“It’s Never Too Late.”

studying while dealing with depression

Hi everyone! It’s werelivingarts!

Depression is a very common mental disorder that can affect negatively on the way you feel, think and act. I think that giving some tips and strategies on dealing with depression while studying would be essential to some of you who might struggle out there to get started on assignments. 🙂 Hope that this can help you to fight against depression and embrace your positivity while studying! Remember that you are loved and you are enough ❤️💙💜

And if today all you did was hold yourself together and survive, I’m still very proud of you. 🍀💐

stop believing that you ran out of time to shape yourself into who you want to be! stop believing that its ruined! stop believing you don’t have potential! you are not a fixed being! you have endless opportunities to grow.

20 Common Interview Questions, What They Really Mean, and How to Smartly Answer Them

This is a sheet given to me by my college’s business department and I thought it was helpful so I’ve typed it up fr you guys. All credits to my college business department.

1. Tell me about yourself. What it means: What are your career goals for the next 1-3 years/5-10 years?

This question might come in different forms, but it is the most often asked question in interviews, especially at the start.  Have a short statement prepared that describes a little about your past, a lot about your present, and a little about your future that essentially answers the question, “Why are we sitting across from each other and talking today?” Be careful that it does not sound rehearsed and be sure you sound excited about the opportunity and fully engaged.  Limit your answer to relevance with the interview. Talk about things you have done that relate to the position you are interviewing for and show strategy in your thinking that led you to this interview.  Start with the item farthest back, work up to the present and touch on the future. Let the recruiter know how this position ties into the career map you have planned. Set the footing to shift from a mundane interview into impactful dialogue.

2. How did you choose this line of work? 

They are looking for people who are strategic and apply critical thinking to decisions. Have a good answer ready, showing passion for the field.

3. Why did you leave your last job? or Why do you want to leave your job? or What did you enjoy/not enjoy about your last job? 

Stay positive regardless of the circumstances.  Don’t refer to a major problem with management and never speak ill of supervisors, co-workers or the company.  If you do, you will be sullied.  Keep smiling and talk about leaving for a hopeful, forward-looking reason (i.e. chance to make an impact, use skills, etc.).

4. What experience do you have in this field? or Why should we hire you? or Give me an example from your experience or education that shows your readiness for this role. 

Speak about specifics that relate to the position for which you are applying.  If you do not have specific experience, get as close as you can (aka make it up). It is critical that you prepare by unpacking your brain, and know how to tie your experiences/skills to the position description. Give them your best pitch and smile!

5. What do co-workers/former employers say about you? 

Be prepared with a quote or two.  Either a specific statement or a paraphrase will work.  “Jamal Clark, a colleague at Smith Company, always said I was the hardest worker he’d ever known.” It is as powerful as Jamal saying it at the interview himself. Trouble answering this? Ask former colleagues and professional friends for their opinions!

6. What do you know about our firm? or Why do you want to work for us? Or Why do you want the job? 

These questions are the primary reason to do research on the organization before the interview.  Find out where they have been and where they are going.  What are the current issues? Who are the major players? Can you get behind their mission? Crucial research includes reviewing their “About Us” webpages, googling current events where they were involved, and looking on Glassdoor.com to get the scoop on positive things their employees are saying. This takes thought and should be based on the research you have done on the organization as a whole plus a mention of the specific position. Know that job description very well! Sincerity is extremely important. Relate response to long-term career goals. A flat answer here may end the interview, so be prepared.

7. What kind of salary do you need? 

It’s a loaded question and a thorny game that you will probably lose if you answer first.  So, try not to answer it. Instead, consider discussing how the experience this opportunity offers is the main compensation you are seeking. Or, if you want the conversation to unfold, try, “What is the pay range someone with my skill set and degree could expect for this position?” In some cases, the interviewer will tell you.  If not, say that it can depend on the details of the job and ask if you can discuss at a later stage in the interviewing process so you more fully understand the responsibilities of the position. If the interviewer presses, be sure you have done your research on appropriate salaries and give a $7k pay range that makes sense for your lifestyle, your experience, your location, and the position. Use salary.com, Glassdoor.com and Bureau of Labor Statistics to do your research.

8. Provide an example of your ability to think quickly and clearly on your feet. 

Companies are looking for innovative thinkers who do not need to be coddled and who truly are up to the challenges of business, most of which require timely, analytical, and creative people. Have a robust STAR** story ready to address this question.

9. Tell me about a time when you helped get a team focused and led them to success. 

You are, of course, a team player, right? Be sure to have examples ready: specific stories that show you often perform for the good of the team rather than for personal success are good evidence of your team attitude.  Do not brag; just say it in a matter-of-fact tone. This is a key point. Use the STAR** method to stay focused and provide a thorough reply.

10. Are you applying for other jobs? 

Be honest but do not spend a lot of time in this area.  Keep the focus on this job and what you can do for this organization.  Anything else is a distraction.

11. Have you ever been asked to leave a position? I

f you have not, say no.  If you have, be honest, be brief and avoid saying negative things about yourself, the people or organization involved. Find the positive spin.

12. What is your greatest strength? Follow Up: Tell me about a time when this professional strength made the difference between success and failure. 

Numerous answers are good, just stay optimistic and truthful.  A few good examples: ability to prioritize, work under pressure, solve problems or focus on projects, perhaps professional expertise, leadership skills, positive attitude, reporting skills… but be able to prove your reply with a STAR** story.

13. What kind of person would you refuse to work with? 

Do not be trivial. It should take disloyalty to the organization, violence, or criminal behavior to get you to refuse to work with a colleague.  Minor objections may label you as a whiner. If the version of this question is, “What type of person do you prefer not to work with?”, again don’t be trivial, lengthy, or negative. Focus on discussing your ability to work well with just about anyone.

14. Tell me about a time when you had an idea to improve a process. 

They are looking to see that you can (a) take enough ownership to even think about improvements, (b) think creatively and challenge norms, © present enhancements to others with emotionally intelligence, and (d) consider risks of change. Have a great STAR** story!

15. Tell me about a problem you had with a supervisor. 

This is a test - If you fall for it and start tearing up an old boss, you failed. Stay positive and either reply that you have not had any trouble with a supervisor if that’s the case, or provide a short STAR** story about how you constructively worked to solve the issue and how your relationship was strengthened as a result. Focus on the happy result!

16. What motivates you to do your best on the job? or What do you expect from your employer?

This is personal - be accurate and honest, yet relevant to the job - but examples for motivation are: Challenge, Achievement, Recognition, Positive Impact, Helping Others. For expectations, you can discuss motivation first and then add something like, “I expect that my employer will communicate her needs clearly so I can drive toward strong results.” Add anything you deem fitting here, but avoid coming off as entitled or high maintenance.

17. Do you have any blind spots or weaknesses? 

Tricky question - Do not reveal personal areas of concern but focus on how you want to grow professionally. In discussing weakness, focus on the BUT, i.e. “In the past I have put a lot of pressure on myself, but I have been overcoming that as my skills sharpen and challenges lessen.”

18. Tell me about a time that you had to analyze several solutions to make a sound decision. 

This question dives into the ability to create a framework for strategic thinking and proves you have a set process to make good decisions. Tell a STAR** story where the situation is not simple and you can give specifics on the pros and cons assessed, the sources of information tapped into, the info gathered, and insights made to come to a conclusion.

19. How do you stay organized? 

Attending to details, planning, organizing, and prioritizing work takes skill. Talk about how you manage your life or work using specific methods, as well as tools you use. You can even provide a STAR** story that speaks to how these qualities led to a success at some point in your life, career, or education.

20. What questions do you have for me? 

Interviews should go both ways. Have about 5 good questions ready to ask so you can gather the information you need to make a well-informed decision. These questions should be informational in nature and allow you to understand the position and company better while reinforcing your interest and enthusiasm. This is not a good time to talk about benefits, pay, etc. That info will come in time.

**The STAR Technique is a way to frame answers to behavioral questions in an organized manner that will give the interviewer the most information about your past experience. (This is the part where the paper says to have at least 10 of these ready but I think that’s insane. Have a couple and be prepared to tweak them based on the question. Don’t use the same few for the same interview. i’d say having about 3-5 ready is good enough.) As you prepare to answer each question, organize your response for clarity by answering each of the following components of the STAR technique:

What was the Situation in which you were involved?

What was the Task you needed to accomplish?

What Actions did you take?

What Results did you achieve?

IMPORTANT TIPS: Give a good amount of detail to paint a very clear picture at each step, focus on YOU versus the group, and if the Result wasn’t very positive or does not place you in a great light, that it is not interview material!

hi everyone- here’s the full spread for this past week !! i’ve been busy working on the app and it will be available on the app store testflight soon 🥳🥳

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what did you write your college essays about?

all sorts of things!

common app: prompt about background/identity/interest/talent - a book my mom bought me in third grade called why do men have nipples? and how that initiated my lifelong curiosity and questioning of the things in this world and how i use poetry to answer those questions

stanford: extracurricular - feminism club (i used this essay for any college asking about an extracurricular)

stanford: intellectual vitality - my obsession with japanese pens and how it reflects my experimental/sciencey mind that i use in research

stanford: roommate -  i basically kindly asked that my roommate make room for my muse, because she takes up a lot of space, and then i just talked about my muse/writing process

stanford: what matters to you and why - memes and how one particular tumblr meme reflects the importance of languages/communication

brown: why the major you chose - languages/growing up learning languages and psychology/research and its implications

brown: why brown - open curriculum, comp lit department not so eurocentric

brown: where have you lived - suburbia is boring but also grateful for good support system

brown: community - school lit mag

columbia: why columbia - columbia shp and psychology, comp lit department

columbia: why the major you chose - creative writing and psychology

cornell: why cornell - passion for languages, comp lit department, psychology, personality attachment and control lab, cornell traditions

dartmouth: When you meet someone for the first time, what do you want them to know about you, but generally don’t tell them? - this one is kinda hard to explain bc of its format but basically i wrote about creative writing, psychology, and social activism

harvard: your choice - being biracial, feeling excluded from both cultural communities, and the process of learning that i am not half of each, i am both

princeton: the prompt about culture - biracial (same as harv essay)

uchicago: how are apples and oranges supposed to be compared? - i basically just bashed wallace stevens for being pretentious, then wrote a parody of his poem “study of two pears” titled “study of not two pears, but of one apple and one orange,” then analyzed the “meaning” behind my parody poem, and continued to bash wallace stevens during the “analysis” lol

uchicago: why uchicago - i wrote about how when i visited uchicago over the summer with a friend, instead of listening to our tour guide, we spent the majority of the time running away from bees. then i wrote about how despite the bees, uchicago’s numerous redeeming qualities far outweigh the prospect of living in a beehive for the next four years. and i like talked about the comp lit department, traditions like scav, kuvia, and the latke/hamantash debate, and concluded that uchicago is hella weird and nothing like what it seems on the surface. i actually had sooo much fun with this essay hahhaha

uchicago: favorite things - i wrote about how my favorite food is ice cream and how everyone i’ve told this to always claims that ice cream is not a food and so this was a defense of “my beloved ice cream”

penn: why penn - comp lit department, kelly writers house, penn traditions

yale: why yale - ok this essay is really really bad and basically i thought i was being ~bold~ and ~gutsy~ but honestly in hindsight it just came off really rude and i don’t blame yale at all for rejecting me LOL (i took up 70 out of the 100 words talking about how the best part about yale was the singing in its music video “that’s why i chose yale,” and then i said i was kidding, and then i wrote one sentence about a literature class and a psych lab specific to yale lol rip)

yale: your choice - biracial (same as prince and harv)

macaulay honors college: of which activity do you derive the most joy - my obsession with writing and the brain and research

macaulay honors college: overcoming an obstacle - biracial essay (same as prince and yale and harv)

mit: cultural background and identity - biracial essay

mit: hobby - tumblr

mit: which program - writing department

mit: betterment of community - feminism club extracurricular essay

mit: world you come from - suburbia and how it’s boring and how at mit i will experience a new, innovative environment that’s entirely different and whatnot

mit: significant challenge - learning to love myself

i think that about covers all of my essays lol lmk if you want me to post any of them :)

21.10.2020

some notes i took for bio earlier this week

although a lot of people enjoy decorating their notes, i find that i often don’t have the time or energy to do that even if i would like to. it’s okay if your notes don’t have fancy headers or pretty drawings. if your notes are effective, then they are good notes :)

it strikes me as somewhat uncomfortable that so many people focus on asian stories only after the events of the past couple of days. people dm me for the first time in months and asian creators get spotlighted (which is lovely), and yet it feels so performative. why? because so many of these ppl dming me and whatnot have never been interested in interacting diverse content or speaking out about the stories of poc—it’s like they’re doing this to solely gain brownie points. in a few months’ time, they won’t be doing all this anymore. they’ll go back to their silence, to not caring about asian creators. that’s what makes it performative. the stories of asian people shouldn’t be heard and spread only when they’ve been murdered and/or when their pain finally makes it onto news headlines.

my personality is 30% the last movie I watched

okay, so here in california precautionary measures against COVID-19 have become increasingly intense. most schools have closed and are preparing to make the transition to “distance learning” aka online classes. this is a big change for many of us – but don’t panic!

welcome to surviving online classes 101!

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✐ self discipline

this is more of a warning than a tip. working from home means you will have to exercise a lot more self discipline. it can be a little bit boring or lonely at times. you cannot count on motivation from others (professors, classmates, friends, etc.), so you will have to learn some self discipline. 

✐ create your own classroom

a good way to make the transition is to try and mimic the classroom setting as closely as possible. something that might be helpful is to set up a space designated for work. try to avoid the temptation to work in your bed or on the couch. that trains your brain to be alert in those places and makes it harder to relax/fall asleep. at least during online lectures, try and eliminate distractions that wouldn’t be present in a regular classroom (like tv or netflix playing in the background, or having your phone out)

✐ dress for success!

dress in the way that makes you feel most productive. if you’re one of those people who usually rolls into class wearing sweats and still kills it, good for you! if you’re one of those people who needs to put on a full face of makeup to feel alive and ready for the day, do that! even at home!! i personally never wear makeup but if i try to be productive in pjs… disaster. i’ve also found that cute workout gear makes me feel badass while still being comfy.

✐ create a schedule

now more than ever you need to figure out how to manage your time. you can use a planner, bujo, google calendar, the forest app, whatever. just make sure you keep track of things like

due dates and TIMES

exam dates

lecture times

hours spent studying

meals (pls eat 3 if possible)

water intake

sleep schedule

✐ pack your bag like you usually would

i know this probably sounds so dumb, but when you’re done working clean up after yourself. pack everything up like you would at school, to sort of signal to your brain that academic time is over for now. and then unpack and set up when you’re ready to get to work again. this is just another way to trick your brain into that school mindset while you’re stuck at home.

✐ don’t overwork yourself

break up your studying into chunks. being cooped up all day can make us feel like we’re wasting time, but be sure to schedule breaks and reward yourself after a solid study session. i’m a big fan of the pomodoro method, and it can be customized really easily to allow for more or less study/rest time. 

✐ maintain a healthy sleep schedule

now is the time to develop that healthy sleep schedule we all dream about. staring at a computer all day is exhausting and hard on the eyes and brain, so make sure to give them enough rest and time to recover each night. also, consider investing in glasses that block blue light, even if you don’t usually use glasses. this will keep our eyes young lol. 

✐ communicate with your teachers and classmates

most of us are making this transition to online learning together. any time you have questions, email your professor. reach out to your classmates at the beginning and exchange emails/phone numbers/social media so you can build a support system. if something goes wrong, screenshot it immediately and reach out to your professor. technology isn’t perfect, and mistakes can happen, just communicate them.

✐ turn things in early

this is my biggest tip. when you are relying on online submissions for assignments and digital lectures, you always want to allow extra time to fix any errors you might encounter. your professor will also be much more willing to help you fix a problem two days before a deadline rather than two minutes before a deadline. eliminate that uncertainty by playing it safe with online submissions. 

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GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!! YOU GOT THIS!! WE GOT THIS!!