Life's Greatest Mystery

Life's greatest mystery

how do i overthink so much and then Still make the wrong decision

Writing tips

words worth knowing:

Jaleo : (n.) A lively dance of Andalusian origin, or the music or handclapping which accompanies it.

Zambra : (n.) A kind of flamenco dance.

Elysian : (adj.) Relating to or characteristic of heaven or paradise.

Macerate : (v.) (especially with reference to food) soften or become softened by soaking in a liquid.

Airhead : (n.) an area in enemy territory or in threatened friendly territory, seized by airborne troops for bringing in supplies and additional troops by airdrop or landing.

Ergometer : (n.) a device designed to measure muscle power.

Minacious : (adj.) Menacing; threatening.

Cabasset : (n.) a morion of small size.

Zealous : (adj.) someone who spends a lot of time or energy in supporting something that they believe in very strongly, especially a political or religious ideal.

Saudade : (n.) (in Portuguese folk culture) a deep emotional state of melancholic longing for a person or thing that is absent.

Gallus : (adj.) (Scottish) (Also gallous) bold; daring; reckless.

Vomitorium - 1: (n.) Each of a series of entrance or exit passages in an ancient Roman amphitheatre or theatre./ 2: A place in which, according to popular misconception, the ancient Romans are supposed to have vomited during feasts to make room for more food.

Hi bitches!! I need your wisdom; I recently accepted a job offer for a job I did not want to do (a customer service specialist for a bank) that doesn’t start until late November. However, I recently was offered a position that I do want at a different company that starts next week. Is there a polite way to rescind my acceptance of the bank job when I’ve already started signing papers?

YES, CHILD! Don’t hesitate. Talk to Job A right away and tell them Job B has just made you a better offer. That way they’ll have time to replace you before November. Here’s a script:

“I apologize for the inconvenience, but I’m going to have to back out of my employment with [Job A]. I’ve just been made a better offer by [Job B] beginning much sooner, and I am not in a financial position to refuse. I regret that we won’t be able to work together, but I appreciate your understanding. Thank you for the opportunity.”

I Just Applied for a Job. How (And When) Should I Follow Up? 

How to Quit a Job: Giving Notice with Dignity, Poise, and Tastefully Subtle Shade 

Charles Simic, ‘Totemism’, from Dime-Store Alchemy: The Art of Joseph Cornell

“I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.”          – Confucius 

the curve of forgetting

the curve of forgetting describes how we retain or get of information we absorb.

day 1: you go into a lecture knowing 0% and come out knowing 100% of what you know (regardless of whether you know it extremely well or not)

day 2: you did not do any reviewing of your notes from day 1 therefore you have lost 50%-80%

and as the days progress we forget less and less

think about midterms! notice how around midterms when you’re trying to study for something (that you haven’t been reviewing for regularly) it feels like the material is VERY difficult and almost as if you’ve never learned it before

formula to reshape the curve

within 24 hours of your lecture spend 10 minutes reviewing the material

a week later: it will only take 5 minutes to REACTIVATE the same material

ultimately, you will reshape the curve  

day 30: by this day your brain will only need 2-4 minutes to recall

information on the curve of forgetting was taken from the university of waterloo (x)

my formula to reshape the curve using the information above

before class: spend 10 minutes PREVIEWING the material. 

after class: spend 10 minutes REVIEWING the material

do this regularly. this will be your preview/review system for each class.

a week later: try to review a week later. i know that school/life can get pretty hectic, but try to make sure you are reviewing regularly.

maybe record yourself saying some important details/concepts from your notes the night before and on your daily commute to school plug in those earphones and listen to it. i am an auditory learner and i find that listening to my notes before i go to bed and right when i wake up have truly helped me retain information. studies have shown that the best time to study is right before going to bed and right when you wake up.

a month later: after a month, review what you’ve learned so far in your class. trust me this will be a very very short review. everything will look very familiar to you and it won’t look as difficult as it used to.

basically your review schedule should be the following: 

1 hour before learning the material

1 hour after learning the material (or within 24 hours of learning it b/c i know we’re all very busy people)

1 day later

1 week later

1 month later

remember everyone learns, studies, and retains information differently!! my personal belief is that your technique is what matters most. it is not about your innate ability/talent. find a technique that works for you.

more suggestions:

active learning > passive learning

when taking notes use the Cornell method. it forces you to ask questions and summarize what you’ve learned.

set frequent, short, review sessions

test yourself constantly! there are so many resources online. 

people who are under stress have difficulty remembering things so CHILL OUT

don’t rush, take your time

repetition is key

practice MAKES PERFECT

group items together

fish, vitamin b12, and green tea can help w/ memory

don’t give up. like morrissey said “these things take time.”

You'll get more chances. At friendships. At relationships. At job/school related progress. At following your dreams. At chasing your passions. It's not now or never. There will always be other chances and other opportunities.