This is mostly stuff I want to remember for myself. 24 (she/her)
122 posts
Hstyles1798 - Happy.Healthy. - Tumblr Blog
quick tips to just get started when you’re struggling
break down goals further and further into easily achievable tasks/steps
visualize your end goal
visualize all of the steps
tell yourself you’ll just do the first part of the task/work for five minutes (and then see if that momentum carries yourself forward)
ask a friend for encouragement
close all of your tabs/apps, close your laptop, and start over
change your physical environment (go somewhere else, even if it’s just a different room)
picture a goal and then set a short count-down timer. try to complete the goal before the timer runs out
picture a reward – could be the reward of that good feeling that comes with completing something, or it could be a piece of candy, etc
come up with the first step (should be very easy, like “stand up”) and then count backwards from 5. you should be doing that by the time you reach 0.
make a schedule even if you have no intention of following it.
if you don’t want to do the first task you have to do, just start in the middle with something you feel capable of doing
a big sister’s college tips
wait until after syllabus week to buy your textbooks. they might not be required. it’ll save you money
prioritize your classes by number of credit hours. more credit hours = bigger impact on your GPA. sometimes there’s not enough study time to go around
if you wanna dress up for class, dress up for class. if you wanna pull up in the sweatshirt you wore yesterday, that’s okay too
locate your classes before they start, so you don’t get lost on the first day. check and see if your college has an app of some sort with a campus map!
old exams are more valuable than life itself
set your class schedule as your home screen until you’ve got it down
Chegg.com. you’re welcome
carry a sweatshirt. it may be 100 degrees outside but chances are it’s 30 degrees in your lecture hall
keep your syllabi
write things down!! planner, phone, laptop, etc.
sit in the front. go up and introduce yourself to your professor after the first day, say you’re looking forward to the class. build a relationship! Professors do not round grades for students they don’t at least recognize
bring your chargers with you everywhere
sometimes it’s easier to wake up early and study for an exam than stay up late the night before
shower shoes. have you ever heard of toe fungus
the dorms are bad BUT you will get through it (and make friends while doing it)
there’s no such thing as a condom that doesn’t fit
every time you skip class it costs you money. go to class. (unless you are dying or have no other time to finish something for another class)
your mental health is important. college can be overwhelming. know your limits. seek help if you need it.
sometimes if you go to your professor’s office hours and ask questions a day or two before an exam they will steer you towards information that will be covered
find your study space. the library is your friend
parking is a bitch and a half
it’s okay to miss your parents. call them. (they miss you too)
talk to your advisor!!! let them advise you!!!
don’t study yourself into the ground. after college you’re a real life adult - enjoy college while it lasts. go out, make friends, if you drink, do so responsibly. uber exists for this very reason
keep an eye on your drink at all times
don’t feel pressured to go out and drink because college. it’s not for everybody
on a related note: pedialyte is your friend
don’t be afraid to drop a class that doesn’t fit you, but talk to your advisor first
chances are you’re paying a lot of money to be where you are. party if you wanna, but do not let it interfere with your grades.
you’re gonna get a lot of free stuff. take advantage
if you can handle it with your class load, get a job. it’s a good way to make friends.
it’s okay to change your major. really!
first semester is easier if you get involved with something!!
there will be weeks when you have nothing due, and then there will be weeks when you have 5 exams 14 assignments and 2 papers due all at once. take advantage of down time. work ahead!! make life easier for your future self
carry a water bottle
exercise will not only help avoid the freshman 15 but also make you feel better
it’s okay if you’re not best friends with your roommate
communicate if they are doing something that annoys you
keep your dorm clean. the only thing worse than a tiny space is a messy one
buy an umbrella
WriterofthePrompts Ultimate Ask Masterlist
I’ve decided to make a masterlist of asks I’ve done to make them easier to find for you guys (and for myself). I split them into categories as best as I could by genre and topic. Also, some asks have some helpful tips in the notes as well to check out (some are marked but not all) and if you have anything to add that you think would help, feel free to reply or reblog with your addition. I’ll try to keep it updated with future asks.
Now without further ado, the strangest and most wonderful list I’ve ever made.
World Building
Urban fantasy prompts/creating urban fantasy world (also linked under fantasy)
Links to help with world building
Creating a pantheon of gods
Things to research when writing a historical novel (also linked under Historical)
Using metaphors in descriptions
Too much world building?
Asking questions to develop a magic system
Wizard school ideas
Why magic would drain from a world
Tips for descriptions
Reasons for civil war
Character Development
Writing confusion in your character
Obstacles to character goals: traveling abroad
Reactions to sadness
Reactions to a devastating event
Showing a character’s anxiety towards something
Showing a character’s secret without revealing it
Reasons a character would die for another
Secrets in a character’s past
Culture shock with loss of rules
Growth of a trainee witch
Characters provoking other characters
Dealing with moving to a completely new place
Why a 19yo would allow a strange boy to live with her
Why a character would want a do-over in life
Showing a character going from good to bad
Possible good messages when the villains aren’t reformed
Kid growing up surrounded only by adults
Quirks for characters
Showing friendship with reserved characters
Introducing an antagonist
Introducing side characters
When you don’t think your character’s backstory fits
Writing Different Types of Characters
Writing antiheroes
The reluctant hero
Writing a violent character afraid of their mind
Making an immoral character likeable
Not a normal girl
Sympathetic villain
Making sure your character isn’t just a flirt
Writing intelligent characters
When your hero isn’t very heroic
Confident characters
Writing an antisocial character
Character Family
Visiting family for the first time
Showing closeness in siblings (opposite twins)
How a joker and a quiet character can become friends
Daughter of a party organizer prompts
Parent jobs where the kid needs to keep up appearances
The mom that left comes back…a vampire
Including character’s parents
Why a character would leave another
Sibling relationships
character with an abusive father (and how to show fear)
Romance
Writing a slow paced love story
love interest vs the ex revamped
Platonic male x female relationships
Random places to get married
Suspense and romance with a “different” male lead
sad relationship prompts
Asexuality and romance
Mutual pining
Romance with large age differences
Childhood friends falling in love
Fluffy unique first kiss
Ways of showing commitment in characters (vampire edition)
Friendship to romance
Small situations for a couple story
fantasy creature and human fluff
characters meeting and falling in love during war
Why best friends might fall in love
Unlikely soulmates prompts
Sci Fi
Using dreams as energy
Time travel prompts (asked for male x female protags)
Time travel: how saving someone can go wrong
Reliving memories
Android characters
Writing humanoids in post apocalypse
Consequences of growing a baby in an artificial womb (theoretical)
The evil AI that characters can’t (shouldn’t) destroy
Girl and guy get trapped in the same body
Rich people in post apocalypse
Discovering you have a doppelgânger
Superheroes
Teenagers, hormones and their superpowers
Weird superpowers
Superhero kids reluctant to be superheroes
Aliens
beings traveling to Earth
Why an alien wouldn’t be able to leave Earth
Reasons an alien would be sent to live on Earth
Human/alien team surviving on hostile planet together
Fantasy/Paranormal
Urban fantasy prompts/creating urban fantasy world (also linked under world building)
gods losing their powers
creations turning on their creators
How elemental powers might work
Why NOT to destroy the world when it’s your goal
Mistreated genies
Tropes of a fantasy (also linked under Writing Motivation/Tips)
Male character ideas in a fantasy
Immortal woman prompts
Beauty and the Beast revamp
How Death and a teenage girl become adventure teammates
Powers for magical beings writing down history
Girl meets demon from forest behind her house
Reverse fairytale prompts
Revamped fairytale prompts 2
Manatees being confused by mermaids
a princess befriends a baby dragon
Making a character believe in a cure for a curse
Egyptian gods living among us
A love between the sun and the moon
What fantasy creatures do on Halloween
Human and fantasy creature become pen pals
Creatures
Monsters and urban legends
Fantastic creatures
A little bit on dragons
Kind dragons
Magic and Witches
witch x wizard romance
witch prompts
Witch being protective over a human-turned-doll
magical boarding school
Ideas for curses
A young witch exploring the boundaries of her powers
Traps a wizard could set for a thief
Angels and Demons
Angels and demons
Angel as a human on earth
Jobs for angels and demons who fall in love
Physical impacts on a demon who keeps dying and coming back
Demons hunter prompts
Vampires
Human meets vampire 1
Human meets vampire 2
How to hide your vampirism from your family
Royal vampires
Vampire hunter gets bitten by a vampire
Reasons a locked up vampire would go after your character
Why a vampire and vampire hunter would work together
Vampire x werewolf forbidden love
Ghosts
Helpful ghost prankster prompts 1
Helpful ghost prankster prompts 2
Human and ghost solving mysteries together
1776 woman with supernatural abilities prompts
A medium whose friend is in a coma
Medium question Pt. 2: their fatal flaws
Battle Scenes
Writing Battle Scenes Tips
How to lead up to an action scene
Keep reading
Apartment hacks masterpost
Kitchen
How to clean up kitchen (particularly the sink, burnt pots and small aplliances)
How to take care of kitchen stuff so that it lives longer
10 commandments of a clutter-free kitchen
Organizing kitchen mini masterpost
5 things to do in the kitchen before you go to bed
What is soapy bowl and why it’s awesome
How to organize your fridge (also here, here and here)
Thins you should know about your fridge
Adding more storage space in a tiny kitchen
Cleaning
Lots of cleaning tutorials and tips. And some more
How to clean up pantry
How to make your house look cleaner than it really is
How to wash pillows
Cleaning the bathroom
How to clean the nastiest places (and get rid of bad smells, etc.)
Floor-to-celling guide to spring cleaning
Recaulking your bathtub
Cleaning grout
How to dispose of toxic waste
Cleaning the medicine cabinet
How to make chores more fun
You mustn’t skip these chores, but you can delay these if you’re busy
Easily forgotten things that you should clean/replace
Why you need a catch-up day
Small cleaning tasks to do in under 15 minutes (also here)
Looking for a flat/moving
First apartment checklist
Where too look during an apartment hunt (and some more tips)
Negotiate these things with your landlord
What to do first in a new place
What do clean before moving out
How not to get crazy during moving flats
How to downgrade to a smaller place
Organisation, storage
10 habits for better home organisation
How to store off-season items
10 storage ideas for small spaces (more here)
Storage secret weapons
How to organise your closet
Things to do before twice-yearly closet switchout
How to store and maintain your sweaters
Decluttering
Why it feels great
How to get rid of clutter
How to declutter (not only a flat)
What needs to be thrown away from your flat
How to let go of the things you no longer need
Things you own too many of; you can throw away these too
Decuttering the bathroom
Decluterring masterpost
Decorating
Projects for every room in your home/flat
Add style to your home
DIY decorating ideas
How to use negative space
4 common decorating mistakes and how to avoid them
Questions to ask yourself before buying something new
How to choose furniture that’ll be easier to clean
Season-specific tips
Things to do before the cold season
Household hacks for winter
Preparing for Christmas
Green thumb 101
How to take care of succulents
Never kill a plant again
Living alone / Sharing a flat
How not to be lonely when living alone
12 things you can only do when home alone
What you learn by living alone
Things you learn while sharing a flat
What to pack when leaving for a dorm
How to seamlessly share a kitchen (or a flat in general)
Safety issues to discuss with flatmates
Benefits of living with strangers
And also how to turn a house into a home
random college tips
i. get to your classroom early if you don’t have a class beforehand
not only are you guaranteed the best seat in the house, but there’s something about being in a classroom or lecture hall that makes you feel productive and focused. bring a book or writing assignment for a different class with you and just Do It
ii. pack your bag the night before
especially if you have early morning classes and are not a morning person. this will help you have a less stressful morning and will help you make sure you have everything you need for the day prior to leaving your dorm
iii. don’t overannotate
annotations are designed to help you identify the most important parts of the book/novel, meaning important themes, character development, big events, the implications of said events, etc. by over highlighting and over annotating i can guarantee you you aren’t doing yourself a favor !!! i’m gonna make a post later about how i annotate so be on the lookout
iv. stay on top of your readings
seriously. it is a pain in the ass trying to catch up on a week’s worth of reading in five different classes. it is stressful, it’s time consuming, and it’s exhausting. even if you’ve had a long day and you’re not in the mood to read an entire 20 page chapter in your american government textbook, just do it !!! your brain and your mental health will thank you the next day
v. try your hardest not to miss class
i’m mentally ill and prone to sickness, so i understand that sometimes it’s hard. it also feels worse when you miss class and have no idea what’s happening, so if you think you can get out of bed, lets get to class so we don’t fall behind and get extra stress thrown on top of us!
vi. fridays are homework days
think of it this way: if fridays are homework days, saturday and sunday are free days !!!!
vii. proofread your papers before you turn them in
guys i literally never do this (i know i’m a bad egg) and im always suffering for it. if your college/university has a writing center/something similar please go there, especially your freshman year !!! they will help you learn how to accurately and succinctly convey your thoughts on a college level and you will be so grateful later on i hate myself
viii. ask if the professor prefers a certain citation style
if you dont get a chance to ask during the class/lecture, send them an email. i once got my grade halved because i didnt use APA when the professor didnt specify on the syllabus/assignment sheet. so do urself and ur gpa a favor and ask
ix. always bring extra pens/pencils to class with you
somebody will forget theirs and they will sit next to you and if ur in a class with 30+ ppl that has group projects or presentations coming up you’re going to want friends
x. college kids love gum
if u bring gum you got all the friends in the world my guy i dont know why this is a thing but it is. one girl cried during exam week last year because i gave her a piece of my gum and that was literally the highlight of her week
ok thats my random ass list of stuff regarding college !! i’ll probably make more masterposts like this b/c this was fun as heck. if u have any questions/need advice, just hmu !! you can check out my other masterposts here.
135 Ways You Can Practice Self-Care
You are more important than your to-do list, so prioritize your well-being above some of the little extra tasks you might think you need to do—to help yourself feel better. Saving your self-care for when you have time on your hands results in putting it off. This is why it’s important to start now, you are your own best friend.
1. Drink some water first thing in the a.m—stay hydrated. 2. Write down five things every day that didn’t totally suck. 3. Make a menu for the week. 4. Try that new yoga class. 5. Take a new route to work, or learn a new language. 6. Have a mini dance party. 7. Take five minutes to decompress every day. 8. Move for at least 30 minutes a day. 9. Get some sleep already. 10. Practice kegel exercises. 11. Start your day with something pleasant. 12. Get your om on—mediate. 13. Confront your negativity—on paper. 14. Get a tomato plant. 15. Stop to smell the coffee—literally. 16. Volunteer just one hour a month. 17. Go purse shopping, get a smaller handbag (for your back). 18. Have a family dinner. 19. Sit up straight. 20. Don’t eat the kale if you don’t like it. 21. Detox from technology and work. 22. Plan a workout date with a friend. 23. Enjoy breakfast. 24. Do some planks. 25. Say no to those dinner plans if you dont want to go. 26. Cleanse your space—declutter. 27. Listen to music. 28. Treat yourself to trips to the cinema. 29. Practice gratitude. 30. Laugh out loud. 31. Read for pleasure. 32. Enjoy the beautiful weather. 33. Make self-care mandatory in your life. 34. Take your creativity off the shelf and start a new project. 35. Talking—you are not alone. 36. Brain dump. 37. A to-do list item. 38. Hang with kitties. 39. Take a bath. 40. Get a massage. 41. Get your hair done. 42. Get a manicure, and a pedicure. 43. Ice cream and wine. 44. Buy fresh flowers. 45. Call someone. 46. Get some sun. 47. Watch clouds. 48. Let yourself have a good cry. 49. Comfort food—suck on some hard candy, or have some chocolate. 50. Do a puzzle. 51. Colour. 52. Go to the beach. 53. Go for a drive. 54. Garden. 55. Watch the sunset. 56. Plan your vacation. 57. Watch the sunrise. 58. Cuddle with a pet. 59. Snuggle a human. 60. Light a scented candle or some incense. 61. Make a little pouch and fill it with rice and some lavender, or dried rose petals; use it as an eye pillow. 62. You can also make one that fits in your palm; it’s a great thing to fuss + fiddle with when you are feeling anxious. 63. Scream it out. 64. Get some professional help. 65. Take meds daily. 66. Write in a journal. 67. Start small. 68. Read a self-help book. 69. Join a support group. 70. Think about your positive qualities. 71. Practice asking and receiving help. 72. Buy yourself a present. 73. Practice forgiveness. 74. Play with children. 75. Pray. Find spiritual mentor. 76. Make a vision board. 77. Plan short term and a long term goals. 78. Go on with dates. 79. Get out of debt. 80. Just relax. 81. Write a poem or a book. 82. Cook out. 83. Learn to play an instrument. 84. Learn to say NO. 85. Take time off. 86. Get “me time”. 87. Turn off cell phone. 88. Self reflexion. 89. Learn who you are. 90. Figure out what you want in life. 91. Get coffee with a friend. 92. Get out of bed. 93. Be inspired. 94. Go to symphony or ballet. 95. Social justice engagement. 96. Say “I love you”. 97. Talk to an old friend. 98. Ask for nurture. 99. Kiss. 100. Turn off the TV. 101. Swaddling in a comfy blanket. 102. No make-up day. 103. Compliment someone. 104. Smile at yourself in the mirror. 104. Drink some soothing tea. 105. Set a boundary for yourself. 106. Pop some bubble wrap. 107. Play your favourite board game. 108. Go on a date—even if that means taking yourself out. 109. Create a self-love box/jar. 110. Re-arrange your room. 111. Leave yourself a note in your lunch. 112. Deep condition your hair. 113. Place a few drops of an essential oil (lavender) behind your ear. 114. Plan a mini stay-cation. 115. Change the background of your computer or phone to an uplifting quote. 116. Go on a weekend retreat. 117. Search random things on Pinterest. 118. Start a blog. 119. Share your responsibilities with someone. 120. Share a recent accomplishment with others. 121. Spend some time near a lake, river, or stream. 122. Download an app that helps with anxiety and stress relief. 123. Streeeetch. 124. Let go of something that has been bothering you lately. 125. Move 1 thing from today’s to-do list to tomorrow’s to-do list. 126. Thank someone who is deserving. 127. Send a funny Snapchat. 128. Prepare and eat your favorite meal when you were a kid. 129. Exfoliate your skin. 130. Catch up on TV shows that you haven’t had time to watch 131. Look up more often, and I mean this quite literally. 132. Watch funny cat videos on YouTube, meow 133. Spend some time in silence. 134. Write a love letter to yourself. 135. List your reasons for living.
Self-Care looks different to different people. Create a more permanent and lasting self-care routine that best fits you and your needs.
source: Health Journal & others.
24 Invaluable Skills To Learn For Free Online This Year
Here’s an easy resolution: This stuff is all free as long as you have access to a computer, and the skills you learn will be invaluable in your career, and/or life in general.
1. Become awesome at Excel.
Chandoo is one of many gracious Excel experts who wants to share their knowledge with the world. Excel excellence is one of those skills that will improve your chances of getting a good job instantly, and it will continue to prove invaluable over the course of your career. What are you waiting for?
2. Learn how to code.
littleanimalgifs.tumblr.com
Perhaps no other skill you can learn for free online has as much potential to lead to a lucrative career. Want to build a site for your startup? Want to build the next big app? Want to get hired at a place like BuzzFeed? You should learn to code. There are a lot of places that offer free or cheap online coding tutorials, but I recommend Code Academy for their breadth and innovative program. If you want to try a more traditional route, Harvard offers its excellent Introduction to Computer Science course online for free.
3. Make a dynamic website.
You could use a pre-existing template or blogging service, or you could learn Ruby on Rails and probably change your life forever. Here’s an extremely helpful long list of free Ruby learning tools that includes everything from Rails for Zombies to Learn Ruby The Hard Way. Go! Ruby! Some basic programming experience, like one of the courses above, might be helpful (but not necessarily required if you’re patient with yourself).
4. Learn to make a mobile game.
If you’re not interested in coding anything other than fun game apps, you could trythis course from the University of Reading. It promises to teach you how to build a game in Java, even if you don’t have programming experience! If you want to make a truly great game, you might want to read/listen up on Game Theory first.
5. Start reading faster.
Spreeder is a free online program that will improve your reading skill and comprehension no matter how old you are. With enough practice, you could learn to double, triple, or even quadruple the speed at which you read passages currently, which is basically like adding years to your life.
6. Learn a language!
With Duolingo, you can learn Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian, or English (from any of the above or more). There’s a mobile app and a website, and the extensive courses are completely free.
Full disclosure: BuzzFeed and other websites are in a partnership with DuoLingo, but they did not pay or ask for this placement.
7. Pickle your own vegetables.
Tired of your farmer’s market haul going bad before you use it all? Or do you just love tangy pickled veggies? You too can pickle like a pro thanks to SkillShare and Travis Grillo.
8. Improve your public speaking skills.
You can take the University of Washington’s Intro to Public Speaking for free online. Once you learn a few tricks of the trade, you’ll be able to go into situations like being asked to present at a company meeting or giving a presentation in class without nearly as much fear and loathing.
9. Get a basic handle of statistics.
UC Berkeley put a stats intro class on iTunes. Once you know how to understand the numbers yourself, you’ll never read a biased “news” article the same way again — 100% of authors of this post agree!
10. Understand basic psychology.
Knowing the basics of psych will bring context to your understanding of yourself, the dynamics of your family and friendships, what’s really going on with your coworkers, and the woes and wonders of society in general. Yale University has its Intro to Psychology lectures online for free.
11. Make your own music.
Step one: Learn how to play guitar: Justin Guitar is a fine and free place to start learning chords and the basic skills you’ll need to be able to play guitar — from there, it’s up to you, but once you know the basics, just looking up tabs for your favorite songs and learning them on your own is how many young guitar players get their start (plus it’s an excellent party trick).
Step two: A delightful free voice lesson from Berklee College Of Music.
Step three: Have you always thought you had an inner TSwift? Berklee College of Music offers an Introduction to Songwriting course completely for free online. The course is six weeks long, and by the end of the lesson you’ll have at least one completed song.
Step four: Lifehacker’s basics of music production will help you put it all together once you have the skills down! You’ll be recording your own music, ready to share with your valentine or the entire world, in no time!
12. Learn to negotiate.
Let Stanford’s Stan Christensen explain how to negotiate in business and your personal life, managing relationships for your personal gain and not letting yourself be steamrolled. There are a lot of football metaphors and it’s great.
13. Stop hating math.
If you struggled with math throughout school and now have trouble applying it in real-world situations when it crops up, try Saylor.org’s Real World Math course. It will reteach you basic math skills as they apply IRL. Very helpful!
14. Start drawing!
All kids draw — so why do we become so afraid of it as adults? Everyone should feel comfortable with a sketchbook and pencil, and sketching is a wonderful way to express your creativity. DrawSpace is a great place to start. (I also highly recommend the book Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain if you can drop a few dollars for a used copy.)
15. Make your own animated GIF.
BuzzFeed’s own Katie Notopoulos has a great, simple guide to making an animated GIF without Photoshop. This is all you need to be the king or queen of Tumblr or your favorite email chains.
16. Appreciate jazz.
reddit.com
Have you never really “gotten” jazz? If you want to be able to participate in conversations at fancy parties and/or just add some context to your appreciation of all music, try this free online course from UT Austin.
17. Write well.
Macalester College’s lecture series is excellent. If you’re more interested in journalism, try Wikiversity’s course selection.
18. Get better at using Photoshop.
Another invaluable skill that will get you places in your career, learning Photoshop can be as fun as watching the hilarious videos on You Suck At Photoshop or as serious as this extensive Udemy training course (focused on photo retouching).
19. Take decent pictures.
Lifehacker’s basics of photography might be a good place to start. Learn how your camera works, the basic of composition, and editing images in post-production. If you finish that and you’re not sure what to do next, here’s a short course on displaying and sharing your digital photographs.
20. Learn to knit.
Instructables has a great course by a woman who is herself an online-taught knitter. You’ll be making baby hats and cute scarves before this winter’s over!
21. Get started with investing in stocks.
If you are lucky enough to have a regular income, you should start learning about savings and investment now. Investopedia has a ton of online resources, including this free stocks basics course. Invest away!
22. Clean your house in a short amount of time.
Unf$#k Your Habitat has a great emergency cleaning guide for when your mother-in-law springs a surprise visit on you. While you’re over there, the entire blog is good for getting organized and clean in the long term, not just in “emergencies.” You’ll be happier for it.
23. Start practicing yoga.
Most cities have free community classes (try just searching Google or inquiring at your local yoga studio), or if you’re more comfortable trying yoga at home, YogaGlohas a great 15-day trial and Yome is a compendium of 100% free yoga videos. If you’re already familiar with basic yoga positions but you need an easy way to practice at home, I recommend YogaTailor’s free trial as well.
24. Tie your shoelaces more efficiently.
It’s simple and just imagine the minutes of your life you’ll save!
i wish people would stop romanticizing not eating breakfast and not getting enough sleep and being dependent on coffee to function and always being in a bad mood and treating yourself poorly because that behavior is very unhealthy for you
I’m going to give you the best piece of Adult Life Is Hard advice I’ve ever learned:
Talk to people when things go to shit.
I don’t just mean get it off your chest, although that’s good. I mean: Something’s wrong with your paycheck/you lost your job/you had unexpected emergency car repairs and now you’re broke so your credit card payment is late. Like, not just 15 days late. We’re talking, shit got crazy and now you’re 90 days late with compounded interest and late fees and the Minimum Payment Due is, like, $390, and you’ve got about $3.90 in your bank account. Call the credit card company.
I know it’s scary. I know you feel like you’re going to get in trouble, like you’re gong to get yelled at or scolded for not having your life together. But the credit card company isn’t your parents; they’re just interested in getting money from you. And you can’t squeeze blood from a stone or money from someone who doesn’t have any. So what you do is you call them. You explain you’re experiencing temporary financial hardships, and you’re currently unable to bring your account up to date, but you don’t want to just let it get worse. Can you maybe talk to someone about a payment plan so you can work something out? Nine times out of ten you’ll be able to negotiate something so that at least it’s not just taking a constant, giant shit on your credit score.
- Can’t pay your power bill? Call the power company.
- Can’t pay your full rent? Talk to your landlord.
- Had to go to the hospital without insurance and have giant medical bills looming in your place? Call the hospital and ask if they have someone who helps people with financial hardships. Many do.
- Got super sick and missed half a semester of class because flu/pneumonia/auto-immune problems/depressive episode? Talk to your professor. If that doesn’t help, talk to your advisor.
You may not be able to fix everything, but you’ll likely be able to make improvements. At the very least, it’s possible that they have a list of people you can contact to help you with things. (Also, don’t be afraid to google things like, “I can’t pay my power bill [state you live in]” because you’d be surprised at what turns up on Google!) But the thing is, people in these positions gain nothing if you fail. There’s no emotional satisfaction for them if your attempts at having your life together completely bite the dust. In fact, they stand to benefit if things work out for you! And chances are, they’ll be completely happy to take $20 a month from you over getting $0 a month from you, your account will be considered current because you’ve talked to them and made an agreement, you won’t get reported to a collections agency, and your credit score won’t completely tank.
Here’s some helpful tips to keep in mind:
1. Be polite. Don’t demand things; request them. Let me tell you about how customer service people hold your life in their hands and how many extra miles they’ll go for someone who is nice to them.
2. Stick to the facts, and keep them minimal unless asked for them. Chances are they’re not really interested in the details. “We had several family emergencies in a row, and now I’m having trouble making the payments” is better than “Well, two months ago my husband wrecked his bike, and then he had a reaction to the muscle relaxer they gave him, and then our dog swallowed a shoestring and we had to take him to the emergency clinic, and just last week MY car broke down, and now my account’s in the negatives and I don’t know how I’m gonna get it back out.” The person you’re talking to is aware shit happens to everyone; they don’t need the details to prove you’re somehow “worthy” of being helped. They may ask you for details at a certain point if they have to fill out any kind of request form, but let them do that.
3. Ask questions. “Is there anything we can do about X?” “Would it be possible to move my payment date to Y day instead so it’s not coming out of the same paycheck as my rent?” The answer may be “no.” That’s not a failure on your part. But a good customer service person may have an alternate solution.
Anyway! I hope that helps! Don’t just assume the answer is “no” before you’ve even begun. There is more help out there than you ever imagined.
how to improve memory according to my psychology textbook!!
A NYC grad student working on food stamps for her thesis has released a free cookbook for those living on $4/day.
read classics - I know from experience its a slow but steady climb when it comes to reading classics, but it’s a worth while experience to put yourself in world that so different from the world now but mirrors it quite the same. Reading classical opens you mind to how simple but complex the human race is. It might seem like chore especially if your not a reader but you can start by just picking a classical that ficinated you the most and listening to it on audiobook first. After a couple times of listening on audiobook you’ll get used to rhythm of the language and it’ll be easier to continue reading on your own. Also, pro tips- if you really wanna kick it up a notch, write a short review for every classic you read to help retain the info.
expand your genres- Everyones knows there’s a lot to be learned from movies, tv show and music but for most of us, once we learn what kind of genres we like we tend to never branch out and this limits our learning. You don’t have to like every genre but exposing yourself to different styles of music and movies teaches you tolerance and after a while of forcing yourself to do this, you might find your pallet start to shift.
watch youtube videos- This is one of my favorite ways to not only be entertained but to get a general overview of a certain topic, usually if it sparks my interest i’ll do a little further research. Youtube channels such as ted-ed, asap science, scishow and today i found out do an amazing job of giving you a little bit of knowledge about everything.
listen to people who have different opions than you- I know this one is particularly hard one for most people, but your going to learn the least from having repeptive conversations with people with the same ideas as you. People with different opinions than you will have an impact on how you live your life wether you like it or not; its not your job to accept their ways of thinking but to understand why they think the way they do- you never know, you might just find that the other persons opinion has some merit and might make you more knowlegable about a certain situation. A great way to do this is to watch interviews, read articles about the opposing side of your opinion.
Accept that you’ll never know everything- This is an important one, you may be thinking, how does this have to do with educating myself? well, I added this one because I truly feel like you can’t educate yourself without acknowledging your ignorance. A person who thinks they know eveything has no room to learn. One of the most powerful ways to educate your self is to accept that you are never going to be finished learning, this opens you up and makes you more receptive to lessons we learn in life everyday. So in short, if you want to be more educated, just live! we’re all life long students and that’s okay.
Source
note-taking methods
guide to 4 main note-taking methods
cornell notes
outline method
how to mind map
how to use flashcards
how to use flashcards #2
cause and effect diagrams
summary foldables
double column method
revision notes
make your own revision textbook
how to take notes from a textbook
how to take notes for different subjects
in-class note-taking
taking notes in class
taking notes in class #2
note-taking during and after class
digital notes
ipad note-taking
onenote note-taking
onenote note-taking #2
making notes pretty
colour-coding notes
easy ways to make pretty notes
guide to aesthetically pleasing notes
upgrading your notes
helpful tags (for inspiration)
all notes
digital notes
flashcards
mind maps
printables
more posts:
apps for your mental health
aliexpress stationery
four types of learners
staying productive during holidays
maths masterpost
bullet journal spread themes
what’s in my bag
For more posts like these, go to @mypsychology
Thought this was important to post.
THROUGH A RAPIST’S EYES” (PLS TAKE TIME TO READ THIS. It may save a life, It may save your life.)
An Article from Neena Susan Thomas
“Through a rapist’s eyes. A group of rapists and date rapists in prison were interview…ed on what they look for in a potential victim and here are some interesting facts:
1] The first thing men look for in a potential victim is hairstyle. They are most likely to go after a woman with a ponytail, bun! , braid, or other hairstyle that can easily be grabbed. They are also likely to go after a woman with long hair. Women with short hair are not common targets.
2] The second thing men look for is clothing. They will look for women who’s clothing is easy to remove quickly. Many of them carry scissors around to cut clothing.
3] They also look for women using their cell phone, searching through their purse or doing other activities while walking because they are off guard and can be easily overpowered.
4] The number one place women are abducted from / attacked at is grocery store parking lots.
5] Number two is office parking lots/garages.
6] Number three is public restrooms.
7] The thing about these men is that they are looking to grab a woman and quickly move her to a second location where they don’t have to worry about getting caught.
8] If you put up any kind of a fight at all, they get discouraged because it only takes a minute or two for them to realize that going after you isn’t worth it because it will be time-consuming.
9] These men said they would not pick on women who have umbrellas,or other similar objects that can be used from a distance, in their hands.
10] Keys are not a deterrent because you have to get really close to the attacker to use them as a weapon. So, the idea is to convince these guys you’re not worth it.
POINTS THAT WE SHOULD REMEMBER:
1] If someone is following behind you on a street or in a garage or with you in an elevator or stairwell, look them in the face and ask them a question, like what time is it, or make general small talk: can’t believe it is so cold out here, we’re in for a bad winter. Now that you’ve seen their faces and could identify them in a line- up, you lose appeal as a target.
2] If someone is coming toward you, hold out your hands in front of you and yell Stop or Stay back! Most of the rapists this man talked to said they’d leave a woman alone if she yelled or showed that she would not be afraid to fight back. Again, they are looking for an EASY target.
3] If you carry pepper spray (this instructor was a huge advocate of it and carries it with him wherever he goes,) yelling I HAVE PEPPER SPRAY and holding it out will be a deterrent.
4] If someone grabs you, you can’t beat them with strength but you can do it by outsmarting them. If you are grabbed around the waist from behind, pinch the attacker either under the arm between the elbow and armpit or in the upper inner thigh – HARD. One woman in a class this guy taught told him she used the underarm pinch on a guy who was trying to date rape her and was so upset she broke through the skin and tore out muscle strands the guy needed stitches. Try pinching yourself in those places as hard as you can stand it; it really hurts.
5] After the initial hit, always go for the groin. I know from a particularly unfortunate experience that if you slap a guy’s parts it is extremely painful. You might think that you’ll anger the guy and make him want to hurt you more, but the thing these rapists told our instructor is that they want a woman who will not cause him a lot of trouble. Start causing trouble, and he’s out of there.
6] When the guy puts his hands up to you, grab his first two fingers and bend them back as far as possible with as much pressure pushing down on them as possible. The instructor did it to me without using much pressure, and I ended up on my knees and both knuckles cracked audibly.
7] Of course the things we always hear still apply. Always be aware of your surroundings, take someone with you if you can and if you see any odd behavior, don’t dismiss it, go with your instincts. You may feel little silly at the time, but you’d feel much worse if the guy really was trouble.
FINALLY, PLEASE REMEMBER THESE AS WELL ….
1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do: The elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do it.
2. Learned this from a tourist guide to New Orleans : if a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM. Toss it away from you…. chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or purse than you and he will go for the wallet/purse. RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!
3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car: Kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy. The driver won’t see you but everybody else will. This has saved lives.
4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping,eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their checkbook, or making a list, etc. DON’T DO THIS! The predator will be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side,put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU CLOSE the DOORS , LEAVE.
5. A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot, or parking garage:
a. Be aware: look around your car as someone may be hiding at the passenger side , peek into your car, inside the passenger side floor, and in the back seat. ( DO THIS TOO BEFORE RIDING A TAXI CAB) .
b. If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars.
c. Look at the car parked on the driver’s side of your vehicle, and the passenger side. If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out. IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)
6. ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. (Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot).
7. If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control, ALWAYS RUN! The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times; And even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ. RUN!
8. As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP IT! It may get you raped, or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked “for help” into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim.
Send this to any woman you know that may need to be reminded that the world we live in has a lot of crazies in it and it’s better safe than sorry.
If u have compassion reblog this post. ‘Helping hands are better than Praying Lips’ – give us your helping hand.
REBLOG THIS AND LET EVERY GIRL KNOW AT LEAST PEOPLE WILL KNOW WHATS GOING ON IN THIS WORLD. So please reblog this….Your one reblog can Help to spread this information.
THIS COULD ACTUALLY SAVE A LIFE.”
It’s Ya Girl’s College Scholarship Masterpost
Hello internet civilians! As some of you may or may not know, my name is Dana and I am a high school senior that is ALWAYS on the prowl for trying to get to college for as cheap as possible. I’ve come across 1000′s of scholarships that I simply don’t qualify for, so I thought “hey, why not share these with random people on the internet that don’t know where to start?” You asked the question and only answers you shall receive.
Please remember to credit me for this masterpost because I spent a lot of time and energy on it :)
PLEASE ALSO REMEMBER THAT A SCHOLARSHIP IS WORTHLESS IF YOU DO NOT APPLY FOR IT.
SO DO NOT JUST SAVE THIS POST IN YOUR DRAFTS AND NEVER USE IT. ACTUALLY WRITE AN ESSAY OR FOUR
Scholarship Databases:
fastweb.com
cappex.com
http://www.uncf.org/
http://schoolsoup.com/
http://www.tuitionfundingsources.com/
http://hsf.net
https://www.collegeboard.org/
http://apiasf.org/
http://hispanicfund.org
www.maldef.org
www.supercollege.com
www.finaid.org
www.collegeispossible.org
www.mach25.com
http://chegg.com
www.HBCUmentor.org
“Big” Scholarships That Cover: Tuition, Room Board, Books, or Full Scholarships
Gates Millenium
Posse Foundation
Coca-Cola Scholarship
AXA Scholarship
Dell Scholars Application
Ron Brown Scholarship Program
Burger King Scholars
Horatio Alger Scholarship
Questbridge
Voice of Democracy Scholarship
Chick Evans Caddie Scholarship
Hertz Foundation Graduate Scholarship
+ 111 Full Tuition Scholarships to Universities!
Scholarships
(**Some May “Prefer” Minorities, But That Does Not Mean You Should Still Not Try For It**)
http://blackstudents.blacknews.com/
May/June 2015 Scholarships
http://www.fastweb.com/college-scholarships/articles/the-2015-scholarships
http://blackstudents.blacknews.com/opportunities/
Scholarships for Minorities: White House Edition
LGBT Scholarships
Buick Achievers Scholarships
Cultural Diversity Scholarships
50 LGBT Scholarships - 1 Application
50 Top Scholarships for 2014/2015
National Association of Black Journalists
7 Prestigious Undergrad Scholarships
The Jackie Robinson Foundation
500+ Scholarship List
Masterlist of College Minority Scholarships
4 Scholarships That Are Easy To Apply For
Do Something Campaigns
Need help on Scholarship Motivation?
HOW TO WIN A SCHOLARSHIP: FROM A GIRL WHO’S APPLIED FOR 300+ AWARDS
12 Tips on Winning Scholarships
Skip these 6 Scholarship Errors
Students with Average Grades Can Win Scholarships!
4 Ways To Make Your Scholarship Essay Stand Out
Get Rid of Student Loans!
How I Got Rid of 60k Student Loans in 3 years By Living in a Hotel
10 Steps To Minimize Loans
Minimize Student Loans
Know How Much Student Loans To Take
Paying For College
Miscellaneous Articles That Are Good Reads
Out-of-State Colleges That Offer In-State Tuition
5 Myths About Financial Aid
How To Negotiate A Better Financial Aid Package
How To Read A Financial Aid Letter
How To Deal With A Low SAT Score
Great Schools That Accept Low SAT Scores
How To Demonstrate Interest in a College
I Told Harvard I Was An Undocumented Immigrant. They Gave Me A Full Scholarship.
Credit: @jesussbabymomma
Just a reminder in case your mind is playing tricks on you today: You matter. You’re important. You’re loved & your presence on this earth makes a difference whether you see it or not
self-care instruction manual
forgive yourself : it’s okay if you didn’t wake up early, go for a run, or finish that assignment. you’re only human
start slow : don’t set your expectations too high when you’re just starting off
keep learning : getting to where you want to be is a process. don’t expect perfection overnight
be kind to yourself : you’ll make mistakes along the way, but don’t let that stop you
Notetaking
Sound Note - take notes while you record audio
Evernote - notetaking that syncs across platforms
Paper 53 - minimal notetaking that syncs
Microsoft OneNote - collaboration and syncing, best for Office users
Google Keep - jot things down, best for Google suite users
Notability - take notes and annotate PDFs
Mindly - create mind maps
Day One - a digital journal
Flash Cards
Quizlet - the quintessential flash card app
StudyBlue - another commonly used app
Cram - best for its “cram mode”
Eidetic - uses spaced repetition for effective memorization
Planner
My Study Life - schedules, tasks, reminders, and more
StudyCal - keeps track of tasks, exams, and grades
24me - automated reminders and event planning
iStudiez - schedule and prioritized task list
Google Calendar - a calendar, best for Google users
Glass Planner - a calendar and to do list with incredible functionality
To Do List
Clear - organized to-do and reminders
MinimaList - simple to-do and focus timer
Trello - collaborative project organizer
Todoist - clean and functional task manager
Default notes app on your phone
Time Management
Forest - plant trees by staying focused
Pomotodo - pomodoro timer with to-do list
Timeglass - custom timers
Tide - pomodoro with white noise
Alarmy - forces you out of bed
Pillow - smart alarm that tracks sleep cycles
Productivity
Workflow - automate tasks
Habitica - turn your habits into an RPG
Continuo - simple, colorful activity tracking
Freedom - block distracting apps
Free Learning
Coursera - free MOOCs
TED - listen to Ted Talks
Duolingo - language learning
Memrise - spaced repetition language vocabulary
Khan Academy - free video lessons
Ambient Noise
8tracks - curated playlists
Spotify - online music streaming
Coffitivity - cafe ambience
Noisli - background sound generator
Rain Rain - rain sounds
Binaural - binaural beats
Health
Rockin Ramen - recipes based on ramen
MealBoard - meal planning
Lifesum - healthy eating
Stop Breath And Think - mindfulness meditation
Pacifica - mental health management
Sworkit - personalized video workouts
Waterlogged - hydration tracker
Reference
WolframAlpha - Google on steroids
Oxford Dictionary - all of English at your fingertips
RefMe - citation generator
PhotoMath - solve math problems by taking a photo
Mathway - step by step math help
Desmos - free graphing calculator
Wikipedia - not the best source, but it’s handy
Miscellaneous
Companion - stay safe when walking alone
Mint - money management
Toshl - finance manager
Tiny Scanner - scan documents
#SELF-LOVE MOVEMENT
Hello all! I’ve been talking a lot on my blog about self-love and how important it is! The thing is no one taught us about it and how important it was. In fact from a young age most of us were spoon-fed that anything other than our natural selves was beautiful. Many of us suffer from low self-esteem or depression. And it isn’t an easy road and it’s not going to cure all our problems in one night, but making the attempt to love ourselves is a huge step.
I thought it would be really important to start a self-love trend. You might be wondering what are the ways one can love their selves. Here they are:
practice mindfulness meditation or guided meditation. there are several meditations out there that help release negative thoughts and emotions. thehonestguys is one of my favorite youtube channels
eat healthy! buy some fresh fruits and veggies. try snacking on healthier products like almonds.
clean out your room or apartment! clean out your closet. get rid of things you dont need.
surround yourself with people who love you and support you. cut out friends who makes you feel worthless and small.
try and quiet the inner critic inside of you. write down things you like about yourself.
accept your emotions for what they are. it’s impossible to be happy and positive all the time. accept and embrace any anger, resentment, tension, bitterness but keep in mind everything is temporary and these feelings dont own you.
do a facial, take a warm bubble bath, get your nails done, do a coconut hair mask, put castor oil to make your eyelashes longer, start going to the gym. self-care is so important!
go for long walks, watch a really good movie, buy yourself the tastiest brand of tea, start reading books again. do healthy, things that make you incredibly happy in your own company
The list goes on! Start working towards your self-love goal. It could really change your life.
Take a picture/video or text of things you did each day for self-love. It could a picture of a bubble bath with rose petals, a glimpse of your journal where you write your positive thoughts, a before/after picture of your room/apartment after you clean it, a picture of a healthy meal you’ve been eating, or an step by step process to your meditation/workout routine!
Tag @sixpenceee and #selflovemovement in the text of the post
