very first GitHub pull request accepted. There are tags on GitHub that projects can include to indicate that their open-source project has some easy and accessible needs. This kind of contribution is amazing for getting your portfolio (and really dev career in general) off the ground. A few of these kinds of contributions can go a long way to showing what you’re capable of. (And that you’re good enough at what you do to be vetted and accepted by a random internet stranger into their project).

Secondly, start making stuff. Or really, upgrading stuff you’ve already done. You don’t get to the point of needing a web development portfolio without having something to show for it. Think about projects that you’ve done in school or for fun that you can polish up and post online. Then, not only do you have an updated project that shows off your current abilities, you also have a way to show the growth that you’ve had since the original was made by posting it up, too.

Also, doing work for non-profits, friends, or family members is a great way to add to your portfolio. We guarantee that you know someone (or lots of someones) who need work done that you can do. They just might not be able to pay the rates that typical web developers charge. Especially non-profits. We are not advocating that you work for free. You have skills and are doing work and deserve to be paid for that work.

However, payment doesn’t have to be with money. Maybe your uncle runs a bakery, and he can make your wedding cake in exchange for a new website. That’s a pretty good deal. Or maybe the non-profit has a budget to pay, but it’s very small. Perhaps you might even be able to count the hours you spend working for them as a tax deduction. Again, which is a pretty good deal.

Either way, you’re getting new projects to show off, and if you combine those with the ideas we talk about above, you’re on your way to having a great web development portfolio.

And that’s not even mentioning the time and care and perfectionism that you’ll be putting into the portfolio website itself. That’s as much a project to showcase as any (and a pretty good case study to boot).

Conclusion

Having a great web developer portfolio goes a long way toward getting hired. It’s not only a showcase of what you have done, but also what kind of skills and personality you will bring to any team you join. Prospective clients and hiring managers look at portfolios to see if they’re compatible with the dev, to see what you’re best at, to see what you think you’re best at, and to get a glimpse into the part of your brain that puts the code together in that specific way that you do. With all that in mind, we think that you now have the tools to take your web developer portfolio from good to great. And maybe even further than that.

What part of your web developer portfolio are you most proud of?

Article featured image by 0beron / shutterstock.com

The post Putting Together A Great Web Developer Portfolio appeared first on Elegant Themes Blog.

😉SiliconWebX | 🌐ElegantThemes

[caveartfair]

How Do Artists Get Gallery Representation?

For young artists, securing gallery representation can seem like an unobtainable goal. But it doesn’t have to be a pipe dream.

While it’s possible to go it alone, it’s hard to understate the importance of a supportive, dedicated gallery to your career. The right gallerist doubles as a sounding board while you develop your work, a public platform for your practice, and a source of income.

But whether you’re entering the art world as a self-taught creative or an MFA graduate, the road to finding representation can be perplexing. It’s no longer appropriate to stride into a gallery wielding your portfolio, expecting to be discovered—so how do you land on the radar of the galleries you already admire and respect?

First off, it helps to be honest: Blue-chip institutions like Gagosian or David Zwirner are not exactly on the hunt for unknown talent. But plenty of vital and exciting galleries on a smaller scale are. Below, we speak with a group of progressive dealers across the United States—from Catinca Tabacaru of Catinca Tabacaru Gallery on New York’s Lower East Side to Haynes Riley of Good Weather in North Little Rock, Arkansas—who primarily represent emerging artists. They weigh in on the most effective ways to get yourself on the radar.

The importance of education

Catinca Tabacaru, who opened her gallery on Manhattan’s Lower East Side in 2014, first visited Serra Victoria Bothwell Fels’s on-campus studio while she was in the throes of completing her MFA at Columbia University. By the time Fels graduated, in May 2016, her first New York solo show had been scheduled for the coming December in Tabacaru’s space. Fels landed on Tabacaru’s permanent roster soon after.

Artists are encouraged to challenge and develop their work while in school. Tabacaru, in particular, was drawn to how Fels’s practice matured while at Columbia. “Art degrees have the expected effect: They advance artists by pushing them to think hard about their work and where they’re taking it,” she says.

BFA and MFA programs also serve as a platform for emerging artists to present their work to a wider community. The majority of programs offer infrastructure artists might not be able to provide for themselves: studio space and the organization and promotion of open studios and thesis shows.

Aaron Harbour and Jackie Im, who run Et al. gallery in San Francisco, are two of countless gallerists who use art schools as a resource to stay abreast of new practices. “What open studios or a thesis show have going for them is bulk. It’s a chance to see a lot of work in person in one space,” says Harbour.

Harbour and Im first saw Kate Bonner’s work in person in her studio at California College of the Arts (CCA) in 2011. There, she showed them early drawings that were the core of her practice when she entered CCA’s MFA program, along with new work—photographic-sculptural objects—that she developed while there.

The visit also doubled as a valuable evidence of Bonner’s willingness to evolve her practice: “Being struck by that work, combined with knowing that she’d taken the opportunity of grad school and transformed, meant a lot to us,” he says.

In 2013, when Harbour and Im opened Et al.’s doors with then-partner Facundo Argañaraz, they invited Bonner to show at the gallery. While at CCA, Bonner also cemented a relationship with Luis De Jesus, the gallerist who now represents her in Los Angeles.

Riley met the first artists he showed at Good Weather  in North Little Rock, Arkansas, while getting his MFA at the Cranbrook Academy of Art. While in school, Riley didn’t know he’d be inspired to open a gallery in 2012. But when he did, in the garage adjacent to his brother’s suburban Little Rock home, he tapped artists from his Cranbrook community like Tony Garbarini and John Zane Zappas launched the program.

While these gallerists recognize the value of art school to an artist’s development and exposure, they are also quick to emphasize that a degree is by no means essential criteria. “The work is the work,” says Tabacaru. “I’m drawn to self-taught artists just as much as I am artists with BFAs or MFAs.”

Chicago-based gallerist Efrain Lopez, who opened his eponymous space in 2015 and now represents 10 emerging artists, echoes the sentiment: “An MFA is an effective badge to have, but not having one doesn’t limit me from looking at someone’s work,” he explains. “There are so many avenues that artists can use to make themselves visible to gallerists and curators—degree programs are just one.”

Illustration by Tomi Um for Artsy.

Apply to residencies

While Lopez does make a point to remain aware of artists coming out of BFA and MFA programs (he cites Yale, Rhode Island School of Design, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and Royal College of Art as schools he follows), residencies have been a more fruitful source of new talent.

In 2014, as he brainstormed the vision for his nascent space, he clicked onto ACRE’s website. ACRE, or Artists’ Cooperative Residency and Exhibitions, is a non-profit run out of Chicago that organizes an annual summer program in rural Wisconsin. Over 50 artists pass through it each year. After, they’re offered a show at ACRE’s Chicago exhibition space or at one of its partner galleries.

Lopez was struck by images of current resident Melissa Leandro’s work that were on the ACRE site. She connected with the artist through her own website and invited him to a group show that included her work, from there they proceeded to set up a studio visit. Six months later, when Lopez opened his gallery, Leandro was on the roster.

Residencies can also be a productive place to make connections and scout artists in person. Riley has participated in numerous residency programs across the country, where he’s met artists who go on to show at Good Weather. “Initially, artists who I worked with who weren’t from Cranbrook were artists I attended residencies with,” he explains. The residency program at Ox-Bow School of Art, Michigan, in particular, led to friendships and collaborations with Ezra Tessler, Jenny G, and Sondra Perry, who’ve all mounted new work at the gallery.

Find a job that’s adjacent to the art world

Landing a job in a gallery—whether as an intern, assistant, art handler, installation photographer, or graphic designer—can also expand an emerging artist’s community and act as a springboard for exposure.

Tabacaru found an artist she’d later represent when he interned at the gallery: “Xavier Robles de Medina applied for an internship with me before I even opened,” remembers Tabacaru. “He was a terrible intern, but I loved his work. So I fired him and put him on the roster!” His meticulous graphite drawings and oil paintings have been included in two group exhibitions and one solo show at Tabacaru’s space in the past three years.

Working as an established artist’s studio assistant can also be a fast-track way to meet gallerists while also gaining technical and administrative skills. The right assistant job can operate more like a mentorship program, and the artist who is employing you might be in a position to introduce your own work to his or her peers or dealers. The number of well-known artists who cut their teeth in someone else’s studio is long: from sought-after young painter Jamian Juliano-Villani, who got her start as an assistant in Erik Parker’s studio, to influential abstract painter Brice Marden, who worked in legendary neo-Dada artist Robert Rauschenberg’s studio when he was young.

Maintain an online presence

A 2016 study calculated that American adults, on average, spend a shocking amount of each day online: roughly 10 hours and 39 minutes. The same year, Facebook reported that users while away an average of 50 minutes per day on its triumvirate of social media properties: Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger.

We devour and exchange scads of information online, so it comes as no surprise that gallerists also include the internet and social media amongst their well of resources for finding new artists. In step, it’s become valuable for artists to build an online presence.

Harbour and Im have day jobs that require them to sit in front of the computer. In quieter moments, they browse art websites like Art Viewer, Contemporary Art Daily, Mousse Magazine, Terremoto, AQNB, Daily Lazy, and Tzvetnik to keep up with the goings-on of the art world beyond San Francisco. They also keep an eye out for artists whose work strikes their curiosity. “We’re constantly chatting and passing links to exhibitions or an artists’ sites back and forth during the day,” says Harbour.  

Dealers look for a breadth of images of work, preferably organized by year. Clear contact details also help. “As far as information, prior work, CV, and an artist statement are great launching points,” says Lopez. Having these details “helps me navigate whether or not I want to take the next step to meet them.”

Developing a social media presence is less integral than maintaining a website. But many gallerists use Instagram, in particular, as an additional source of information on artists whose work they’re drawn to. “I’ve been skeptical of social media’s role in the art world,” says Lopez. “But I acknowledge that it’s another way for artists to make themselves discoverable and visible.”

Lopez was introduced to sculptor Lesley Jackson’s work when she began following him on Instagram. The digital encounter led Lopez to Jackson’s own feed, where he saw a cascade of bright, clean images of her pieces: elegant forms, composed of thin twigs, taut rubber bands, and burning candles, with poetic titles like “Balancing Eternity on Your Knee” and “Conjuring a Rose with the Moon.” “She understands how to present her work in that context,” he explains. “Her photography is beautiful.” A conversation via direct message followed, then a studio visit. This month, Jackson’s work was on view in Lopez’s group show.

Tabacaru also recognizes the value of spontaneously viewing or sharing a compelling piece through social media. She first saw Jasmin Charles’s work when a fellow guest at a dinner party pulled up an image of one of her paintings on Instagram. The experience kickstarted Tabacaru’s interest in the artist duo, CHARGAUX, of which Charles is one half. Not long after, Tabacaru invited them to join the gallery.

But Tabacaru is also quick to offer a caveat, when it comes to Instagram visibility and behavior. "Is Instagram influential? Yes. Is it crucial? No,” she impresses. “There’s nothing I despise more than an artist who goes around self-promoting rather than focusing on developing their work. There’s definitely a point when self-promotion goes from being useful to being gratuitous.”

Illustration by Tomi Um for Artsy.

Introduce yourself to galleries—tactfully

The golden rule when introducing your work to galleries is simple: Don’t bombard them. “Please don’t inundate us with phone calls and visits, or visit the gallery weekly and say ‘I sent you a submission, I haven’t heard back from you,’” explains Christy Wood, who co-owns LeMieux Gallery in New Orleans. In the past, her gallery has played host to the BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® Artisan Series opening reception showcasing emerging artists. “Remember that we have full schedules and artists already on our roster whose needs are our priority.”

But while marching into a gallery brandishing your portfolio-loaded iPad isn’t likely to pay off, there are more subtle ways to get your work into front of dealers’ eyes.

First, get to know the gallery landscape and find several whose programs you respect. Those are the spaces you want to become familiar with. If you have hopes that a gallery will eventually support your work, it makes sense to support theirs first.

“It’s less effective to just send your portfolio blindly everywhere,” says Wood. “Find a gallery or galleries that your work would fit well into, and cultivate those relationships over time.”

Both Wood and Lopez suggest attending openings as a means to get to know a gallery’s vision, artists, and staff. “Even if it’s just coming to the openings once a month, it shows that artists are interested,” says Wood.

Lopez has struck up relationships with several artists after they showed an interest in his program: “They come to my shows and that starts a conversation, which has a couple of times turned into a studio visit, and then showing in a group exhibition at the gallery.” Wood’s experience mirrors Lopez’s: “I can think of numerous artists who I met and have included in group shows because they frequented the gallery.”

Many dealers are also open to receiving portfolios or links to artist websites via email. (Though a word of caution: if a gallery website explicitly states that they “don’t accept submissions,” don’t send them.)

Tabacaru makes a point of opening any and all submissions, usually sent via email, from artists. “Sometimes I look for a few seconds and am not interested. Other times I become obsessed and explore their website for half an hour,” she says. “But no matter what, I look. I want to trust the universe that if somebody thinks I’m valuable enough to take their time to write, then I should also give them my time.”

She most recently added the young French artist Mehryl Levisse to her gallery’s roster. And she learned about his work in “what might be the most uncomfortable way for an artist to find a gallery,” she explains. “Meryl found me.”

After learning about Tabacaru’s program during his time at the Residency Unlimited residency in Brooklyn, Levisse sent Tabacaru an email, with a link to his website. She was intrigued. They set up a short meeting, and Tabacaru encouraged Levisse to update her on developments in his work. “He’d be in touch about every other month with news about what he was working on,” she remembers. “And I became more and more interested and impressed.”

About a year into their back and forth, Tabacaru asked Levisse for an exhibition proposal. Three proposals later, they set a date for Levisse’s first show, and he was added to the gallery roster.

In general, have patience: Relationships with dealers often unfold over time. The partnership “is symbiotic and usually a slow growth process,” says Lopez. “It’s important for artists to understand that and not freak out about it.”

Connect with your community

Word-of-mouth recommendations are often key. When searching for work to include in group shows or artists to add to their permanent programs, many gallerists first look to artists and peers whose vision they respect. “I’m constantly asking the artists who I represent: ‘Who are you looking at?’,” explains Lopez. “I find that talented artists surround themselves with other talented artists.”

“I ask my friends all the time, whether I’m visiting Los Angeles, Minneapolis, St. Louis, New York, Chicago, or more recently, Cologne, Athens, and Berlin, who I should meet and what practices I should be aware of,” echoes Haynes. “All of these experiences have led to meeting new people and engaging in new conversations. Two-degrees of separation become one-degree, and then zero-degrees.”

The only way for emerging artists to enter this conversation, however, is to make and maintain connections with fellow artists they meet out in the world—whether through school, residencies, group shows, openings, travel, or a great party.

“I try to encourage artists who are more introverted to engage with their community,” says Lopez. Dialogue between artists, he explains, is beneficial on many levels. It can inspire new directions and developments in the work. More strategically, it’s also an effective way to exchange information about how to navigate the gallery landscape, a way to glean info on “how artist-gallery relationships work and progress, and which galleries have interesting programs and group shows or are looking for new artists,” he adds.  

Lopez found several artists included in his current group show, “Yellow Tulips,” through conversations with artists he already represents. Monika Bravo suggested Omar Barquet, whom she met through a group show in Switzerland last year. Manuela García’s work was brought to Lopez’s attention by Anuar Maauad, who helms an artist-run exhibition space and residency program in Mexico City, where García has worked and shown.

Participation in group shows—whether at small artist-run spaces or larger-scale galleries—opens artists to a larger cross-section of artists, curators, and gallerists. Gallerists, in particular, use group shows as an opportunity to get to know artists and their work.

Tabacaru routinely invites artists to curate groups exhibitions at her gallery. For Robles de Medina’s first show with Tabacaru in 2015, he asked two artists he admired to contribute work: Felix R. Cid and Rui Chafes. Tabacaru took an immediate shine to Chafes’s work, a dialogue was sparked, and earlier this year he emerged on the gallery’s roster.

“It’s important to be visible, stay visible, and understand that the art world is multifaceted,” Lopez says. He emphasizes that group shows double as a strong step towards finding or developing a more permanent relationship with a gallery. “It is as important for your work to be included in what may seem like an obscure group show as it is to have a solo show at a commercial gallery. They all work hand-in-hand to build an artist’s career.”

Open your studio

It can be nerve-wracking to open a space as intimate (and sometimes, as messy) as a studio, where an artist tests ideas and builds their practice. But the time-honored studio visit is an integral step in cultivating a gallery relationship—so being comfortable with the experience is important. Gallerists don’t just want to see your art online, or on an iPad. They’ll likely want some first-hand insight into the way you work, and where you make it.

That doesn’t mean you need to do a deep clean or reorganization of your space; gallerists generally aren’t expecting (or desiring) a polished, white-cube display. “I prefer visiting studios that aren’t highly curated,” explains Lopez. “I gravitate towards seeing the work in a more natural context.”

Riley also “likes to see a lot going on—especially work that is a bit unsettled,” he explains. He expects to see work he first discovered online, in order to “understand its materiality and scale.” But after talking through the artist’s intentions with the current work, he “steers the dialogue to the future—to what’s not quite understood or known within their practice and output.”

In this way, gallerists like Riley leave with a sense of whether or not their goals align with artist’s, and how they could work together moving forward.

Learn to speak confidently about your work

We all know that fluid communication is crucial to the success of any relationship. The same goes for the rapport between artist and gallerist, and the first step in this dialogue is fluently expressing the intentions behind your work.

As Tabacaru familiarizes herself with the work of artists she’s considering taking on she “likes understanding deeply,” she explains. “I can enjoy by just looking, but I prefer when dialogue takes me further.”

Lopez reiterates this desire. “Primarily, you’re looking at a visual language, but it definitely helps if artists are also skilled at explaining their work,” he says. “It’s important that they have a strong understanding of what they’re doing, and are at least able to communicate that.”

Of course, explaining the nuanced inspirations and objectives behind your work might not come easily. The key is practice, whether you do so by recording your thoughts in a notebook, talking through your inspirations with a friend or curator you’re comfortable with, or describing you work, yes, to a mirror.

Be comfortable, be coherent, but also don't make it a packaged 60-minute spiel filled with rigid academic speech (aka international art english). Being obtuse and pretentious won’t impress a gallerist. They want to hear how you think about your work; they want to have a conversation. “I love to have in-depth conversations with artists about the context of their practice and the landscape as a whole,” says Lopez.

Riley agrees: “I want to understand their ideologies and have experiences with them interpersonally. I want to be invested in the discourse surrounding their practice.”

Summing it up

The road to finding representation will likely be unpredictable, and include a hodgepodge of the above approaches. But several strategies will guide almost every artist’s successful search for gallery representation.

First, stay visible. Be open to showing your work (whether in group shows or online), sharing information with your community of artists, attending openings, and learning about the landscape of galleries that surrounds you.

Second, remember that building a partnership with a gallery means collaborating. Be open to dialogue about your ideas. Gallerists have experience realizing artists’ visions and selling work, and most look for artists open to advice and willing to evolve concepts together.

Finally, be patient. Keep in mind that there are lots of galleries out there, each with its own aesthetic and approach. It may take time to find the one that’s right for you—but as with any great relationship, this one is worth the effort.

—Alexxa Gotthardt

Header animation: Illustration by Tomi Um for Artsy. Animation by Ale Pixel Studio.

from Artsy News

[anything-advice-blog]

Submission: (time sensitive : before february ends) the two colleges

i’m currently in my final year of high school and i’m yet to give (any of) my exams but i’m in the midst of college apps and i’m in a bit of a dilemma. so say there are two colleges: M and V, both having equal top ranks in the country (there are rumors that V paid to get ranks and tbh i’m in no position to judge.) i’ve wanted to go to V for about two months now, and i’ve spent so much time obsessing over it that i’ve literally imagined spending all four years of my uni life there. i completely ignored M all these days because it’s twice as expensive, and i assumed that upon hearing the party culture my parents would automatically refuse, so all this while M had been completely erased from my mind (despite it being a place full of freedom and space for personal growth, not to mention it has better faculty than V). this morning, however, mum and dad told me to apply for M. i’ve tried explaining about all the reasons i couldn’t go,(instead of it being the other way round) and they’re convinced that they trust me enough to send me off to a place having “poor morals (imagine american pie, basically)” and that they’ll manage to send me. [i don’t trust myself, though. my parent have been strict with me these years, asian, and i’m scared what i’d do if i was exposed to a culture like that (V is EXTREMELY STRICT) without a leash.] i’m worried that they’ll have to adjust to poor living conditions and lesser facilities (they’ll struggle and i don’t want them to) and also that it’ll be harder to manage my further studies (they say i can take a loan, but i don’t want to be one of those people at 40 still struggling with student loans) the difference between V and M in terms of freedom and lifestyle differs by millions but now that i’ve gotten a hold of it as a possibility i want M. im literally the kind of person who puts personal independence at the top of my list and V gives none of that. the clubs and chapters are equally good. placements are better with V. faculty is better in M. expenses would be hella more in M. opportunities are equal. rules are way stricter in V. V has a better name, but both colleges are money-minded. i’m struck.also the people who go to M are hella rich. i might feel out of place. i stil have my school finals to prepare for, but i cant concentrate in the midst of all this and sometimes in the midst of heavy exam stress i even think that maybe i should stress about such things as it all goes to waste when i don’t study. and there’s also the fact that i literally haven’t been accepted to either of these schools yet and i might not be and that scares me. the future scares me. i don’t want to be one of those people who study-job-wed-kids-die their life. i want more and i want to do great stuff and i’ve gotten a blueprint of what to do during my college years but rn my math book is open wide and i don’t even get high-school level syllabi. idk. what do you think? thank you for taking out the time to read this, stranger, this lil 16 year old gal appreciates it.

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Hi, nix! Sorry this is just being posted. Even our urgents and time sensitive asks are behind.

My question for you is, have you done a school visit to each? Sometimes it takes walking the campus and mingling with the staff and other students to feel where you belong. Everyone looks at college choices differently. You and your parents may differ in logic. It sounds like you’ve talked with them, but I would ask why they think M is best for you?

I can tell you a story of my sister, top of her high school class, and could’ve gone anywhere. She knew my parents could not afford an Ivy league school and she didn’t want loans. After touring different schools, she came away believing it wasn’t the school or the faculty or the reputation of the the school that would give her success. It was her. She still believes you can get a good education anywhere because it is all what you make of it. It looks to me that with either school, M or V, you will need to have a strong sense of discipline. It is this discipline for hard work that will give you a high standing in your graduating class, therefore, more and better job opportunities.

Once, you enter the workforce, that same discipline and ambition will move you forward. A few years down the road, employers will be looking at what you’ve accomplished in your career and no longer at what school you attended.

Sorry that I couldn’t give you a definitive choice, but I hope I gave you somethings to consider. Good luck!

Tracey