#yet it would be easier to filter in my own blog so idk

[chemzee]

30 actually means points not level which thank god for that

Uf I did find out about that recently, so I suppose my post about Lottie is kinda outdated now :"D (wasthinkingofdeletingit)

And thank God fr tbh

But thanks for informing me nonetheless though!🧡

[kangals]

way back in 2014, probably a few weeks or months after you posted that picture of boone with the stick on his head, i checked your blog out and so dearly enjoyed all the dogposting that i followed. i think you were the first dogblr blog i actually followed at the time, but it's been ages and my memory is bad, so i'm not fully sure. it wasn't long before then--2012 i think?--that i had gotten a new dog of my own, a border collie. iirc he and boone were just about the same age.

in 2018 i lost that blog i'd followed you with, and a lot of connections with it. i didn't return until 2021, and when i did, i didn't refollow most of the old blogs; i don't think i even really went looking for them. it took me a while to get back into the swing of using tumblr.

last september, my border collie had a sharp health decline, and i had to say goodbye. it's not the first time i've had to put a pet down, but i think it was the hardest. i'm still not over it. even just typing this now, i feel raw.

then in march or so, i made a new fandom friend who knows you, and i enthusiastically recalled following you before and how much i enjoyed it. i didn't even know about stellina, and now there's kep too! but... i also didn't know you'd lost boone. i followed because i still really enjoy your blog, and i love your collies too. and butters!!! so glad she's still here!

idk what made me look tonight... maybe because i talked about my old border collie with someone today. i went looking for the posts immediately around when you lost boone, because i guess some part of me wanted to know what happened. i spent the better part of an hour (maybe longer?) reading posts from the weeks before the decline, and then the loss, and then the deluge of old boone pictures after, and i've been crying pretty much the whole time just reading your posts and tags about him.

and this is a long and windy way to get to saying thank you. i'm glad you shared your grief, though that seems like a weird thing to say. there's something cathartic about crying over someone else's dog when you still hurt about your own, and knowing you're not alone in that kind of sorrow. boone was such a beautiful boy. i'll never forget that silly post that made me check your blog out in the first place, or the years of posts i stuck around for after. i wish i'd remembered to follow sooner, but the archive is still there, and it's so fun looking through all those old posts about him and his quirks and antics. he was amazing.

sorry for the length of this, i just... really wanted you to know that he touched yet another life, i guess. and i've been so deeply enjoying your posts about stellina and kep. i know it'll be a year soon... i hope there's some peace in how things have gone since he passed, and i hope the anniversary isn't too hard on you. thank you for sharing him with us.

i've been on tumblr for 14 years and this is, genuinely, the nicest ask i think i've ever been sent.

thank you - sincerely. there's been a lot of times over the course of this blog that i've felt like i was oversharing, or talking about pointless things only i cared about. i still so frequently start typing out a post only to stop mid-sentence and delete it because i can't help but think "no one cares about this." possibly it's why i like to talk about my pets so much - they're not me, but i'm the one who knows them best, so i get to say "hey look at this" and ramble and have people say "i'm looking" back. when boone passed, i lost that filter and i poured my grief out into this blog because it was the closest outlet i had. and to have hundreds of people not only acknowledge this but to commiserate, to reassure, to share their own stories - that helped healed me more than i can put into words. it's exactly as you said: there's a catharsis in grieving together.

i am sorry you also had to say goodbye. i wish i could say it gets easier, but i think that would be defeating the point of grief. your grief is your love and damn it if there isn't any act more loving in the world than choosing to say goodbye to an old, loyal dog. you think of how dogs were domesticated tens of thousands of years ago, of how human society and dogs have developed intertwined, of how we have records of ancient greeks and romans carving loving epitaths on their dog's graves, of how a prehistoric dog's skull was found with a bone placed in it's mouth after death, and you wonder if grieving a dog isn't one of the most consistent experiences in the whole of human history that there is.

i'm glad to know that this could bring you some comfort, in some way. it's incredibly touching to know that you kept me and boone in your thoughts for all this time. i am doing ok - i've been reflecting a lot as we approach the one-year mark. i'm not sure if i'll be able to condense those thoughts down into coherent words, but i'll do my best. i hope that my silly little pets continue to bring you some happiness, and that you've found peace with your own grief.

thank you, again - this is extremely touching and means a hell of a lot to me.

[illgiveyouahint]

hmmm idk how I feel about this yet. It will depend on how they will actually decide to implement it. As a long term daily user I never really thought of new users thinking it's difficult to use, but I can see the point. If you're new and don't have an already built in curated dash, then you don't really know how to use tumblr. So for that, a For You page and Explore and Radar and all those things are actually good and sensible. I'm actually not against a For You page. Hey sometimes even my dash is dead and I will have a looksee there. 

However, I think it's absolutely essential that tumblr will continue to have an option of a chronological timeline with only those we chose to follow. If tumblr would ever take that away I, and I imagine hundreds of thousands of us, would definitely start using the site less, and it would lead to fewer creators on your site, not more. We curate our own blog experience over time, and there's a reason we like it that way.

I am curious what they want to do with the reblogs/replies. Because an easier way to follow the threads could actually be good, but I am just not yet sure how they'll go about implementing that.

Anyway as I've been mentioning for quite some time one of the things I most appreciate about the current way tumblr development team goes about implementing changes is customization. I think the ability to let us choose how we want to use this site is the best thing about these recent changes. I've mentioned before how much I love the letterboxd social site and app. I happily pay for it even, just like so far I've happily paid a little extra to tumblr. And the key reason for that is because letterboxd is allowing so much customization and so much toggles for visibility and filtering and timeline etc. I spent hours just toggling with it all the time. So yeah you can have a for you page, you can even allow people to opt in into best stuff first etc. but the key is to ALWAYS HAVE IT BE CUSTOMIZABLE so that we can turn it off if we want to.

Tumblr’s Core Product Strategy

Here at Tumblr, we’ve been working hard on reorganizing how we work in a bid to gain more users. A larger user base means a more sustainable company, and means we get to stick around and do this thing with you all a bit longer. What follows is the strategy we're using to accomplish the goal of user growth. The @labs group has published a bit already, but this is bigger. We’re publishing it publicly for the first time, in an effort to work more transparently with all of you in the Tumblr community. This strategy provides guidance amid limited resources, allowing our teams to focus on specific key areas to ensure Tumblr’s future.

The Diagnosis

In order for Tumblr to grow, we need to fix the core experience that makes Tumblr a useful place for users. The underlying problem is that Tumblr is not easy to use. Historically, we have expected users to curate their feeds and lean into curating their experience. But this expectation introduces friction to the user experience and only serves a small portion of our audience. 

Tumblr’s competitive advantage lies in its unique content and vibrant communities. As the forerunner of internet culture, Tumblr encompasses a wide range of interests, such as entertainment, art, gaming, fandom, fashion, and music. People come to Tumblr to immerse themselves in this culture, making it essential for us to ensure a seamless connection between people and content. 

To guarantee Tumblr’s continued success, we’ve got to prioritize fostering that seamless connection between people and content. This involves attracting and retaining new users and creators, nurturing their growth, and encouraging frequent engagement with the platform.

Our Guiding Principles

To enhance Tumblr’s usability, we must address these core guiding principles.

Expand the ways new users can discover and sign up for Tumblr.

Provide high-quality content with every app launch.

Facilitate easier user participation in conversations.

Retain and grow our creator base.

Create patterns that encourage users to keep returning to Tumblr.

Improve the platform’s performance, stability, and quality.

Below is a deep dive into each of these principles.

Principle 1: Expand the ways new users can discover and sign up for Tumblr.

Tumblr has a “top of the funnel” issue in converting non-users into engaged logged-in users. We also have not invested in industry standard SEO practices to ensure a robust top of the funnel. The referral traffic that we do get from external sources is dispersed across different pages with inconsistent user experiences, which results in a missed opportunity to convert these users into regular Tumblr users. For example, users from search engines often land on pages within the blog network and blog view—where there isn’t much of a reason to sign up. 

We need to experiment with logged-out tumblr.com to ensure we are capturing the highest potential conversion rate for visitors into sign-ups and log-ins. We might want to explore showing the potential future user the full breadth of content that Tumblr has to offer on our logged-out pages. We want people to be able to easily understand the potential behind Tumblr without having to navigate multiple tabs and pages to figure it out. Our current logged-out explore page does very little to help users understand “what is Tumblr.” which is a missed opportunity to get people excited about joining the site.

Actions & Next Steps

Improving Tumblr’s search engine optimization (SEO) practices to be in line with industry standards.

Experiment with logged out tumblr.com to achieve the highest conversion rate for sign-ups and log-ins, explore ways for visitors to “get” Tumblr and entice them to sign up.

Principle 2: Provide high-quality content with every app launch.

We need to ensure the highest quality user experience by presenting fresh and relevant content tailored to the user’s diverse interests during each session. If the user has a bad content experience, the fault lies with the product.

The default position should always be that the user does not know how to navigate the application. Additionally, we need to ensure that when people search for content related to their interests, it is easily accessible without any confusing limitations or unexpected roadblocks in their journey.

Being a 15-year-old brand is tough because the brand carries the baggage of a person’s preconceived impressions of Tumblr. On average, a user only sees 25 posts per session, so the first 25 posts have to convey the value of Tumblr: it is a vibrant community with lots of untapped potential. We never want to leave the user believing that Tumblr is a place that is stale and not relevant. 

Actions & Next Steps

Deliver great content each time the app is opened.

Make it easier for users to understand where the vibrant communities on Tumblr are. 

Improve our algorithmic ranking capabilities across all feeds. 

Principle 3: Facilitate easier user participation in conversations.

Part of Tumblr’s charm lies in its capacity to showcase the evolution of conversations and the clever remarks found within reblog chains and replies. Engaging in these discussions should be enjoyable and effortless.

Unfortunately, the current way that conversations work on Tumblr across replies and reblogs is confusing for new users. The limitations around engaging with individual reblogs, replies only applying to the original post, and the inability to easily follow threaded conversations make it difficult for users to join the conversation.

Actions & Next Steps

Address the confusion within replies and reblogs.

Improve the conversational posting features around replies and reblogs. 

Allow engagements on individual replies and reblogs.

Make it easier for users to follow the various conversation paths within a reblog thread. 

Remove clutter in the conversation by collapsing reblog threads. 

Explore the feasibility of removing duplicate reblogs within a user’s Following feed. 

Principle 4: Retain and grow our creator base.

Creators are essential to the Tumblr community. However, we haven’t always had a consistent and coordinated effort around retaining, nurturing, and growing our creator base.  

Being a new creator on Tumblr can be intimidating, with a high likelihood of leaving or disappointment upon sharing creations without receiving engagement or feedback. We need to ensure that we have the expected creator tools and foster the rewarding feedback loops that keep creators around and enable them to thrive.

The lack of feedback stems from the outdated decision to only show content from followed blogs on the main dashboard feed (“Following”), perpetuating a cycle where popular blogs continue to gain more visibility at the expense of helping new creators. To address this, we need to prioritize supporting and nurturing the growth of new creators on the platform.

It is also imperative that creators, like everyone on Tumblr, feel safe and in control of their experience. Whether it be an ask from the community or engagement on a post, being successful on Tumblr should never feel like a punishing experience.

Actions & Next Steps

Get creators’ new content in front of people who are interested in it. 

Improve the feedback loop for creators, incentivizing them to continue posting.

Build mechanisms to protect creators from being spammed by notifications when they go viral.

Expand ways to co-create content, such as by adding the capability to embed Tumblr links in posts.

Principle 5: Create patterns that encourage users to keep returning to Tumblr.

Push notifications and emails are essential tools to increase user engagement, improve user retention, and facilitate content discovery. Our strategy of reaching out to you, the user, should be well-coordinated across product, commercial, and marketing teams.

Our messaging strategy needs to be personalized and adapt to a user’s shifting interests. Our messages should keep users in the know on the latest activity in their community, as well as keeping Tumblr top of mind as the place to go for witty takes and remixes of the latest shows and real-life events.  

Most importantly, our messages should be thoughtful and should never come across as spammy.  

Actions & Next Steps

Conduct an audit of our messaging strategy.

Address the issue of notifications getting too noisy; throttle, collapse or mute notifications where necessary.  

Identify opportunities for personalization within our email messages. 

Test what the right daily push notification limit is. 

Send emails when a user has push notifications switched off.

Principle 6: Performance, stability and quality.

The stability and performance of our mobile apps have declined. There is a large backlog of production issues, with more bugs created than resolved over the last 300 days. If this continues, roughly one new unresolved production issue will be created every two days. Apps and backend systems that work well and don't crash are the foundation of a great Tumblr experience. Improving performance, stability, and quality will help us achieve sustainable operations for Tumblr.

Improve performance and stability: deliver crash-free, responsive, and fast-loading apps on Android, iOS, and web.

Improve quality: deliver the highest quality Tumblr experience to our users. 

Move faster: provide APIs and services to unblock core product initiatives and launch new features coming out of Labs.

Conclusion

Our mission has always been to empower the world’s creators. We are wholly committed to ensuring Tumblr evolves in a way that supports our current users while improving areas that attract new creators, artists, and users. You deserve a digital home that works for you. You deserve the best tools and features to connect with your communities on a platform that prioritizes the easy discoverability of high-quality content. This is an invigorating time for Tumblr, and we couldn’t be more excited about our current strategy.

[hexenmond]

a fediverse tumblr

Dumping this here real quick because my brain is running away with me again and I can't follow fast enough.

I read some posts about transfem having to play whack-a-mole here on tumblr in the role of the mole… and it reminded me of two things:

tumblr has, for all its differences, some of the same problems as other corporate-owned social media sites, namely the users having to roll with whatever gets thrown at them.

Years ago (back when porn bots felt like the bane of my existence, ugh) I already had this idea of a fediverse, open source version of tumblr, like Mastodon is to Xitter. (is that pronounced "quitter"? "shitter"? idk)

And honestly? While I'm not currently active on Mastodon I've hung out there enough to know that it's by no means perfect, but it's a really good space to build a home in. And if you don't like the server you're on, you can move without losing any connections! That's a hell of a lot better than only being able to do an export of your blog that contains no information on your mutuals at all.

The biggest issue with fediverse is that somebody has to run, and very importantly pay for, a lot of servers. I've been looking for a PeerTube instance that accepts new people and there are vanishingly few at the moment, which I can totally understand but it's a serious hindrance to large scale adoption as it would be needed for tumblr folks.

On the other hand – there's AO3. Proving that it could be done, if enough people wanted it. And gods, we could do so many cool things with open source, user accessible code!

We could put in so many Easter eggs! Like that million and a half reblogs post that I saw this morning that summons a weird ask into your inbox. Or boops for April Fools. Or a spooky skeleton hunt for Halloween. (Or, indeed, swap the two in one year 😂😂😂)

We could keep the tags as they are but consolidate the most common ones in filters. We could optionally do reblogs with text versions of tags. We could have a fucking excellent search function! We could communicate with other parts of the fediverse, strengthening the whole.

Naturally we'd build a really well thought out import function that lets everyone import their tumblr blogs, even if they've been shitposting three times a day for fifteen consecutive years (woooo the minds boggles at that raw amount of data – I hope tumblr can even export it???), and re-link the usernames whenever someone new imports their stuff, so the usernames on posts with many reblogs would be named "iamatumblruser-not-migrated-yet" until they do, and they're maybe "ichoseanewusername (iamatumblruser on tumblr)". Opt-in of course.

Oh! We could get companies to sponsor the whole thing, or single servers maybe, and let them run ads in exchange. BUT those ads would of course be opt-in as well! So the companies would really have to up their ad game. (Not sure this would work with any crowd except the weird tumblrinas, but I think this could produce some really interesting results. I for one would pay attention to those companies.)

We could do public requests for and votes on code features. We could have a whole server only for trans women who got banned on tumblr. We could let people tag their blogs as a whole to make finding friends easier. Hell, we could give the thing a solid algorithm and make those "based on your likes" posts etc. opt-in! So if you want them they bring you cool things, and if you only ever want to see the posts from exactly three blogs that you follow religiously, that is also totally easily achieved.

Sigh… my brain is inventing paradise send help…

[devillainsarchive]

SHIPPING INFO // Answer the following for your muse(s) so people know how shipping works on your blog.

REPOST. Don’t reblog.

What’s your OTP for your Muse?: HONESTLY? I don’t know. I am such a ship whore that i love all the ships. On this blog I’d say my OTP is Mal x Carlos, and by proxy I love Uma x Carlos. In general I like the dark side to Carlos and Harry, and the soft side to Carlos and Ben. I alos love Poly Core4 with a passion. I also have a soft spot for Carlos x Chad so yeah nothing is out of bounds here. What are you willing to RP when it comes to shipping?: Anything and everything but rape. I will do fake dating, I will do forced engagement, i will do soulmates (ALL SOULMATE AUS) and everything. How large does the age gap have to be to make it uncomfortable?: anything with someone who is of age and a minor. If both are of age I don’t care. If it is a teen and a child no. But if its like two 12 year olds who are like in puppy love, dealing with cooties I don’t see why that’s wrong (unless sex is at play then no no sex with anyone underage sorry) Are you selective when shipping?: I LOVE shipping. HOWEVER, Carlos’ two main ships are things that aren’t my biggest ships. I have to ship both of them under certain circumstances, and without a doubt I have to talk to the respective muns for a bit before anything happens. Like Jay and Carlos would never happen in canon unless poly Core4 for me. Jane and Carlos would happen in canon but with cerain parameters and such--- as i am adapting that to my canon once d3 comes out. How far do steamy moments have to go before they’re considered NSFW?: if both characters are naked and dicks and boobs are flying everywhere, then yes i will tag with NSFW. I used to do smut RPs where nothing went under a read more, or was really considered NSFW (yeah i used to do smut rps oh the glee fandom LOLOL), so my filter for what WRITING i consider NSFW is so low. When it comes to images, lingere, faceless gifs of people who are supposedly naked and stuff that’s NSFW cause images are different than writing in that its easier to see an image than to read something at a glance at a screen. Who are other muses you ship your muse with?:  From non descendants canon, I don’t know. I haven’t gotten to experience that alot. I’m willing to try anything though. In descendants, you can look up a list of characters and I probably ship carlos with all of them with the exclusion of adults, and his own family. Does one have to ask to ship with you?: LOL, not really. Usually if I feel it the other person feels it. That’s how Dani and I started shipping Mal and Carlos. But seriously send me a meme and you may get surprised. Ari and I just let people assume, but I totally ship that, I think she might too but IDK. How often do you like to ship?: All times are a time to ship. Are you multiship?: Duh. Are you ship obsessed or ship more-or-less?:  ships are not the end all be all. But I love ships. What is your favourite ship in your current fandom?: i am biased heavily towards Mal and Carlos as my number one. But i love Poly Core 4, Sea 3, most ships with Carlos, however a ship that isn’t Carlos based... I love me some Gil x Harry like i need more of that in my life. Finally, how does one ship with you?: Ask, send memes, try it for a thread, if Carlos shuts you down I may not be feeling it yet, so never take it as a no.

TAGGED BY: someone who is fucking trying to call me out but failing CAUSE JOBROS SANG IT BETTER TAGGING: All you Brits who know who the fuck Busted is.

[amistytown]

tbh, as much as I'm very "of course I'll be a nuisance on my own blog," I still get days where I feel as though everything is a lie and there's no point to me being online or talking about anything or my oc or trying to socialize when I'm dogshit at keeping up with people, and those times I get the strongest urge to delete my blog too. I've come close a couple times, and while sometimes I'm able to distract myself from thinking about it with stay off the site a bit, I find that... the most helpful thing for me is to remind myself that there are people who really do seem to enjoy my presence?

And while it's very easy to give in to the voices that tell you that you're annoying, unwanted, and that everyone could be lying to you about how much they like you, idk it just seems like the evidence points to no, you're not nearly as bad as you think you are. This is my thought process:

If I really were as unbearable as my mind makes me think I am, then more than half the people I'm mutuals with would've either unfollowed me or blocked me straight up already. They're not lying to me about liking me because that's just so much effort on their end when again, it really would just be easier to be rid of me. If I were unwanted, they'd have curated their feeds to where I am no longer around for them to be annoyed at. We're on Tumblr for a good time, why would anyone put themselves through the hassle of faking liking someone? This isn't Twitter lmao (and if people here are faking, well. That's on them. It's much more convenient to just block someone. What are you hate-following someone for?)

And even then, there's considering the fact that the people who do find that they don't enjoy my presence have already done something to filter me out. The people still around want me around. Perhaps it's on some level parasocial, but it's not as if we're random fans in someone's comment section having one way conversations; there's actual dialogue, a sharing of experiences on and one-to-one level. Internet friendships really are a Thing.

I think taking certain things into perspective helps as well. Simply knowing that the feeling comes and goes helps remind me that the feeling does come and it will go. And it reminds me to ask myself; if I delete my blog and cut myself off from the things I enjoy here, how much will I regret it once the feeling has passed? Would it be better for me in the long run to not have this outlet for sharing my experiences and finding others who enjoy the same things I do?

Which will sometimes bring up the question of "perhaps I should delete my blog for my better health?" and you know what? That's fair! If you really think you need to cut yourself off from it, then sure. In the end, it's still a blog and you can easily remake. (Or you can just leave it inactive and delete the app, that way if you ever change your mind, everything is still here)

I know I'm like, annoying when completely unfiltered lmao but another thing I think to myself is that there is are whole communities of people here who are fucking unbearable and whose ideals and content actively harm others, and I think they should all delete themselves off the internet but they're still here.

If TERFs, transphobes, racists, and all the like get to freely have their presence on here (and even actively intrude upon others' spaces to spread their agenda), why can't you? When you're literally just here enjoying your blorbos with your friends?

You've got every right to be here and have a good time.

But yeah. Tl;dr I kind of try to ground myself in some way by considering the external since like, I get the impulse to delete blog at least once a week yet I know it's an intrusive, unwanted thought. Hope some of this helps even just a little; I like having you around. We can be annoying together <3

That's exactly how I feel! You described everything really well, and I'm sorry you have those thoughts and feelings too. They can be difficult to deal with. Though a part of me is relieved I'm not alone lol. I think there are a lot of people who share our worries, but don't want to voice them because they're afraid to. I love reassuring and comforting others when they need it; your feelings are completely valid, and you shouldn't be ashamed of them. I know I enjoy you and your blog, and Tumblr wouldn't be the same without you!

Yeah, sometimes my mind goes to a place where it convinces me I don't matter to people or I'm a burden. I've been better at controlling those feelings, but my therapy session seemed to make me relive some of my darkest moments, and I felt very anxious and dissociated after. Maybe it's something I should mention to her, but I imagine talking about those memories becomes easier over time. I'm feeling a bit better today after getting out of the house at least. I hope you're doing well!

I really like your thought process, and I'll have to practice changing my way of thinking when I spiral. It's crazy how your own mind can pit you against yourself! I know I'd regret deleting my blog because it brings me more happiness than anything. My anxieties seem to seep into everything when I get in that frame of mind, but I need to stay positive and think things out logically. And this definitely helped and put things in perspective. I really appreciate you reaching out and being supportive! If you ever need someone to talk to, I'm always here ♥

[lifeatucr]

Answers 8.9.17

If you live in residence halls, like Pentland Hills, where would you do your laundry and for how much? Sorry, I just can't find any solid info online about the 'where' and how much it will be per wash/load.. Thank you!!!

There are laundry rooms in each building! You load Bear Bucks on your card, and it comes out to $2 per load ($1.25 for washing, $0.75 for drying). 

Hello! I have a 9am class at UV THE9, and I plan to be living in Pentland Hills. I was wondering how I would get to the class, without owning a car, because it looks like it's across the highway? Is there a specific RTA bus route, or are is it possible to walk (is it a short/long walking distance)? Thank you so so much!!!

Most students walk! I used to live in the furthest Pentland building and it would take me twenty minutes to walk to my 9am class at the UV. You would walk towards campus and then under the bridge on University Ave. You can also use a bike, scooter, or skateboard if you want to get there faster. 

i live in norcal and i'm not driving down for move in day until the morning of because it's the only time that works for my family. i'm scared i won't make it in time to check in because it's a 6-8 hour drive? even if i leave earlier in the morning, i'm scared something will go wrong and i won't be able to get there in time but i don't know if i should talk to the rso about it because i feel like all of my worries are just in my brain and that there's really nothing to be concerned about ?? help

Don’t worry! If it makes you feel better, call the RSO and let them know you are driving from far away and there is a possibility you’ll be running late. You can address any of your move in concerns with the RSO, that’s what they’re here for! (:

I'm going to be living in Pentland Hills for my freshman year, do you recommend bringing like two pans, a spatula, and cutting knife? I do want to cook from time to time.

There is only stove for two floors to share, so as long as you work out storage with your roommates/hallmates in the cabinets, you should have enough room to keep two small/medium sized pans, a spatula, and a cutting knife. 

I really have no idea why, but I'm super scared to move out of the house and leave for college. (I only live 2 hours away from campus though) It's already the second week of August and idk if I can make it in college :( I don't want to disappoint myself or my parents. I want to do well in school, have fun with friends, and learn how to live more independently. How do I reassure myself with these feelings of anxiety?

There are many resources on campus to help you adjust to college. I highly recommend CAPS (Counseling and Psychological Services). Students get a few free sessions a year, and I definitely think you should take advantage of it! As someone who is an advocate for self care and mental health awareness, I see no shame in using these resources to help you be the best you when leaving for college. There are also AMAZING resources at Costo Hall to help you build community in ethnic and gender programs, and there is a CARE department (Campus Advocacy, Resources, & Education) that also provides resources and support for survivors of violence. As someone who experiences anxiety regularly, these resources are what kept me focused and encouraged! Moving out and living on your own is such a great learning experience, and there are so many resources on campus to help students during this time of change. If you are interested in hearing more about this, message us back and let us know if you’re interested in reading a blog about mental health and resources on campus.

Do rooms in Pentland have cable? And if so, do I need a cord or something for the cable?

There is cable available for the suites!  You will just need a standard coaxial cable to connect your TV directly to the wall.

My first class starts at 9:10 AM. I usually wake up at 7:30 everyday (as of now). I know this question largely depends on whether or not you're a morning person, but do you think it's THAT difficult to wake up early for classes? Like are there still people out there with 8-9AM's? Everybody tells me to stay away from morning classes and now I'm scared that I'll fail the class or something

If you’re productive at that time, I’d say go for it! I go to work in the mornings and my boyfriend has 8am classes and has no problem with it. It really depends on the person and what works best for you and your schedule. I stay away from 8am classes only because I normally take evening classes, and if I took 8ams with evening classes I would be on campus all day. If most of my classes were in the morning, then it’d be much easier. You CAN do 8ams if that’s your preference, and don’t let anyone discourage you if you think you’d do best in that kind of setting.

i have absolutely no experience working. can i still apply for a work study job? if so, do i still have a good chance of getting hired?

If you received work study in your financial aid award, you can apply for a work study job. If you did not get work study, you can still apply for on campus jobs. Even if you’ve never had a job, you will find a department on campus that likes your skills and personality and you will grow and learn in that position! It might be hard finding a job at first, but don’t let it get down, and make sure to always follow up!

What are discussion classes like? Do students have to participate a lot?

It really depends on the TA. There are some discussions that require participation as a grade, and others that do not dock points as long as long as there are members of the class that facilitate conversation.

What happens during week zero? I heard there are a lot of events / parties.

As someone who isn’t big into parties, I couldn’t really tell you about that part of zero week, sorry! But zero week is a time to get caught up with unpacking and getting settled in your new housing arrangements. There are no classes during zero week so it’s really a good time to get comfortable with the campus and your housemates/hallmates/roommates, etc.

What is the bedding size for beds at UCR dorms? I just need to know to buy sheets.

Twin XL, regular XL sheets won’t work! (Check out our YouTube video on Pentland Hills ;D)

If I move into my dorm with like carry-on's, is there enough space to store the carry on in the closet? Or is there a designated place fore storing like empty suitcases? Sorry if this sounds like a dumb question.

Don’t worry, it’s not a dumb question! This is a new experience for a lot of people, so thank you for having the courage to ask! There is room in the closet on the top shelf or at the bottom, but because the closet can be kind of cramped, I recommend storing it under your bed. The beds have a lot of storage space underneath!

Do I need to bring a printer for college? Is it more convinient?

There are many printing resources on campus! If you living in a dorm, you get a 400 free pages in the computer labs for the whole year. Separately, you get 300 free pages per quarter at Watkins. AAAAAAAND places like the Women’s Resource Center, the LGBTQ Resource Center, Asian Pacific Student Programs, and Chicano Student Programs offer free printing for smaller documents. It can be more convenient if you live off campus, but for the most part printing here is easily accessible and you already get a lot of printing for free here!

I'm really scared about getting a roommate that's messy, unorganized, etc. If I end up not liking my roommate, what are my choices? Am I stuck with this roommate for an entire year? Are there any options to live alone without a roommate on campus as a freshmen? Like a single dorm room?

Anonymous said:

I'm an incoming freshmen and I chose Pentland as my first choice for housing and I really hope I get it. Do students usually get their first choice? Is it a rare case scenario that students get their 2nd choice?

Students usually get their first choice, and I think the only exception to someone not getting their first choice is if they submitted housing applications late and there is limited availability. 

You didn't answer my question. Is the tap water okay to drink?

You can drink it but most students bring their own filter.

Would I still have to readmit if I was never dismissed?

Yes. If you have lapsed, you will need to fill out a readmission application to resume your education at UCR. Here is the readmission application! 

I applied for transfer to the winter quarter 2018, when will I be given their decision?

We are not sure of the specific date yet since transfer applications have been extended to August 11th! Follow our other social media channels and we should have occasional updates.