Daily Reminder That The Boy You’re In Love With At 16 Probably Won’t Matter When You’re 25.

the main takeaway: in my experience, people tend to bring way too much to college and then end up regretting it when they move out. you really don’t need that many things because somebody else or the front desk will likely have anything you need.

bold is for things i find essential.

SCHOOL SUPPLIES

folder for official papers like vaccination forms, work forms, etc

lined paper/notebooks

pencils

pens

something to hold your utensils on your desk/utensil cup/desk organizer

note pads

a pencil bag

tape

stapler - it’ll save your butt when you’re running to class late with an essay due. staple your work! not doing that can drive some professors nuts.

scissors

index cards

hole puncher

white out

printer paper

highlighters

paper clips

binder to hold old schoolwork

graph ruled composition notebook for stem classes

erasers

washi tapes/my crafting materials

i didn’t need anything different from high school. i wouldn’t recommend going out and buying a lot of new school supplies. perhaps just bring the usual stuff on your desk and in your backpack.

BED

a mattress pad - a lot of people on youtube will recommend that you buy these very expensive mattress foam pads. i didn’t use one – i just had a cover for the mattress. i’m sure the quality of mattresses will differ from college to college, but i slept fine.

sheets (set) - check to see what size your college uses. we use twin XL, so I had to go buy another set of sheets.

comforter - i had one duvet and one thinner blanket so i had layers to cover all seasons.

pillow - i only used one, and i find that if you loft your bed it’s much more convenient to have fewer things on your bed so changing your sheets isn’t as much of a hassle.

your favorite stuffed animal/comfort object :)

BATH

towels (2)

handtowel - my dorm didn’t provide paper towels for after you wash your hands

shower caddy - i would recommend something that can be hung up if your dorm has showers with hooks on the doors. mine didn’t, so i ended up buying a sturdy plastic caddy that i put on a stool in the shower.

in the caddy:

all your essentials (shampoo, conditioner, face wash, etc)

soap (i don’t recommend bar soap unless you have a ledge on your caddy where you can put it)

toothbrush, toothpaste, hairbrush, deodorant. just bring your basic stuff.

FOOD

one mug

electric kettle (if you drink tea or eat instant ramen a lot)

water bottle

snacks

chip clips

a fork, spoon, and knife

chopsticks

tea bags (you can steal these from the dining hall)

tupperware - i bring about two containers just in case i want to steal something from the dining hall, but that’s about it.

one plate - wouldn’t recommend bringing more than that. what do you need five plates for?

i would recommend against bringing kitchenware like pots/pans/cooking spoons/etc. my dorm has these available for residents; check with your dorm as well. i also did not cook or bake a single time the whole year, and my friend who cooked just used the communal pots and pans.

CLEANING/LIVING

lysol wipes/lysol spray

paper towels

tissues

key chain

zip loc bags

trash can - preferably with a lid so you can put food in there. best to bring your own trash can so you don’t have to resent your roommate for not taking out the trash when it’s their turn.

trunk/container - i use one for storage, one lockable trunk for valuables, and one container for food to keep out bugs. these containers also doubled as tables/night stands because i didn’t want to buy furniture.

desk lamp - if your roommate sleeps before you, it’s convenient to have a little light so you can work as they sleep.

laundry bag - would recommend something that is easily rolled/carried to and from the laundry room

laundry detergent

illness/first aid kit

bandaids

vitamin c powder

painkiller of choice

cough drops

tide stick

sewing kit - i patched up my roommate’s laundry bag once and definitely could’ve borrowed a suitemate’s kit, so these aren’t necessary in my opinion.

vacuum - check to see if your dorm has these available for check out. mine did.

microwave - i didn’t buy one. my floor had one in a communal area, and a few people in my suite had a microwave.

fridge - i just used my suitemates’ fridges.

ear plugs - for light sleepers/those easily disturbed.

CLOTHES

do not bring your entire wardrobe!!!!!!!!!!! do not!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! just bring the things that you wear most often. remember: nobody actually pays that much attention to what you wear, and you’ll only see the same people 3 or 2 times a week, so you only need 3 unique outfits a week lmao.

do bring:

one formal outfit/pair of shoes (in case of interviews or dinner parties)

enough socks/undergarments to last as long as you want to go in between laundry loads. i only bring enough to last 1.5 weeks, and it forces me to wash my clothes regularly, which is nice in a way.

ELECTRONICS

phone and charger

laptop and charger

portable charger and cord

HOBBY

be real with yourself here. i played my ukulele or painted probably five times the entire year. i read none of the books i brought despite being an avid reader. i brought some of my crafting materials and only used them maybe three times.

cards - i brought some thank you cards/envelopes/stamps with me but you don’t have to. these are easily bought.

DECORATIONS

i did not bring any decorations and i don’t regret it, but a lot of my suitemates had tapestries and things. i would just bring stuff that’s already in your room at home. the less stuff you have to bring home the better.

best of luck with your first year! hope this helps :)

just remembered that chuck palahniuk quote

April Cityscape Phone Wallpapers

Here are some monthly phone wallpapers with matching desktop wallpapers! The cities are London, New York, Toyko and Rome! I created versions starting on Monday and Sunday so you can pick the one you use more often!

To download:

mobile: for the best quality, click on the link to the version you would like below, wait for it to load and then simply hold down on the image you would like, press ‘save image’, head to your settings, change wallpaper and select it from your photos.

london monday / london sunday

new york monday / new york sunday

toyko monday / toyko sunday

rome monday / rome sunday

laptop: right click, save image, add image to a phone folder that syncs from your laptop to phone or use airdrop on iPhone.

I hope you enjoy using these and if so, I’d love to see them in action!  Feel free to tag me #emmastudies in any photos you upload on Tumblr, Instagram or Twitter. If there are any problems or errors, please let me know via my inbox.

Disclaimer: These backgrounds are for personal use only.

Other downloads | Printables | Instagram | Youtube | Pinterest | Twitter | Etsy Printables Shop

No im not doing it i dont care

im crying because distance learning has been kicking my ass for FOUR semesters now, two of which i flunked.

No im not doing it i dont care

Okay fuck it if this post reaches 666k notes by the end of 2023 I’ll practise basic self care

Why 666k? Because it’s funny and impossible so good fucking luck

rare feelings

being completely immersed into a book as if you’re watching a movie

being able to study for a long time without being distracted

wandering upon a scent that reminds you of a distant memory from your childhood that you haven’t smelled for years and years

the freedom of letting yourself do something badly (like art or learning) and knowing you’re progressing every day

being completely happy despite the bad things because you remember every little good thing and kind person in your life

stargazing in a remote landscape and feeling existentially precious and insignificant at the same time

waking up early enough to see the darkness turn to sunrise 

finding someone who is radiant in every way

being consistent with a goal you’ve been working on for the longest time and seeing the finished result

knowing that one chapter of your life has ended and a better one is beginning

In the wake of JK once more being a total jk, here’s a (non-exhaustive) thread of works by Black trans writers.

Don’t Call Us Dead - Danez Smith, poetry about Black masculinity, police brutality, gender and queerness. Probably the best book of poetry I’ve ever read. Smith has several collections available and you should read them all.

The Deep - Rivers Solomon, a speculative fiction novella about the descendants of murdered slave women. Themes of trauma and memory. Really beautiful writing. Their sci-fi novel An Unkindness of Ghosts is equally unmissable.

Redefining Realness - Janet Mock, the memoir of Mock’s childhood and adolescence as a trans woman before she transitioned. Mock’s second memoir, Surpassing Certainty, focuses on her life in her twenties.

Felix Ever After - Kacen Callender, a YA novel about a teenage trans boy (at the start of the book), Felix, as he further questions his identity, tries to find love, and works on his artistic future. Everything that makes YA novels great.

Reacquainted with Life - KOKUMO, a debut about Black trans womanhood and the power of her voice and body. This work is so hard to describe. Ferocious? Lively? Witty? Completely different to literally any poetry I’ve ever read? All of the above and more.

Mannish Tongues - jay dodd, a poetry collection about Black youth, queerness, religion, family, and gender. I hate how pretentious the word ‘visceral’ is, but it’s pretty accurate here. dodd’s collection The Black Condition ft. Narcissus is also phenomenal.

Pet - Akwaeke Emezi, a YA novel about a Black trans teenage girl and having to confront the existence of monsters. Emezi also has an acclaimed adult novel out, Freshwater, and I believe their new adult novel, The Death of Vivek Oji, is out in August 2020.

trigger - Venus Selenite, poetry about being Black, trans, queer, and unapologetic. This one is hard to get hold of, but worth it if you can. Selenite also co-edited and is featured in Nameless Woman, an anthology of writing by trans women of colour.

Surge - Jay Bernard, a poetry collection written in response to the 1981 fire at New Cross Road, as well as Grenfell Tower and the Windrush Scandal. Bernard is one of those poets who can use 10 words to say more than most of us can in 1,000.

Nameless Woman: An Anthology of Fiction by Trans Women of Color - ed. Venus Selenite, Ellyn Peña and Jamie Berrout, this one includes several stories by Black trans women and is, as a body of work, completely invaluable. The stories here range from semi-autobiographical and romance to sci-fi and speculative fiction.

Resilience - ed. Amy Heart, Larissa Glasser and Sugi Pyrrophyta, an anthology of writing by ©AMAB trans people. Again, this anthology is not specifically dedicated to Black trans people, but it includes work by KOKUMO and CHRYSALISAMIDST, amongst others. This book is super varied, with short stories, poetry and personal essays.

Consider ordering these, where possible, from independent Black owned bookstores.

You can also financially support Black trans people through donating to organisations such as this and these.

Important addendum: I tried incredibly hard to find published works by Black trans women, because trans women are the focus of JK Rowling’s tweets and indeed an overwhelming amount of violence and bigotry in general, but I’m sure it’s no surprise to anyone that Black trans women are enormously discriminated against by the publishing industry, and are routinely denied a platform for their work and their voices. Literally, when you Google ‘black trans woman author’, you just get Janet Mock’s author page. I think all of the books by Black trans women in the list above, with the exception of Janet Mock, are self/indie pub.

I have trawled through online indie and radical publishing magazines, message boards, and nearly 100 lists of ‘trans authors you must read now!’ and I would charitably say that about 1% of people featured in such lists are Black trans women. Obviously, Black trans women are writing, but the lack of available platform for their work is a huge barrier to their voices being heard. If anyone else has recommendations for work by Black trans women, whether it’s a physical book, an online chapbook, an Insta account of poetry, or anything else, please add it, because there must be so much more than I’ve managed to find.

hey!! to celebrate my birthday month and autumn in general, i thought it would be nice to post a challenge! i always wanted to do my own one. anyone can join, you don’t have to do every day and it’s okay to switch days if the challenge is inconvenient that day. don’t forget to use #nostalgicautumn so i can find your posts. I would appreciate a reblog so as many people as possible can join! so here it is:

let’s get it! set some goals: what do you hope to achieve this october? include some autumn activities.

create an autumn playlist to keep u company this month! (on spotify and post the link, or just write down the songs on here)

what’s your favorite drink for autumn and why? post a recipe if it’s something fancy.

light a candle for today’s study session & post a pic.

write a short love letter to yourself and put it into your jacket pocket to be your lucky charm. if it’s not too personal, post it on here to. otherwise just recap how it was writing to yourself: was it easy or did you struggle a bit?

how do you say “autumn” in your native language / the language you’re learning? plus points if you google the origin.

read this poem. what did you think of it?

give your notes / your bujo some autumn vibes: doodles, autumn colors, … be creative & post a pic.

what’s your favorite quote?

fav study snack this autumn?

today’s to-do: reading! get yourself cozy and enjoy your book.

are you affected by bad weather? what do you do to make yourself feel better?

what’s your morning routine? is there’re something you could do to make it more enjoyable?

night routine?

record yourself explaining your study material and take a walk outside. did this method work for you / will you try it again?

my hands always get super dry when it gets cold outside. so today’s task is easy: use some handcream! any recs?

watch a documentary or a short educational video on youtube. it can be about anything! some ideas: environment, space, crime, famous people (buzzfeed unsolved counts too ;))

what’s your favorite thing about autumn?

stretch when taking a study break today. what stretches did you do? how did it feel?

do you get nervous for exams? what do you do to deal with nervousness?

post a pic of your study space.

collect some leaves, get some fresh air and take some pics. don’t forget to press the leaves!

document your day with some pics. what are you most proud of for getting done today?

describe your ideal autumn day.

how do you study?

get something done today you have been procrastinating on for weeks. it doesn’t have to be study-related and it’s okay if you only spend 5 mins on it! something is always better than nothing.

have you ever had any magical or paranormal experiences?

time to journal! make yourself some tea and let your thoughts out.

give someone a compliment today. what was it?

what was this month’s biggest accomplishment?

time to take a break & enjoy halloween! what are your plans?

Hey rising college seniors (or anyone needing to write a thesis-length work)! Last year, I tackled not one but TWO theses, one of which was honors-length and over 100 pages long. One was for Art History and the other for International Studies, so if you come from a discipline from outside of the humanities, it might look a little different for you. Here is my advice for making your thesis a little bit less scary to navigate.

1) Focus on a topic before developing an argument.

I don’t know about y’all, but whenever I write a research paper, my argument drastically changes from the conception of the paper to its final draft. It’s not necessary to have your argument nailed down right away. My Art History thesis loosely started at “20th century art and politics” in September, but by November it had gone through 2 or 3 different iterations before becoming “everyone forgets that Jackson Pollock was a communist”. Often choosing your argument before doing your research boxes you into a place from which it is difficult to grow.

2) Try to avoid falling into a research hole.

I’m a jSTOR hoe. I love clicking through library search results and scholarly articles and collecting anything that seems relevant to my topic. This always leads me into hours of sifting through articles that are ultimately unhelpful and a waste of time and brain energy. Start with four or five sources. Read, analyze, regroup. Take notes, and when you are done with those sources, move on to more relevant information. Don’t forget to look up the citations of your most relevant sources. This is a treasure trove!

3) If you need to collect data, do it early.

Nothing is worse than being unable to move forward with your research analysis because you still have to collect more data. If you need to conduct interviews or produce survey data, make sure that you prioritize the research required to generate these things and get them approved and out early. I couldn’t analyze my results until a month before my IS thesis was due, and it made my last month of college rather hellish.

4) Have an accountability partner.

Try to find any friends or classmates who are also thesis-ing and band together. Host library write-ins or start a group chat if you prefer to work alone. You can also turn your thesis into a social activity! My friends and I would spend our Friday nights drinking and talking through our arguments and exchanging feedback in a casual social setting. That might not be what it looks like for you, but regardless of what you do, it’s great to have someone who will hold you accountable and work alongside you.

5) Format your citations and works cited right away.

While it is super tempting to footnote sentences with links to articles while writing, leaving all of your citations for the very end makes life harder. Format your citations frequently to give yourself a mental “break” and keep them in a separate word doc.

6) I don’t know if this actually needs to be said, but keep all of your work backed up.

For the love of all things that are good do not leave your work saved exclusively do a desktop. I like to use Google Drive to manage all things (I even upload journal articles so that I can organize them in folders and access them anywhere from any device), especially because it autosaves constantly. Use whichever platform works best for you, but please, please, please back up your work to some sort of cloud.

Hopefully some of these are a helpful place to get started. Good luck!