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alhysl · 3 years ago

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Cornelia Funke Interview

I had, back in 2013 or so, a literary blog I'd post book reviews on. I was a teenager, with two or three people actually following my reviews, but I loved reading so it was pretty fun nevertheless.

Then one day, I thought, why not ask one of my favourite authors, Cornelia Funke, whether I could interview her for an article?

I was 14, with zero background in journalism, but I'd been reading her for a while and I was absolutely passionate about her work. So, without much hope, I contacted her via her website and she actually, and very kindly, accepted to answer some of my questions.

While I deleted the literary blog I'm talking about, I did keep the interview in my e-mails and I think it's a shame to not share it with other people again (especially the Inkworld fandom here which is small but wonderful) since Cornelia was really sweet and took the time to give very elaborate and enlightening answers.

Now, this is old, from June 2013, so a lot of the information given is outdated and irrelevant by now, but there's so much that's still fascinating and that I love about what Cornelia said.

I'd also like to point out that some sentences have been edited for clarity.

So, have fun reading it, and feel free to react and ask me questions about the interview and my experience conducting it!

[Interview done on 19.06.13 via e-mail]

Q: I know that you are currently working on Book 3 of MirrorWorld. Do you have any other project going on ?

Cornelia Funke: As this series seems to be growing into at least five books the research is so intense that I stay away from any other bigger project. I'm doing short stories though, for younger readers, as they may otherwise think I forgot them behind the Mirror. I'm also working on several Apps ( though I prefer to call them Breathing Books :) ) for my worlds, as I was not very happy with the visual interpretations the movies did so far. MirrorWorld is done, Dragonrider is next, and we'll also soon start with Inkworld.

Q: What is the last book that you've read and loved ?

C.F.: I am mostly reading research for MirrorWorld. I just read the most enchanting Canadian Folk Tales and several books on Russia. As for fiction, I have just been through all the Sherlock Holmes stories as I had to write one myself for an Anthology and I got completely addicted. Then I read R.L. Stevenson on writing and travelling and ....as you see, I am a bookeater with piles everywhere in the house :)

Q: The classic question: what are the 3 books that you would take with you on an island ?

C.F.: The Once and Future King, by T.H.White

The Princess Bride, by William Goldman

The Rain King, by Saul Bellow (though of course I could name a hundred other titles here and I would feel each time that I forgot a favourite one)

Q: Did you want to be a writer when you were a child? If not, what was your dream job back then ?

C.F.: No, I wanted to be an astronaut. Quite seriously – until I realized I needed to get military training for that. It was the time of the moon landing and Star Trek after all :) I think I was also quite disappointed by the space ships they had come up with so far. An echo of this childhood passion is probably my addiction to Dr Who and the TARDIS in my Writing House.

Q: Who are the authors that inspired you ?

C.F.: Every author I ever read, both the good and the bad ones. Sometimes the bad ones teach you even more what you want to achieve as a writer. Among my favourite writers are Dickens, Kipling, Tolkien (though I like T.H.White better), Somerset Maugham, Maupassant, Astrid Lindgren, Toni Morrison, Michael Ondaatje, Graham Greene, Heinrich Heine, Ted Hughes, R.L.Stevenson, Mark Twain, Neil Gaiman, David Almond, Margaret Atwood, Annie Proux etc etc etc as you see I like many and very different printed dishes.

Q: In what circumstances do you prefer to write ?

C.F.: I can write everywhere by now, at airports, train stations, in hotel rooms, cafés, restaurants, waiting for a friend on a park bench....I always have a notebook and a pen with me and all my friends know that I love them to be late as these minutes give me the best ideas. But there are three places especially dear to me: my Writing House in Los Angeles, my daughter's apartment in London and....the Getty high up on the hill in LA.

Q: When you're writing a novel, do you know exactly how it's going to end, or is it also a surprise for you ?

C.F.: No, I need and want the surprise! Otherwise I get very bored!

Q: In which of the worlds you created would you prefer to live ?

C.F.: MirrorWorld. For at least ten lives :)

Q: Who is your favorite character from your books? Who is the one with whom you identify the most?

C.F.: Hmm... now they are all listening and they will all be terribly sad if I don't mention their name. Therefore, allow me to name a few (and tell the others that the selection is quite random): Prosper from Thief Lord, Dustfinger and Elinor from Inkworld, Twigleg from Dragonrider, Longespee from Ghostknight, and then of course Jacob (I can't get enough of him, maybe because he reminds me of my son Ben). As for whom I identify the most with, that is easy – Fox. And sometimes, the Dark Fairy :)

Q: I literally fell in love with the Inkworld saga and Dustfinger has to be my favourite character. How did he come to you?

C.F.: He just stepped into my mind, with the marten on his shoulder. I was not sure about his profession though, until I saw some fire eaters on a medieval market in Germany. He also brought his name. I never had to wonder what he looks like or who he is. He was just there – one of the easiest characters I ever wrote about, and always very close to my heart.

Q: Why did you choose Venice as a setting in The Thief Lord? What does that city represent to you ?

C.F.: I had the idea for the book in Venice and I thought it would make the most perfect setting because it is such a perfect place for children – no traffic to watch for, a labyrinth of alleyways to get lost in, a time machine built from water and stone. I love to set books in a real place to enable my readers to follow the story and literally touch it. There is so much magic in reality. It all comes from there. I did a similar thing with Ghostknight, which I set in Salisbury, England.

Q: Your books inspired many movies and plays. How do you feel about your stories getting adapted?

C.F.: For many years I allowed every kind of adaptation just because I felt it was such an honour to be interpreted by other artists. I feel slightly different by now. So often the interpretation was so different from what I had seen in my mind. So often all the work I had put into a book was shrunk down, simplified or simply changed. All this made me develop my version of MirrorWorld last year and it was the very first time I had the blissful feeling that other artists made me see my world even more clearly. As a friend of mine said when she saw the MirrorWorld App: "But this is more you than you!" After this experience I will be much stricter with adaptations as I now know how good they can be!

Q: If another movie was made based on one of your novels, which one would you like it to be? And would you like Brendan Fraser to take the lead once more? (I, personally, would like that very much)

C.F.: :) Brendan is still the most brilliant SilverTongue who ever read my books on tape, but for MirrorWorld and Jacob Reckless he would definitely be the wrong cast. I have no actor in mind for Jacob so at the moment I couldn't imagine a movie for this world. As for the other InkBooks – I am not sure I would allow an adaptation. The first movie taught me how much can go wrong although everyone is passionate about the project and although so many brilliant actors and artists were involved, it doesn't show at all what I saw when I wrote the books.

Q: Words are of great importance in your books. Do you see them more as tools you can use to create your stories or would you also say that they have a life of their own?

C.F.: A brilliant painter is nothing without paint. A brilliant carpenter is nothing without wood. The words are what I weave the carpet from and only if I choose the right one will the carpet fly! And yes, they for sure have a life of their own! As does the story!

Q: Is there any advice you can give to aspiring authors like me?

Always carry a notebook and a pen with you. Grab the ideas when they show themselves, as they will hide again. Never tell a story where to go. Let the story tell you – though sometimes you may have to fight with it about the direction. Always be curious about everything – inside and outside :)

I am impatiently waiting for your answers,

Yours truly,

Alice

Love from one bookeater to the other from LA,

Cornelia

#cornelia funke #inkworld #inkheart #inkspell #inkdeath #inkworld trilogy #mirrorworld #interview #mine #writing

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bonaintan · 4 years ago

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A Journey to KGSP/GKS: Study Plan

After a very long while, I finally managed to post this! This, I guess is my final post on A Journey to KGSP/GKS Series. I’m still considering whether or not to make a post about the interview. I’m not sure I can cover this topic well since my experience is limited to the interview session in the Korean Embassy. Even I heard that each Embassy has its own way of conducting the interview, including the questions given. Anyways, on this post, I’ll be sharing on my experience in writing a study plan (or statement of purpose for the Graduate degrees) for the GKS Application. If you just started preparing the GKS Application, you may want to check my previous posts on the guideline to the application forms and personal statement essay or read my experience in applying for the 2016 KGSP/GKS-G.

So, as we’ve known, a study plan is another important stage to showcase the applicant’s ability in planning his study in Korea. One needs to explain his/her plans before coming to Korea when doing the study in Korea, and after graduating from the Korean university.

Study Plan template (2021 GKS-Undergraduate Application)

Statement of Purpose template (2021 GKS-Graduate Application)

When preparing for the application back in 2016, I tried to find as many resources as possible. I joined the KGSP Global Applicant Facebook group, searched awardees from Indonesia and other countries online through Facebook and Instagram, and contacted them to discuss their experience and ask for some advice. I then found Mas Nasikun’s blog, a KGSP awardee from Indonesia who did his Master’s degree program at Seoul National University. I was especially very grateful for his posts on how to write a study plan. His posts on KGSP Application are still there and anyone interested in applying for this scholarship will surely find it very useful.

Here I’m making a kind of brief guideline in writing a study plan. I divide them into plans before, during, and after studying in Korea.

Plans before going to Korea. Here, you need to write down things you have been doing and will be doing before going to Korea. This mostly covers Korean language preparation. I believe that ‘taking Korean language courses’ shouldn’t be necessarily on the list. There’s a bunch of fun ways to learn a language, especially the Korean language. What is better than watching Korean TV shows and being whipped by the actors and actresses? (Not watching one?) Okay, if you still doubt whether you should start learning the language by now, I urge you to do so unless you just apply for fun and ‘luckily’ see yourself get a seat at the end. Especially for those who never got anything related to Korea, get yourself used to how Korean language sounds is an important first step that will take you further lightheartedly. I met people who hardly heard the Korean language until they reach the country, and they struggled within one-year language training which I believe could have been less tormenting and fun instead. One year is short if not to say insufficient, trust me.

I was far from fluent when applying for this scholarship program (well, I still am), but I wasn’t unfamiliar with the language either. If there was only one effort in learning the language that I invested the most, it was listening to Korean songs. I wasn’t into K-dramas before coming to Korea, and I could barely make any time to go to a language center. I started learning Hangeul (Korean alphabet) while preparing for the application but just started self-teaching on basic grammars around 2 months before my departure in August. I wasn’t confident in mastering the language in one year, plus my over-anxiety told me to do something to lessen my stress in the future. Still, I knew I should’ve started earlier.

So, you need to explain that any plans during this time are to prepare you for life in Korea and of course the degree program. Here, you also need to mention your goals during the language training program. You may divide it into two semesters; what things you will do and the level of Korean proficiency you aim in the first and second half. There are many programs you can participate in during language training, such as the Buddy program, voluntary work at Korean schools, cultural festivals, etc. You may do your research and mention what you’re mostly expecting to do to improve your Korean skills.

Plans during your study in Korea. This section is a little bit different for GKS-U and GKS-G applicants AND applicants via Embassy and University Track. GKS-U applicants are provided a separate section for this part whereas, for GKS-G applicants, this part is combined with the plan before coming to Korea. Regardless, the best way to deliver this part is by setting a timeline for your plan, either per semester or per academic year.

For GKS-U applicants, I personally think that you can simply mention the number of credits in total to graduate and the average number of credits every semester. As for the course, you can mention some courses you’re particularly interested in and the reason (for example, those courses are in line with the topic interest of your final project/thesis, or they will be beneficial for your future career). These are basic information, so make sure you check the curriculum and graduation requirements! Other things to include are plans on taking short-term courses during summer/winter break and organizations/clubs/other student activities you will want to join (check on the university/department website for reference). Don’t forget to elaborate on why you need these activities (project it to your future goal).

For GKS-G applicants, I recommend writing down your study plan per semester since dividing into two academic years may limit the details. Depending on the major, you may set different goals each semester. Generally, I believe, the first semester would be the time to strengthen your fundamental knowledge regarding your field of study while adapting to the Korean education system. Some may have chances to start consulting with their academic advisor/professor even working in a lab. In the second semester, you may need to start working on your research plans. Here, you may briefly explain the thesis research you want to do. Most Master’s degree programs in Korea require a thesis for graduation so make sure you prepare one. Unless you’re applying for the Research Program, no need to go very detail on this. Three important points to include when explaining your research plan: what the research topic is, why you want to work on it, and why Korea and/or your university choice is the best place to carry out this research. In the third semester, you will probably need to sit for a comprehensive exam and start conducting your research. For social science and humanity students, you should prepare the ethical clearance application by the end of this semester or during the semester break so that you can start conducting your research, especially, collecting the research data, as the new semester begins. Finally, you may wrap up your final semester by completing the thesis and publishing or submitting a research article to a journal (some departments have it as part of graduation requirements).

For Embassy track applicants, I don’t think you need to elaborate on your 3 university and major choices and the reasons behind every choice. You likely apply for similar if not the same major. Despite different names, the focus study should be the same and that’s what you need to elaborate on. What I did back then is briefing the reason I applied for that major (I already mention it in the Personal Statement so I just briefly explain it here) and what topic of study I will focus on my thesis research. For university track applicants, you may explain the reasons for applying to the major and the university of your choice and your study plan followed by the plan each semester.

Plans after graduating from a Korean university. The keyword for this part, I believe, is future career. And the best way to show the reviewer your enthusiasm and your visionary side (regardless of how vague the future life is yet), is to name your future goal. I think telling what kind of job you aspire and some motivations behind it would work. Another important point to include is whether you will return to your home country or stay in Korea after graduation, accompanied by things you will do afterward. Again, this part may seem vague for some, especially for GKS-U applicants. Still, you need to make it as detail as possible, regardless of whether you’ll change it someday in the future or whether it seems unattainable for now. Dream big! If you plan on going directly to a graduate school, briefly explain what motivates you to continue your study and what field of study you’re going for. For GKS-G applicants, I guess their work for this part shouldn’t be too difficult as some are likely to already have a job and/or know where they’ll go after receiving the degree.

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I hope you find this post helpful and may as well be a reference for writing your study plan. Best of luck with your GKS application and your study in Korea.

#korean government scholarship program #KGSP #global korea scholarship #GKS #studyinkorea #Korean Scholarship #scholarship for graduate programs #scholarship for undergraduate programs #student life #university life in korea #SouthKorea #studyplan

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kokokichichi · 4 years ago

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From what I remember you not only study in a very demanding uni but also tough major, don't know if any minor, and you also have a job?? That's so much hard work, how do you have motivation and discipline for it? And in relation to that do you have any tips about motivation and/or discipline?

LMAO yeah im currently attending an ivy league level uni (yes, i'm still somewhat proud of this bc it was my dream school, and no i'm not going to be very humble about it on this blog LOL), studying comp eng and comp sci, and i work part time!! i'm also involved in a lab for a research project, which is a surprisingly huge time commitment (T.T)

now saying all this i will admit it sounds pretty impressive but i think most kids majoring in stem have this sort of overloaded uni experience (tbh i would even say i'm doing much less compared to half of my friends) but i'll still give my two cents on motivation or discipline. i actually got asked a similar thing way back but i don't remember what the fuck i tagged it as so don't bother looking for it

half of what keeps me going is tuition... like i’m not paying so much just to slack off LOL and my overwhelming fear of failure. but the other half is:

friends!!! make friends in all of your classes to study with or at least people you feel comfortable comparing hw answers/asking questions with. they’ll keep YOU on track by asking YOU questions and vice versa

this might not apply to everyone but find a passion project that’s conductive to ur academics? for example, my research. it’s hard to explain but it kinda makes me feel like there’s light at the other end of the tunnel. like not only is it fun and exciting (to me at least because i’m a fucking nerd).... it’s like.... i could make an actual change in the world and this could impact people and this is what my future career could be like. it just kinda keeps me going idk

you know i see a lot of “be kind to yourself” posts and that’s all fine and good but don’t be too kind to yourself. you don’t need a 5 hour break from doing a hour long study session. get off ur ass and go do some class work

might just be me but get up earlier in the morning. you’re more productive then and if youre far less likely to be distracted.

work on the smaller assignments first so that it feels like you have less to do and you don’t have that “oh my god i have so much hw” anxiety that make it so that you never start on anything

school is hard. studying is so fucking hard. i have times where i’m up at 3 AM crying over my code that won’t compile. i get tests back where i’m 20% below the average. you’re not alone! we’re gonna get through this and get our degree

#i'm sorry none of this is probably new advice #i just can't think right now #im so braindead its the end of my semester and final weeks is coming soon #LOL this is just a bad time for me to be giving this advice because i'm struggling with motiviation and discpline rn too #shoot me this ask again in like two weeks i could probably give better advice then

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kmgeog2260 · 4 years ago

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During this course we have looked at various aspects of human geographic research. In this write up I will address three things I know for certain about human geographical research, three things I am still confused by, three things I know about myself as a geographic researcher, and lastly three things I still need to work on as a geographical researcher.

The first thing I know for certain now about human geographical research is that although it does consist of mostly qualitative methods, there is still very many different styles and methods of collecting data and conducting research. Prior to this class I had seen qualitative and quantitative as very black and white, quantitative being solely numerical and qualitative being solely thoughts and ideas. Qualitative research is complex, and not only does it look at tangible aspects of humans and human interaction but also discourses, identities and most importantly place when it comes to human geographic research (Hay, 2005, Chapter 1). It also has a well-developed range of techniques such as ones we have looked at and ones I have used in my blogs. These include observational studies, interviews, case studies, oral histories, focus groups, literature reviews and many more.

Another thing I now know for certain is that human geographic research requires the consideration of ethics and self-reflection. There is a moral imperative to this research where the concern of welfare, respect for persons and justice needs to be incorporated (Hooykaas, Week 3, 2021). These ethical issues arise because of the social nature of human geographic research, in any of the methods listed above you are collecting and interpreting social information (Hay, 2005, Chapter 2), therefore ethical issues can arise before, during or after the research process. I know and understand now the importance of this.

Lastly, human geographic research requires a deep and well documented analysis to ensure rigour and the best possible answer/outcome to your research question. While conducting qualitative research it is not always the case like in quantitative research where the numbers speak for themselves, therefore we must ensure rigour, meaning we need to establish a high level of trustworthiness to our work. To ensure rigour, it requires careful research design and thoughtful planning which will ultimately create trustworthy and dependable research (Hay, 2005, Chapter 6). As the researcher I learned the importance of careful and well thought out design through the digital storytelling project.

The first thing I am still confused by in human geographical research is making informed choices about research design and development. I understand that there are many different styles and methods to geographic research, but I am still unsure of which is the best to use and when. Another thing I am still confused by is after the data has been collected how to filter which responses to use and which information is the best information. In other words, I am still confused on what happens next in research. Lastly, I am still unsure of how to critically assess the strengths of the sources to evaluate how much information is enough. I think that with time and more practice these aspects of human geographical research will make more sense to me.

As a human geographic researcher, I know for certain that I understand the importance of ethics in a research project. I was able to develop this skill throughout the blog posts and the storytelling assignment. Going forward if I were to conduct a research project, I would like to use collaborative research methods, which involves getting input from both insiders and outsiders of the problem being studied (Hay, 2005, Chapter 3). I think that coming from an outsider position in research has some major downfalls and effects to the research being done and raises ethical issues between the researcher and the participants.

This brings me to my next point, that I know for certain that I have and will bring with me an invisible backpack that comes from a place of privilege. To be critically reflexive is a process of self-conscious scrutiny as a research throughout the entirety of the project (Hay, 2005, Chapter 2). Being a white woman raised in Canada, I need to remind myself of the privilege that I come from before, during and after the research process. I will need to ask myself how and why I am doing whatever research I am involved in as well as constantly be looking at the social relations being enacted and influenced by the research I will conduct.

Lastly, I know that using the technique of coding while organizing my research is a good tool for me to use. Prior to this course while trying to find information from literature online I found it very hard to organize information and my thoughts. The knowledge of hierarchical vs. flat, and inductive vs. deductive coding, (Hay, 2005, Chapter 18), going forward will help me organize information and come to a better answer to my research questions.

Areas that I have learned about myself as a geographical researcher that I need more time developing are creating a grounded theory, removing myself from the research and writing/ presenting my qualitative research. Creating a grounded theory is an inductive method where the purpose is to generate information on the most important themes up front to gain a solid understanding of the topic, then looking at the specifics to help answer the research question (Hay , 2005, Chapter 18). I as a research tend to jump into my question too quickly and then end up with a lot of information and time spend in topics that don’t relate to my question. As a researcher I also find it difficult to remove myself from the research write up. Third person and nominalization create more formal research but often I try to add my own thoughts and ideas when they are not needed (Hooykaas, Week 9, 2021). Lastly, while putting my research together to present it I need time to develop better ways of presenting my work. I need to balance the use of objective and subjective knowledge, learn to write in a third-person narrative and reflect my positionality (Hay, 2005, Chapter 19).

Sources:

Hooykaas. (2021) Course Notes for GEOG2260- Applied Human Geography

Hay, I. (2005). Qualitative Research Methods in Human Geography(4th ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/#/books/9780199010912/cfi/0!/4/[email protected]:0.242

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rhgeog2260 · 4 years ago

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The End of a Semester...

Introduction

Wow. This semester has been so topsy turvy - going through a pandemic with multiple lockdowns, online learning, the stress of the world around us...I applaud all of us for making it through this incredibly difficult time!

I want to note that, like some of my peers, I would not have picked to take this course had it not been required. I prefer physical and environmental geography over human geography, so naturally I was planning on going in a different direction. I am now so grateful that I took this course!!! One of my career aspirations is to work with National Geographic, and it has now been made clear to me how vital it is to learn the intricacies of research and its methods/techniques. As someone who would rather do field work than a desk job, I am excited to one day apply all my new knowledge in research to the field I plan to work in!

Three things I know for certain about human geography research:

There are three things that stick out in my mind when I reflect back on what I have learned in this course.

First, the concept of the “visible backpack” has stuck with me. Not only while working through this course work, but also work for other courses, while watching documentaries for my own entertainment, and maybe most importantly in this day and age, when watching stories on the news. As we have learned in Week 3, the “invisible backpack” takes into account all the features of the researcher, including ethnicity, gender, background, and more. These factors can greatly affect the manner in which data is perceived. An example I think of often is the wealthy, young men who interviewed Agafia in the Serbian wilderness. With their backpacks, they could not have possibly fully understood all that Agafia went through, and continues to go through today. This is an important reminder that all research has room for potential error or bias, depending on the exact situation. This allows me to reserve all judgement, and try to see things from all angles before forming an opinion. The invisible backpack can also relate to critical reflectivity.

Secondly, the importance of ethical research has been thoroughly engrained in me through this course. In my opinion, data obtained in an unethical way should be seen as null and void. It can be as simple as asking for someone to make a statement, or as complex as invading a prohibited area to try and fetch data (think of the man trying to preach Christianity to the native people of the Sentinelese island, subsequently getting killed - though this is not exactly a research incident, it is very prominently unethical). Entire research projects can be rendered invalid if the proper ethics are not followed, so I am thankful that this subject was taught and emphasized so much during this course.

Finally, Professor Hooykaas taught us in a way that really engrained the importance of verifying and evaluating sources into our minds. I have been reminded that sources cannot just be blindly trusted - they must be critically evaluated, just like the article itself.

Three things I am still confused by:

The Week 8 activity of coding was certainly challenging at first. While once completed I see the appeal of the organizational technique, it was intimidating to begin, and I quite honestly dreaded that week’s blogging activity. After completion, however, it was very beneficial when narrowing down topics for my Digital Storytelling Project!

Second, I am unsure how to overcome the invisible backpack. No matter who the researcher is, they are not identical to their subject, and cannot fully comprehend their views. I am curious to learn more about how to overcome this and avoid any possible complications that may arise.

Lastly, I am still slightly uncertain about “when enough is enough”. When, while performing research, have you obtained enough data without simultaneously having too much information? I feel this may be remedied by experience.

Three things I know for certain about me as a human geographic researcher:

Firstly, while I know I would like to pursue research in my career, I now know that there are fields that interest me more than human geography. While no doubt interesting, I now know for sure that my interests lie in the more physical/environmental sides of geography.

Second, I know that I can approach research situations with an open mind. I am confident that I can avoid any foreseeable biases in order to have the highest quality outcome possible.

Finally, I feel that I could employ research in a way that has an overall positive impact on the world. Following ethics and my own morals, I know I can conduct research that holds importance in the betterment of our environment.

Three areas I need to spend time developing/learning in order to feel more confident in my skills:

As I mentioned above, I would like to get a sense of familiarity to determine when the amount of research I have done has become too much. I of course want to have all the information, but it still must be conveyed in a digestible manner.

Second, I would like to practice with what types of interview questions are the most beneficial, and what types of questions to ask per scenario. Knowing that will save some stress, help narrow down specific questions, and yield specific results that pertain more closely to the goal in question.

Finally, I would like to develop my skills as a student more. Transitioning to online learning was certainly challenging. By taking this course, I can more qualitatively reflect in on myself and the world around me.

Conclusion

Thank you to all my peers who interacted with my blog this semester! It was a unique way to connect with you all - especially in a remote setting! Be sure to reach out at any time :)

Your peer, Robin Hounsell

References:

Hay, I. (2005). Qualitative Research Methods in Human Geography (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.

Hooykaas, A. (2021). Lecture Notes from GEOG2260- Applied Human Geography.

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myjourneytoux · 4 years ago

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Eyeing that Finish Line

I'm going to let you in on a little secret. I've actually been a designer for a while but even I didn't realize it until a few weeks ago. The funny part is I consciously set out to learn more about design back in November of 2019, when trying to determine my next professional step. As someone within HR, working as a recruiter and program manager, I have been drawn to individuals within the creative space for awhile now. Through my phone screens with candidates, I learned about the work they do and through those conversations, I got hooked. It was then, back in November of 2019, that I began investing time to learn more about the design world. Through my findings, I realized I have been applying a lot of the design fundamentals in my work, whether I was a teacher, or higher education professional, or even now as a recruiter. I have conducted research and empathy interviews, iterated designs of services and programs, created pilots and assessed them, re-worked designs and continued to evaluate, always striving for better user experiences. I drove the project's vision and presented findings to stakeholders, many in the C-suite. So yeah, I've been a designer and didn't know it! I've made career pivots before, so this isn't new to me. But what has been different is this time, I'm older. And I have insight now into what recruiting looks like for people in the UX space. We set a high bar for people at my company who want to work in UX so that honestly slowed my roll for a bit this past summer. I felt to be seen as credible, I'd need to get a formal certification. Naturally, I had to figure out if that was true. I sought out answers by reaching out to people and just started asking questions. One endearing comment I continue to hear is that I don't need a formal certification. Empathy is what matters most and that can't be taught. As a recruiter, I actually have a LOT of empathy for those that I speak with; whether they get the job or not. I put myself in their shoes as many are as vulnerable as I am right now, just trying to start something new. As I began investing time to learn more about this new world, I started listening to a podcast. During one of my midday strolls, I tuned into the User Defenders podcast and heard the OG of UX designers, Jared Spool declare that everyone is a designer (which I later heard drew a lot of criticism from people). But then Jared gave examples and mentioned that even recruiters are designers because essentially, the hires they bring into an organization can change the user's experience. I mean, if Jared Spool thinks I'm a designer, then hell yes, I'm a designer! The balance of 2020 was filled with consuming information by reading books like General Assembly's The Practitioner's Guide to User Experience Design, UX Bites by Gabriel Kirkmeier, The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman and Susan Weinschenk's 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know about People. I also read a lot of UX-related blogs and completed UX related courses via LinkedIn learning. I obtained a mentor and started putting some ideas down on paper. I was even asked to serve as the UX Director for a non-profit. Things were in full swing but I hadn't yet figured out how to climb that mountain -- taking this information and leveraging it to a new job within UX. Fast forward to December 2020 and I get a random request from someone at my company to speak about my interest in design as it relates to HR. During my exploration phase, I realized, as with any job, there are a lot of different things you can do within design. In looking at the double diamond of design, I'm more confident in my skills on the early side of design. I can research and analyze and synthesize information into recommendations for a future iteration and create the prototypes for those designs. I began focusing on design strategy and service design as potential easy career pivots. But I wasn't sure if a place for someone with my interests existed at my current company. I was ecstatic when I heard there was a place, albeit new, and they were focused on the experience individuals have within different touchpoints in HR. It was crazy to know that my many random conversations led me to an individual that was curious to know more about me and my journey. That conversation sparked yet another with a hiring manager who informed me about an opportunity and asked me if I'd be interested in an HR UX Strategist role. After a two week courtship of learning more about the team she was building in HR and setting the stage for some huge goals, not to mention meeting a few individuals on her greater team, I was hooked. I went from, "you want me?" to "you want ME!" I was on cloud nine. So that's the end of the story, right? We lived happily ever after? Not quite. Unfortunately, right before I was to interview for the role, I learned I was not able to move forward due to strong business needs and some big wins this new group needed to make in a short period of time. Being a new group with an even smaller team of 3, the opportunity of having me join was not feasible at this time. Even though the director was happy to mentor me and saw my abilities, it was a no go. Of course, it was a hard pill to swallow. To be approached by a director who saw my unique perspective being in HR and relentless effort to transition into design - it was the perfect role. But this setback just gave me time to hone my abilities through side projects; demonstrating my knowledge of the design process. In the two weeks since receiving that unfortunate news, I have been on a passion-fueled binge of all things UX. For one, I needed to establish some big goals. I'm a junkie when it comes to setting goals and challenges that seem insurmountable. For example: I went from not being able to swim 20 meters in a pool to swimming 350 meters 6 weeks later in my first sprint triathlon. But I wasn't finished there. Four months later I finished a one mile open water swim in a lake for a triathlon that was 50 total miles. And 7 months from there, I completed my first half Ironman. And finally, 18 months after my first half Ironman, I had my fastest swim to date by swimming 2.4 miles in an ocean to compete in and finish my first Ironman. But that wasn't enough. I traded the water for trails and 2.5 months later completed a 50 mile trail run in difficult terrain. So setting a few professional goals? No problem. My friends and family know when I set a goal, there's nothing that can stop me. In reading 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know about People, I learned that people are more motivated as they get closer to a goal. I know I certainly became more motivated after coming so close to achieving a dream job. Therefore, I kickstarted this journey into high gear by establishing the following goals:

1) Pivot into UX by the end of 2021. The short-term goal is to pivot mid-year, but I'm giving myself grace. Again, I know how hard it is to get into design at my company. Giving myself ample time to accumulate more knowledge and apply them to various projects, will be a huge win.

2) Work on a side project through the non-profit group, "Teaching: A Path to Learning & Development." I'll document this work separately in a follow-up blog as a lot of work I'm doing here is opening my eyes as I put theory into practice. 3) Obtain skills through an internal mobility project. Remember those conversations I had during my two week courtship by this director for the HR UX Strategy role? Well my passion about internal mobility shined through and one of the people I spoke to asked if I'd be interested in assisting. I finally got the go ahead from my current supervisor to spend time helping; now I just need to lean in! 4) Finish the UX Design Learning Path via LinkedIn Learning. A lot of my strong abilities thus far have been on the first diamond within the double diamond design. I want to be more knowledgeable about the second diamond so that I can be a utility player in this space. Now that I've set these goals, I can see, in my head, the finish line. I'm literally applying the same training mentality as I had with my endurance races to my new career by dedicating at least an hour a day and 2-3 hours on the weekend, just chipping away at the larger goal ahead of me. My journey to UX will have its ups and downs; it's ah-ha's and OMG moments. And I want to document them all. I've been journaling since I was 10 so this isn't new to me. But what is new is sharing my inner thoughts and being raw. Perhaps I'll find others who are trying to make their way to UX. But for now, I want to share how this process has been for me. When I write, it helps cement my findings and it also helps me remember just how far I've come. Welcome to My UX Journey.

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makemoneyonline-pedia · 4 years ago

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Make Money With Affiliate Marketing in 11 Easy Steps

Affiliate marketing is a fantastic way to build passive income that will continue to flow in, even when you’re spending time on other projects. It’s one of the fastest and most effective ways to begin making an income from your blog or website, even when you’re still building up your following and reputation.

By targeting the right audience, you can enjoy commission while recommending your favorite products and services; and the best part is that affiliate marketing works for all niches.

However, bloggers and niche site owners tend to make a few mistakes that limit their chances of affiliate success. Here’s our guide on how to make money with affiliate marketing so you can maximize profit, making every post pay.

Since there are many considerations involved, please read the full guide before implementing or making any changes to your affiliate posts.

Before continue - If you are uncertain about the future, frustrated with your current situation, or simply desire the freedom of Internet Business ownership. THIS ARTICLE WILL HELP YOU >>

Make Money With Affiliate Marketing Today

1. Target the Right Audience

When I first started implementing an affiliate process, I applied for popular affiliate programs and inserted the affiliate link into my popular posts.

While this affiliate ‘trickle-down effect’ will make you some income, it’s not the best strategy for affiliate success. You need to catch the reader with their credit card in their hand to start making consistent sales.

To really start making money from affiliates, you need to flip your affiliate game around and start the process by choosing the right product/service, that are essential to your target audience, that have prime keywords to help you rank your affiliate article on page one of Google.

For example, instead of just adding Amazon product affiliate links to your guide on studying for finals, you can choose a product that you know will help students study and target the keywords they would be using to search for such products.

Why not do both? You can make money through both methods, but the more targeted approach will likely make more. Track the income to see which type of post brings in the most income.

So How Do I Rank on Google?

This process is called search engine optimization (SEO). If you are not familiar with SEO I suggest you read our introductory guide here and sign up for our free 4-part SEO course. Part of SEO is keyword research.

This helps you target keywords with a decent volume and low competition so you can appear on page one of SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages) in Google.

SEO will allow you to reach the right audience who want to buy the affiliate product or service.

We call this process writing ‘money-making’ posts. You can make affiliate income from social media but you need an engaged audience to do so. An active newsletter list is another funnel that you can target.

For us, SEO offers the best outcomes for our travel and food sites when it comes to monetizing through affiliates so this guide is going to focus on using SEO.

2. Choose Products/Services to Promote

When deciding what affiliate products to promote, don’t just choose the popular ones. Really consider the following things:

The affiliate and the product. Do you stand behind the company? Is it something your audience needs or wants? Is it a high enough price point to actually make money from? What commission will you receive? What is the cookie window?

How a buyer would purchase the product. Will they buy right away or consider their decision first? This will affect what kind of marketing you need to do.

What is the user intent of the target audience? For example, what does the Google searcher asking for ‘best neighborhoods in New York’ want? Hotels? Houses for sale? What does a searcher asking for “best slow cooker” want?

3. Consider the Buying Cycle

You need to appeal to readers who are ready to purchase in order for them to get out their credit card and make the purchase right away. So be sure you choose keywords that target the decision/buying stage. These people are beyond the information-gathering stage and are ready to buy as soon as they find the right product.

Using buying words and phrases will attract decision-stage readers. Here are some example buying words:

Product reviews

This product vs That product

Best luxury product or best budget product

For women … for men … for families

If you think you have a chance of ranking on page one of Google with your post, then don’t worry so much about the volume of the keyword. It’s better to rank well for smaller volume keywords than to not rank for high volume ones.

I used to believe you needed a large audience to make money but that’s not true, you need a targeted audience. With affiliate marketing, it is better to have a hundred views that convert, than a thousand that don’t.

For example, one of my targeted money-making posts makes 3x the commission in comparison to another post that receives a ton of views but isn’t targeted.

Affiliate links work much better in a targeted post.

4. Solve a Problem

You can add an affiliate link to just about any post, but the ones that will begin to make money are the ones that solve a problem.

The best way to tackle this is to brainstorm your audience’s pain points. Think about an issue that causes a problem for your audience – something they struggle with.

What are the top three things that keep your audience up at night?

Such as how to source a recipe ingredient they can’t get at home, or how to choose the best elliptical machine when there are so many similar options on the market. Those are the affiliate products you should introduce to your audience.

After brainstorming, conduct keyword research to see if people are actively looking for a solution to that problem on Google. If there is search volume, and the post you write solves the problem, you will begin to make affiliate sales.

Note: Don’t forget to consider whether you can compete against the top ten posts in the SERPs. If there are already dozens of people solving that problem, you might have a hard time getting your solution in front of readers.

Write an in-depth and very useful guide for your audience about that pain point. Identify the issue, empathize with the issue, and introduce your product that solves the issue.

5. Choose The Right Affiliate Programs

When choosing an affiliate program, at the very least you have to consider the following:

Commission – What percentage will you make? Or is there a flat fee you will receive per sale?

Cookie Window – How long does a reader have to purchase in order for you to get the commission?

For example, Booking.com’s direct program gives a 25% commission on the amount they make (not the full hotel booking amount) with no cookie window, whereas Amazon has a sliding scale for commission, product depending, and a 24-hour cookie window.

More advanced site owners will also consider the overall company conversion rate before applying too because the company’s ability to make the sale after you’ve led a reader to them is also very important.

6. Consider the Types of Affiliate Programs

Some companies choose to host a direct affiliate program like Booking.com and Amazon Associates.

Others go via a third party where you sign up for the third-party program (like Commission Junction or Awin), then you must also apply for the individual affiliate program.

There are companies covering every niche thinkable in these third-party sites.

Here are some of the affiliate marketing programs we use on our sites (travel, food and SEO):

Amazon Associates – Direct Amazon product sales

ShareASale – Third party, shop for merchants once you sign up

VigLink now Sovrn Commerce – Third party, shop for merchants once you sign up

CJ – Third party, shop for merchants once you sign up

Partnerize was Performance Horizon – Third party, shop for merchants once you sign up

Awin – Third party, shop for merchants once you sign up

Food52 – Recipes, kitchenware

Avantlink – A collection of international merchants.

7. Focus On The Perfect Products

There are a few ways in which you may be choosing the wrong products or services.

Firstly, you are pitching a product that just does not convert.

It might not be right for your audience, it might have poor conversion rates for the company selling it, the product or service is not available all year round, you’ve failed to optimize the post for that product (see next section) and/or you can’t rank for target keywords (see above).

Secondly, you only focus on low-priced products with low commission rates which in return does not make you much in revenue.

Naturally, in the beginning, you may not want to target high-value products because you don’t think you can sell them. However, you need to break out of that mindset. It’s not about the price of the product, it’s about identifying a need and finding a product that fulfills that need.

A low commission rate isn’t always a negative. If you sell alot of the product, you create a high average order rate (AOV). In some cases, this can earn you additional income for bringing in a lot of sales.

Note: For some affiliates, the reader doesn’t have to buy the product or service you recommend for you to receive a commission. For example, with Amazon, don’t be surprised if you see pet-related goods showing up in your reports when you promote well being products. Although dogs are a great source of happiness, it just means the reader has read your guide, clicked through to Amazon from one of your product links then continued shopping for other items.

This isn’t always something to be celebrated though as it can indicate that the reader did not complete the buying cycle for the targeted keywords/product or service.

8. Optimize Your Affiliate Posts

You may have SEO down but your content isn’t converting for affiliates. There are many reasons that your links might not be converting, such as lack of calls to action, placing it in the wrong spot in the post, and not making the buying signals clear enough.

To fix this issue, see below for some great ideas.

Deep Linking

For many affiliate programs, in-text affiliate links that are naturally placed within context convert better than widgets and images. Widgets can slow your page speed down too.

Clear Calls to Action (CTAs)

CTAs are buying signals, like buy here, act now, check prices, reserve your spot, etc. Not including CTAs might leave your readers without a clear understanding of what they should do. If you use Gutenberg you can use the colored boxes function, bottoms or separating lines to make callouts stand out. You can also create your own CTA boxes using this code: <div style=”background-color: #FEA8EA; padding: 1.0em; max-width: 25.0em; margin: 1.0em 0; border: solid 1.0px #FEA8EA;”><strong> Don’t miss out. Buy today! </div> Example:

Don’t miss out. Buy today!

Change the color coding to match your brand colors. You can also change the thickness of the box.

Linking is such an important part of the post-building process. Read this article and never miss a step again.

Sense of Emotion

Every good marketer knows that fear sells. If you can paint a picture from personal experience which outlines why the reader should buy the product and add a sense of urgency or excitement, you could increase your selling power. Remember, solve a problem!

Avoid Affiliate Stuffing

Just like keyword stuffing, you can overdo affiliates too. Sure you want to encourage click-through, but having an affiliate in every paragraph looks spammy and can be overwhelming.

Sell naturally by putting a personal spin on it. If you’re trying to sell products you don’t use yourself, it will come across as unnatural and salesy.

Use Professional Plugins

There are a couple of affiliate plugins which improve the user experience (UX) as well as making items stand out.

AAWP – Creates stylish Amazon tables, authorized to pull prices which is against T+Cs for you

Thirsty Links – An easy-to-use link cloaking plugin. Redirects your messy + sometimes spammy looking links to a neat URL. Tracks too

Mobile User Experience

Do not ignore mobile user experience. Google now ranks the mobile version of your site, so always evaluate how your posts look to mobile users.

Ask a friend to check for you, sometimes it’s difficult to see issues with your own posts.

9. Track Your Affiliates

Affiliate marketing is not a set-it-and-forget-it process.

Question any affiliate course that screams ‘make money while you sleep’.

Sure, you will be selling while you get shut-eye but to make a lot of money you have to stay on top of securing Google rankings through SEO and working out what affiliate placement is working.

If an affiliate program offers a way for you to track the specific link that is being clicked, use it. This will give you great insight into what links are converting, and what links aren’t.

Check frequently to see what placement is working and be willing to adjust it when it’s not.

Is it a deep link, a buying signal CTA, a button or a box? Can you replicate what it working elsewhere? If it’s not working, tweak it. Business is about calculated risk.

You may also like:

How to choose which posts to revive with SEO

What products are selling? Brainstorm more content, do keyword research and publish.

If you have ads running on your site it might be worth removing them for money-making posts or at least manipulating ad placement, so they don’t detract from the money you could be making.

Even worse, ads can display the same affiliate partner so your reader may be seeing ads promoting the affiliate partner and if they click the ad instead of your link, that’s an affiliate sale lost for you.

This can happen if the reader has looked at the affiliate partner site before.

10. Build Relationships

Many bloggers are resistant to following the advice of affiliate partners, and believe me, I was one of them.

For example, whenever I was contacted by a company who wanted me to become an affiliate and start mentioning their product in my posts, I wondered why I should give a company free advertisement on my site. They should pay for that exposure, right? Not necessarily.

While some affiliates will pay for advertisement in addition to the affiliate commission, most won’t.

Effectively, the affiliate commission is your payment for advertising their product. You become partners and agree to positively promote their product on your site, which begins to make you a trusted brand ambassador.

One of my Facebook followers asked if I trusted GetYourGuide tours, which I am an affiliate for. I could honestly say yes because I’ve used them personally.

Create an open dialogue with affiliate partners. Email often, discuss ideas, ask for reports if they are not readily available. Some partners will be into this, others won’t care. You just have to keep wooing!

Don’t ignore the wee guys. Some of our most successful affiliate partners are brands you’ve probably not heard about.

If you are uncertain about the future, frustrated with your current situation, or simply desire the freedom of Internet Business ownership. THIS ARTICLE WILL HELP YOU >>

Don’t disregard every email from affiliates as spam. Be very diligent with the companies that find you via your top ranking posts. They understand SEO, too. It’s a killer combo for affiliate income.

Don’t be afraid to ask for placement fees if you can guarantee Return On Investment (ROI). Some companies do have a budget for this. It is more likely that you will have success if the company contacted you. Especially if they found you on page one of Google for a buying keyword.

Attend industry events so you can meet partners face to face. Invite your favorite partners to conferences. If they are going already, arrange to meet for a casual drink or more officially during a speed-networking slot.

11. Don’t Think You’re An Affiliate Expert

We see this too often. Bloggers make a month of sales and suddenly they know everything about affiliates, so they start a company telling other bloggers how to make money from affiliates.

Affiliate marketing is a long-term commitment. It takes at least a year of analysis to understand the full cycle of your affiliates: the ebbs and flows of traffic, the buying trends, the low season, Black Friday/Cyber Monday rush, the damn cancellations and returns.

Sure, get excited about the first affiliate sales, but don’t get too emotionally attached until the monthly revenue is consistent and growing.

Would the bank give you a mortgage on your current sales?

Readers, always check the credentials of those selling you advice and courses. Make sure they can back up what they say with actual data and proof.

Check the testimonials for blogging courses are by bloggers and site owners, not Instagram accounts owners. These are completely different platforms.

Current Affiliate Issues

When you start really digging deep into affiliates and improving your conversions, you will likely run into a few issues that you need to be aware of so you don’t get burned.

Affiliates can change contracts when they want and they do! Laura once applied to a program that offered 12% commission only to find they changed the commission rate a month later to 1%.

Affiliate partners change programs and they may or may not tell you about it. That means you have to change the links to the new affiliate program or they will become defunct.

Many affiliate dashboards are confusing and require a degree to understand and navigate. We’re spoiled by Google Analytics/Search Console. Why can’t every affiliate have something similar?

When a reader clicks on your affiliate link and it clicks through to the mobile app instead of a browser, are you making that referral sale? With the majority of our readers viewing our posts via mobile it is something we should all be questioning our affiliate partners.

Final Words

The biggest change you will see in affiliate earnings will be when you start thinking strategically about your affiliate partnerships and links, rather than just tossing a link in whenever it seems convenient.

Start acting like a business person who is in it for the long run and is confident in making strategic risks for increased gains.

If you are uncertain about the future, frustrated with your current situation, or simply desire the freedom of Internet Business ownership. THIS ARTICLE WILL HELP YOU >>

DISCLAIMER: This article either has links to my own products or affiliate products so any purchases you make from the links clicked in this video I will earn a commission with it. Results are not typical. I am a professional internet marketer with years of experience and do not guarantee you will achieve the same results.

#affiliate marketing #how to make money #make money online #make money with affiliate marketing #make money online fast #how to make money online fast #affiliate marketing for dummies #digitalmarketing #internetmarketingtips #affiliatemarketingtraining

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mrsveejimoh · 4 years ago

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Perusing with Purpose

I think it’s safe to say it--we all spend a tremendous amount of time on our cell phones. There are many reasons we are consumed by our phones these days. We are in constant communication with family and friends via texting and Facetime, conducting business and working, playing games, even researching all of the random things that come to mind across the day on Google. But most of all, our lives are consumed by social media; Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram (and whatever other apps the youngins are using these days). If you are like me, you use your social networking for fun but also to share your thoughts (for me, my poetry and writing). The question I’ve been contemplating lately is, am I spending too much time doing so?

One of my followers recently did a poll in her stories with the question: How much screen time do you use on average? While Apple released screen time statistics on iPhone forever ago, I can say that I’ve never looked at my screen time stats. I don’t think I’m on my phone that often so I was happy to learn my average screen time is 3.8** hours per day--not bad in my opinion. You might be wondering how I keep my screen time low all while enjoying my social media to its full potential. Keep reading to learn how I am able to enjoy social media and keep my screen time average low by perusing with purpose.

I dedicate specific times to posts and engaging. Every morning while on the potty (too much info, I know, but don’t act brand new… you do it too!) I dedicate 30-40 minutes to flipping through IG stories, commenting, liking, and saving posts. I follow the same routine at night before I go to bed for 40-60 minutes. Sometimes my work schedule requires me to get going early in the day so if I can’t engage with my social media in the morning, I will normally do so in my first hour of work as I’m settling in for the day (don’t shame me, my company gets all my salary plus sum out of me). Of course, I can use my lunch break to scroll through social media.

I have a hierarchy of the IG accounts I give the most time to. My real life friends are first, especially the ones who have specialized content. So my friends who are sharing their passion projects come before the random new follower. Next, I focus on the posts within my niche. I am a writer so I follow a lot of amazing writers. I like, save, comment, and/or share their content so that way it’s always at the top of my feed. Last but not least, I check my inbox. If I speak with you a lot via my IG messages that means you are my IG bestie! Consider yourself lucky! If you are my IG bestie, I go to your page to engage with you because I know you also make sure you engage with my posts.

I loosely plan my posts! Many people have the goal of having content planned out weeks in advance for their business social media. I am not there yet (probably won’t ever be there). Generally, I try to post a blog every 2 weeks and post poetry or something thought provoking on my Instagram feed 2-3 times a week. So for now, I have pictures, poetry, and blog posts in the works with the general idea of what I want the captions to be. This helps me quickly post and not spend too much time perusing for inspiration on what to post.

**Ya girl has other things to do! Please keep in mind that 3.8 hours is the total amount of time I am on my phone in one day. The number can be broken down into specific categories: social networking, productivity, and creativity. I do not spend the entire 3.8 hours that I am active on my phone on social media. Other things I do from my phone--read, write blog posts, write poetry, jot down ideas for my book (it’s coming, ya’ll!), and lastly, text and Facetime family and friends; all of these tasks add in to my 3.8 hours of screen time.

All of these tips keep my screen time low (remember this number is relative). Carving out a dedicated time to peruse, engaging with your key audience and friends, and having a plan will help make the most of your time. Most people are working full time jobs, raising children, keeping a dedicated workout schedule, being an active partner, and maintaining real life relationships in addition to creating content on Instagram--time is money! Before leaving you to ponder your own social media perusing possibilities, here are a few other quick tips that make the honorable mention:

turning on post notifications for people you prioritize

clicking the “new post” prompts in stories as you’re watching them

knowing your weekly goal on how much you want to post

following hashtags that are important to you

saving the hashtags you use most often so you can simply copy and paste them into your posts.

While I enjoy social media, my time is important and I hate when it’s wasted! Don’t let perusing keep you from getting things done or abandoning the people you care about, including yourself. Perusing can be strategic and approaching social media with purpose can help you balance screen time with your other responsibilities appropriately.

Written by: Vanessa Jimoh | @mrs.veejimoh on Instagram

Edited by: Natalie Mitchell | @natwithherbooks on Instagram

#writer #tumblrwriter #blackwriter #writerofinstagram #perusewithpurpose #time #time management #engagement #timewasted #tips #tricks #selfcare #social media #networking

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eclecticenvironment · 5 years ago

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Hiya! My name is E Schwartz and I’m the one running this blog! This summer, I am participating in the Urban Water Innovation Network’s Undergraduate Research Program (UWIN-URP).

1. What university do you attend and what is your major? Do you have any minors, concentrations, and/or clubs affiliated?

I attend the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY ESF) in Syracuse, New York. I’m earning my bachelor’s in Environmental Resources Engineering, with two corresponding minors in Mathematics and Water Resources. I am also the President of SUNY ESF’s Chapter of Engineers Without Borders, the Vice President of the Environmental Resources Engineering Club, and the Community Outreach Chair for the Student Environmental Education Coalition.

2. Who are you project mentors and what are their affiliated universities?

My project mentors are Dr. Shirley Papuga and Dr. Kyotaek Hwang. Both are affiliated with Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan.

3. What are you currently researching? How does it relate to ecology, hydrology, and/or environmental justice?

This summer, I will be researching the connections between green infrastructure, urban water flow, and carbon dioxide concentrations. My project mainly focuses on using eddy covariance towers and image analysis to track the greenness of urban canopies. However, the whole lab’s study will illustrate whether or not green infrastructure has an impact on improving air quality and reducing environmental injustices. This research topic greatly shows the impact that cities have on climate change, resource sustainability, and socioeconomic status.

4. What has been your favorite piece of literature that you’ve reviewed for your research?

My favorite piece of literature that I’ve reviewed so far is entitled ‘Global Change and the Ecology of Cities,’ written by Nancy B. Grimm and others. This source did a phenomenal job of addressing the connections between environmental justice and ecohydrology, which allowed for me to further understand the severity of environmental racism.

5. What has been your favorite part of the UWIN-URP program to date?

The best part of the UWIN-URP program has been getting to know my fellow undergraduates within the program. Everyone is incredibly sincere and compassionate towards the environment – I truly feel like I’ve joined a phenomenal community.

6. What is the value you see in undergraduate research? What is one thing you would recommend to somebody starting research for the first time that you wish you had known?

One of the things I’ve loved about my undergraduate research opportunity is the amount of career options that have opened up for me. Prior to this summer, I had never considered graduate school or long-term research. Now, I’ve really enjoyed it and am looking into graduate schools! If you’re starting research for the first time, keep your mind and options open. Research is significantly more transdisciplinary that I had ever conceived, which allows me to pursue all of my interests in one context.

7. What type of career are you hoping for after you graduate?

I’m still not quite sure, to be honest! I’ve considered enrolling with the Peace Corps because I’m quite passionate about humanitarian engineering. I’m also considering pursing a master’s and doctorate related to ecohydrology and ecological conservation, with the intentions of continuing research. There’s also the possibility of me going to law school, as I’ve always had an interest in the environmental legal system.

8. What do you like to do for fun apart from your research?

When I’m not conducting my research, I love to listen to vinyl records or make Spotify playlists. I grew up playing four brass instruments and I still play two of them today – French horn and mellophone for Syracuse University’s Wind Ensemble and Marching Band, respectively. I also love watching adult animation and playing Dungeons and Dragons on rainy days, while hiking and petting dogs on sunny ones!

#ecology #hydrology #environmental justice #research #graduate school #student #suny esf #syracuse university #wayne state university #environment #transdisciplinary

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bellacaibowl · 5 years ago

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welcome to my phase 1 passion project

in the event that this tumblr lasts way beyond its expected life expectancy and I forgot how this all started, here’s a recap of recent events that have spurred the creation of this new page:

1. covid-19 happened

2. covid-19 became a global pandemic

3. sg announced its implementation of circuit breaker measures. these were originally meant to last for a month between april and may. it was later announced that these measures would remain in place for an additional four weeks, lasting til june 1

4. it is june 1 today and circuit breaker ends tomorrow but it also marks the start of phase 1. according to the guidelines, nothing much changes for me as a jobless-holidaying student. I can’t dine-in at f&b outlets outside, I can’t meet individuals outside my household (except my grandma)

5. my faculty announced that it would be conducting all classes online for the next semester (starting august)

okay, now that we’ve gotten that out of the way

beyond what seems as simply ‘me being bored’, this decision to journal more frequently online can also be attributed to my many moments of desperate hopelessness experienced during time cooped up at home. as somebody who thrives on busyness and relies heavily on to-dos to find purpose, the inability to find and procure an internship/job/volunteering stint this summer has left me feeling rather unmotivated and lost. I deeply desired to do something beyond bumming around. I wanted to do something useful and productive. the longing remains but for now, it shall be satisfied through the running of this blog

what this blog hopes to achieve:

I hesitate to dedicate this platform to a sole focus right from its inception but I do hope to focus on the idea of sustainability

initially, I was set on using this blog as a means of tracking and detailing my journey towards living more eco-friendly/green but as I look back on how my time at home has been for the past eight weeks, I realise that I’ve been striving towards a sustainable lifestyle in many other ways! sustainable meaning: creating and following habits that are sustainable for myself in the long-term that simultaneously will allow me to attain my goals of helping the environment around me, including the people in it! most pertinently, I’ve been trying to find this balance in the aspect of my personal health and fitness. although everyday, I am inspired to grow in other aspects of my life too - surprisingly or not, these sources of inspiration are often found on my ig feeds hehe

for some reason, I feel the need to include a caveat: this is by no means your typical sustainability/lifestyle and wellness blog. I’m sorry to all the purist influencers of these genres out there but that’s not my goal. I just hope for this platform to be an honest log of my personal growth (including as many ups as there are downs) in various aspects of my life; something for me to look back on and be proud of, something that will bring me joy

as for you who are reading this, hello (: thank you for taking the time to indulge in my journalistic attempts!! if you’re here then I’m guessing we should know each other pretty well so do talk to me about anything you encounter here gets you excited/riled up/you just want to talk more about it with me and our other friends! I am excited for the possibilities and opportunities that this platform may bring

I’m not ready to commit a number of posts/week but I shall set it at a minimum of one per week for now. it seems like a real measly number but I am hoping to do proper ‘research’ (as needed) for the topics I’m going to cover and I don’t want to do a slipshod job for the sake of it. also, I am a terribly slow writer (maybe because I am somewhat of a perfectionist?? I am not sure) - really not the best quality for a soci student oops

take care and I hope to be back here again soon

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patriotstudies · 5 years ago

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10 Productive Uses For Blank Notebooks

I was cleaning out my room earlier this week, and I discovered that I have some empty notebooks. So I made a list of things I could fill these notebooks with. I thought I’d share that list because I know many people have empty notebooks just lying around and might want some ideas for what to do with them.

1. Research and Thoughts

Whether you already like reading scientific research, or you are interested in a topic and want to learn more about it, having a research journal is a great idea! You can take notes on the articles you have read and jot down your reactions to those studies. You could also think of possible applications for both your personal and professional life that are not mentioned in the article itself. Additionally, you could record and research other topics that might be of interest to you after reading an article. Who knows, you might even be inspired to conduct your own research!

2. Journal and Life Lessons

Keeping a journal is extremely beneficial because it is great for mental health! Writing in a journal is a very cathartic experience, so it is no surprise that it can help regulate your emotions. And reflecting on your day will help you organize your feelings, which in turn will elevate your mood by allowing you to appreciate the little things that make life great. Journaling can also help stimulate your creativity, as you may come up with ideas to improve your life just a little bit each day. Additionally, journaling improves your writing, as you learn to communicate important information more effectively.

This journal could also double as an ongoing list of life lessons that you learn from various sources: books, movies, shows, documentaries, mentors, interviews, conversations with others, etc. All of our experiences, no matter how small, teach us something, and it is important to reflect on those as well, as they can offer so many insights that will help us better conduct ourselves in all aspects of life.

3. Blog Log

I know this one is super relevant for all of us, and this log can be an incredibly useful tool. This is a great place to store all your content ideas and outlines for easy access. You could even draft an entire blog post here, so that you can easily make any edits if necessary. If you’re using sources in your posts, this would be a good place to cite those so that you can easily reference them whenever you need to. Or, if you have been tagged and/or want to tag someone, you could record those here too so that you don’t forget to give credit to the amazing bloggers who wanted to hear from you. And don’t forget to celebrate your milestones! This could mean number of followers, or most popular posts, number of original posts written (in a period of time or in general), blog birthdays/anniversaries, really anything you want to celebrate.

4. Creative DIY Projects

Personal projects are always really exciting to work on. Not only can they serve as a nice escape from our regular lives, but they are also very engaging hobbies that incentivize us to work harder in our personal and professional lives. DIY projects also allow us to become more independent, self-reliant, and creative thinkers, which is a rewarding experience in and of itself.

However, just because these projects encourage independence, doesn’t mean they can’t be socially beneficial as well. They can serve as talking points for when you’re networking or talking with loved ones at get-togethers where you can discuss your current project(s) and your plans for future ones. Additionally, other people may have advice for how to improve your process and get more out of each project.

Projects are great for other practical reasons too! They are a productive use of our spare time and also allow us to develop our soft skills (time management, planning, organization, creativity/creative problem solving, adaptability, just to name a few). These transferable skills will also surely make job hunting and mapping your career development just a little bit easier.

If you don’t want to work on DIY projects, that’s perfectly fine too! The point of this journal is to express yourself creatively and independently, no matter what form your art takes. For example, if you want to have an art journal where you sketch creative designs, go for it! Or if you’d rather compose poems or novels, there is literally nothing stopping you! Just don’t limit yourself, no matter what you choose.

5. Career and Professional Development

Many of us either already have jobs, or are actively working towards securing one. This notebook could be used to keep track of every aspect of our professional development. For example, exploring career interests can be used to develop concrete plans for how to achieve professional success. You could use this journal to help keep track of the jobs you applied for, or keep track of the jobs you have already done. You could write about how long you held those positions for and what you learned during your time in that position or company.

Note all that you have accomplished, such as your ideas and contributions to projects, or how you solved problems. Not only does this give you an opportunity to reflect on your professional life, but it can be really useful when you edit your resume and other professional documents, as well as your LinkedIn account.

Just remember that you can have fun with it too, and remember the more entertaining parts of the job and team, by recalling memorable events. Jobs can be boring and tedious sometimes, so remembering the fun things can incentivize you to start the job searching process.

6. Life Audit Lists

Sometimes there is a gap between our current and ideal life, and that is perfectly natural. There are several steps you can take to bridge that gap. Conducting a life audit is an incredibly useful tool to help you live your best and most fulfilling life. Analyzing the results of the life audit will encourage you to take responsibility and actively work on self-improvement. Below are just some ideas to help get you started:

Goals - These could be daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, however you want to organize it. I personally would narrow it to three main goals so that it you aren’t overwhelmed, but you do whatever works for you. You can divide these goals into various categories, for example: academic, professional, social/personal, etc. And if it helps, divide those categories too, so that you can get a more comprehensive view of your life and develop a more specific plan for how to improve it.

Seasonal Bucket Lists - Bucket lists are a really fun way to push yourself out of your comfort zone so that you can be more adaptable and can experience so much more than you would have otherwise experienced. Maybe there is something you’ve always wanted to do but never did. Write that down and make a plan to actually do it! You never know, you might discover things you actually enjoy doing and these experiences will help you get more out of life. Plus, it’s just really motivating to have things to look forward to!

Self-Care Ideas - Prioritizing your mental health is absolutely necessary to get your life in order. So, make this a routine. Find things that you enjoy doing, whether it’s drinking tea or coffee, or meditating, or journaling, or something else entirely, and make it a point to do at least one thing a day that positively contributes to your mental health. And don’t be afraid to add more things to this list than any other one, because I truly cannot stress how important it is to not neglect your mental health.

7. Habit/Skill Trackers

Often times, the hardest part about making (or breaking!) a habit is just getting started. That’s why I like to record my streaks for each habit that I would like to develop and maintain. One way you could track this in your journal is by writing the habit on one side and recording the number of days you’ve consistently done that habit on the other. You could also organize it like a chart, with the days of the week labeled on one side and the habits you want to develop on the other and you could cross off each day that you completed each habit.

You could use this same approach for tracking your skills, as learning a skill is a habit itself. For example, if you want to learn computer languages or other technical skills to make yourself more professionally marketable, try to set aside an hour a day and integrate this into your daily routine. And don’t neglect developing soft skills, those are just as important. And don’t forget to monitor your progress in each skill, because having a visual representation of your progress can serve as a great motivator to continue developing skills!

8. Language Learning Progress

Language learning is both a wonderful and marketable skill. I know many of us are in the langblr community, and use resources such as Duolingo and Youtube among others. This is an excellent place to take notes on vocabulary and memory triggers for those terms, plural forms and tenses/conjugations for those terms, grammar rules and exceptions to those rules, example sentences such as the ones that Duolingo provides, and even your own original writing so that you can practice using your knowledge practically.

However, as important as language learning is, it is also important to learn about the respective culture. Fully immerse yourself in understanding the culture to get a more clear picture of your global understanding. Languages and cultures shape each other to a certain extent, so it is important to give as much weight to learning the culture when you are learning a foreign language.

9. Podcast/TED Talk Notes

Whether you like to listen to podcasts on your commute, or actively listen to them on Spotify or any other Podcasts app, taking notes from podcasts is always a good idea. I’ve personally been listening to TED Talks for approximately five years now, and I find these speeches, however short, to be extremely interesting and informative. Of course, you don’t need to just limit yourself to TED Talks, as all podcasts have value to different audiences. Noting your reactions to the information presented is also a good idea. Analyzing things will always lead to a deeper understanding and appreciation of the material, as well as developing your critical thinking skills.

10. Event Plans

There is so much to look forward to in life, such as vacations, graduation(s), birthdays, weddings and anniversaries, etc. This notebook allows you to store all your plans in one place! You could divide it into sections if you want to organize it and find your plans more easily. For example, for vacations, you could record where you would like to go, the prices of the plane tickets, where you’ll stay, what to pack for the trip, the itinerary and points of interest, the cuisine, the activities you’ll do there, really anything you can think of. For graduation, you could think of graduation cap decor ideas if that’s your thing, party themes, food, picture ideas, location, etc. For birthdays, same thing. Wedding and anniversary planning are on a whole other level of difficulty, so organization is key here, and this notebook would really help with organizing all the details.

I recognize that there is a lot of overlap with these ideas, so if you don’t want to dedicate an entire notebook for any individual idea, you can use these as series for your bullet journal. Or you could combine these ideas into a single journal. Also, if journaling is not your thing, you could create binders for these ideas, or any other ideas you come up with.

I hope these ideas are helpful! :)

What did you think of the list? Feel free to share your own ideas in the comments!

#studyblr #langblr #notebookideas #lists #ideas

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