Latest Posts by alittleanxiousbadger - Page 6

a college au scully!! ✨💫

a very soft and cozy witch 

how to write that 17-page essay that’s high-key giving you anxiety

so it’s 4am and you’ve had three cups of coffee but you’ve only written two sentences. you look at the prompt and find it has ceased to make sense. “how the fuck am i gonna turn this into a 17-page paper” you ask. 

never fear! your friendly neighborhood college fuckup is here with an answer. buckle down and get another cup of coffee; you’re in this for the long haul. (literally. this post got long because i’m apparently incapable of writing short posts, but i also pulled a 3.9 cGPA using this method so i’d say it’s worth the read.)

first, a cheat: email your professor and ask if you can use subheaders. subheaders eliminate the need for smooth transitions between portions of your argument and also create a ton of white space, which can help you reach page count. 

second, a tip: don’t be afraid to meet with your prof. this essay probably isn’t a take-home exam; it’s likely that your prof set this paper to give you a chance to learn and write about something you enjoy. shoot your prof an email saying “hey, this is what i’m thinking, this is what i’m struggling with, can i meet with you to talk it out?” 9 times out of 10, your prof will say yes. if they say no, talk to another prof in the same discipline. otherwise talk to your uni writing center or a friend of yours. worse come to worst, shoot me a message.

what you’re gonna do now is outline the fuck out of your paper to procrastinate actually writing it. 

step 1: take apart the prompt. it’ll be asking for a few different things; mark these things with different cues: brackets, underlining, different colored pens, whatever. this structures your response.

if you don’t know your thesis yet, that’s fine! let it develop naturally as you conduct your research and plan your argument. you can change it as you go - that’s the point of researching the topic. no one will know what your first draft thesis was.

step 2: look at the dismembered prompt. write bullets with brief explanations for how you’ll attack each part of the prompt. these can be detailed or as vague as “look up that one reading and use it as a counter argument.” then figure out the best way to organize the bullets. if nothing makes sense, that’s fine too. you can write each chunk of your argument and structure it later.

these bullets make good subheaders. js.

step 3: under each bullet from step 2, list out what info and evidence you need for that aspect of your argument. don’t worry about details yet; focus on structure. write these bullets as though you’re talking to a friend about what your argument is and why is works. let it be stupid. let it be simple. say shit like “freud was a bitch and i can prove it.” 

step 4: now that you have a rough draft of your outline, go back and fill in the details. remember, you’re still outlining! you’re basically redoing step 3 with the bullets you made in step 3. this is the part where i take the most time and put in the most effort.

i tend to reach page/word count easily if my outline is half the length the paper needs to be, so i keep outlining until i reach that point. this ratio might be different for you. if you can figure out your ratio, it can tell you if you need to look for more info or if you’re good to go.

make a note of what you’re citing but don’t worry about actual citations. i like using gdocs because you can easily paste a link to your source in a comment. this way, the sources don’t clutter up your doc or artificially inflate your page or word count.

be silly! be stupid! use swear words and memes and internet lingo. you’re just outlining right now; you don’t need to sound smart and professional. you should be focusing on what you want to say, not how to say it.

by the end of this process, my outline is basically my paper in bulletpoint format, without any fancy jargon or quotes or cited evidence, and usually not in complete sentences. i’ve essentially tricked myself into writing my paper by saying “i’m just outlining, it doesn’t really matter.” it’s also less daunting to write the rest of the paper when you know you already have 9 pages done instead of 0.

step 5: write the damn thing! open a fresh doc for your paper and view it side-by-side with your outline. now you get to make your bullets sound pretentious and academic. insert quotes and other evidence. turn “freud was a bitch” into “freud knowingly perpetuated several falsehoods for the sake of his personal gain, thereby undoing decades of progress in the field of psychology.” 

don’t worry about citations right now, though! do what you did in your outline and insert the citations as comments at the points where they need to be. creating citations will interrupt your flow.

step 6: once your paper is done, go back and add citations! this can take up to an hour depending on how many sources you have, so budget your time appropriately. 

holy shit! you just wrote a whole damn paper! i’m proud of you, buddy. go buy yourself a milkshake and take a nap. 

you know what? go to your local library.

nobody cares if you just want to read Twitter with the free wifi. in fact we’re ecstatic you’re there.

don’t be afraid to touch the books. hell, taking them off the shelf and leaving them on shelving carts is one of the main ways the library counts usage and foot traffic, so don’t reshelve them yourself and don’t be afraid of looking at them!

most libraries now allow covered drinks, and many have special areas where you’re allowed to bring something to eat. have your lunch there, it’s quiet!

lovely large tables for crafts or art? they have you covered!

magazines and periodicals so you can read the newest events or pick up a new recipe? check!

you can even just watch a DVD if you have the appropriate portable screen and courtesy headphones.

GO to the library. LOVE the library. USE the library. you already paid for it!!

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

tips to have a nice routine

A daily routine is a great way to keep yourself on task. The longer you stick with it, the more each task becomes a habit and it starts to get easier. But a routine isn’t universal, each person has its own. 

plan: before your day starts have in mind - or in a paper - what needs to be done on that day or the next one. It will save you time.

wake up before you need: if you have extra time before you go to work or school, having extra time for you is essential. Eat calmly, take a shower, pack or things and don’t live your house late.

don’t go hard on yourself: enjoy your breaks and take a breath. Pushing yourself to the edge is going to tire you before your day is done. Listen to some music, eat a snack, read.

set a time to sleep and wake up: most people need 8 hours of sleep per day. According to what you need, schedule a bedtime and wake up time that gives you plenty of sleep.

prepare your meals: if you don’t have time to cook daily, take one day off and cook for all week. It’s healthier and cheaper than getting take out every single day. 

follow and repeat your routine: if you don’t try it, you won’t know how your day works. Trying and adapting it is essential to create a perfect routine and transforming it into a habit. 

waiting for a text back 

:❤️ : … 

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Bee Warmups

The Elder and Young tom

even MORE stuff from twitter!

Picnic frog

stay positive! @luxjii

some of my fav retro computers!!! i would love to doodle some more later on!! it was really hard to choose only six ahaha (click for captions!)

Orange County

the pantheon of modern witchcraft in music:

Stevie Nicks: The grand high witch, the regent of the coven. She oversees all and always will. Immortal and full of all-knowing wisdom, initially peaceful but also can (and will) kick your ass.

Florence + The Machine: Channels nature energy but isn’t afraid to dabble in the dark. Often found wandering through misty forests and open fields of goldenrod, singing lost tales of tortured spirits. Talks with Demeter from time to time.

Hozier: May be possessed by the spring goddess side of Persephone. Spends most of his time in the mossy bogs in the realm of the fae. Sometimes reappears in the human world for brief periods of time, spreading fae wisdom to the humble masses before leaving again.

Zella Day: Modern witch caught between rural and urban magic. Cavorts in the dry, desert planes of the Southwest. Frequently surrounded by crystals and succulent plants. Wears a lot of maxi dresses, wide hats, and combat boots.

AURORA: Actual dryad tree spirit. Lives deep in the woods whispering ageless melodies into waterfalls. Lives at one with nature and is friends with the deer and the wolves. Thrives off of empathy and kindness. Has plans to build a paradise haven for the exiled and rejected peoples of the world.

Zolita: Love witch, harnesses passion and desire for the forces of good. Full of sapphic energy and communicates with Aphrodite. Leader of a badass coven of LGBTQ+ witches and a slowly brewing feminist rebellion.

Elsa & Emilie: The spirits of Victorian witches reincarnated into younger forms. Literally mature beyond their years. Sing haunting harmonies of their lives and loves wrongfully lost. Reach their ultimate power when working together. Aren’t afraid to venture into the dark.

Lorde: Urban witch with untapped chaotic energy. Also mature beyond her years. Is still restless but now channels strong emotions. Uses synesthesia to literally see the spells. Kicks back with Athena from time to time.

Lana Del Rey: Fluctuates between light and dark witchcraft. Uses love magic but will also curse you. Talks to both Harmonia and Eris, also the devil. Keeps a grimoire passed down for generations in her purse.

Lola Blanc: Witch that managed to travel from an alternate jazz age steampunk timeline. Utilizes technological innovation in form mixed with traditional technique. May or may not have performed necromancy and hypnotism.

Banks: Perhaps the most chaotic dark witch of them all. Probably possessed by the queen of the dead side of Persephone, or maybe Hecate. Channels powerful energy from storms, lust, and conflict. Has a soft side she rarely lets anyone see.

That ended up a hella long. Did I miss anyone?

Loneliness

studio ghibli + scenery

↳ kiki’s delivery service 魔女の宅急便 (pt. 3)