Korean Mythology [pt. 1]

do you have any non-fiction book recommendations?

i know why the caged bird sings - maya angelou

maya angelou puts the same amount of care into her words in this book as she does with her poems

i do remember the first couple of chapters being hard to get thru bc i was easily bored, but also, i was in the height of my laziness during the summer + this was for an assignment lol

when breath becomes air - paul kalanithi

beautiful prose, will make you cry

guns, germs, and steel - jared diamond

a rly spicy take on history that was rly enjoyable

also watched the documentary version of this in whap

outliers: the story of success - malcolm gladwell

even spicier than mr diamond’s book lol

discusses success from a different perspective

definitely interesting to read through, although i’m not sure if i agree with all of his conclusions

malcolm gladwell also has a podcast called “revisionist history” that’s rly interesting and does a similar thing with this book where he examines things from a different angle

five days at memorial - sheri fink

an account of what happened at a hospital struck by hurricane katrina

i feel like some perspectives should have been afforded a bit more leeway and more description compared to others, but it was still a decent read

hope and other luxuries: a mother’s life with a daughter’s anorexia - clare dunkle

i find that all the books i’ve read on anorexia so far have been personal accounts, so it was interesting to read about it from the mother’s perspective

i used this book as a basis for my junior research paper actually

the immortal life of henrietta lacks - rebecca skloot

i just think the case of henrietta lacks is fascinating

on writing - stephen king

a hybrid between an autobiography and a manual on how to write

an interesting read, although i’m fairly sure that stephen king would kill me for how many adverbs i use on a day to day basis

there were a couple others, but i don’t rly remember them very well :( hope this helps!!

방탄소년단 SERENDIPITY (vocab lesson!)

이 (this)  모든 (all) - 이 모든 건 우연이 아냐 (all of this isn’t just a coincidence)

그냥 (just) - 그냥 그냥 나의 느낌으로 (just just my own feeling)

세상 (world) - 온 세상이 어제완 달라 (the whole universe is different from yesterday)

네가 (you) - 네가 날 불렀을 때 (when you call me)

꽃 (flower) - 나는 너의 꽃으로 (i am your flower)

우주 (universe, space) - 어쩌면 우주의 섭리 (it is almost like the destiny of the universe)

너 (you)  나 (me) -  너는 나, 나는 너 (you are me, and I am you)

많이 (a lot) - 설레는 만큼 많이 두려워 (as much as my heart flutters i’m just as afraid)

천사 (angel) - 나의 천사 나의 세상 (my angel, my world)

disclaimer - if you see anything wrong, feel free to correct it and/or contact me!

The vehicle was moving steadily when the whispering music playing from my phone stopped. Suddenly, I became aware of the raindrops pelting against my window, creating a lulling harmony. The afternoon downpour colored everything gloomily, from the blinking stoplight to the people passing by with their umbrellas overhead. A sweet, new melody began as I felt the cold leather seat sink beside me.

What i’ve learned from college thus far

Stop studying the night before. I have noticed that if i keep forcing myself to learn until last minute (which it’s not gonna happen, you know what you have been processing for a while not just right before they hand the paper sheets) i start doubting myself more

Go with an “i don’t care anymore” attitude to the exam. This one is my fave. With this i mean letting go of every single worry you may have of failing in that moment (not ignoring your books the whole semester) If you don’t care about failing there’s no tension or stress during the exam, therefore you will be able to think more clearly than under pressure.

Figure out your minimum hours of sleep. I learned that i need at least 5 hours to function properly. Find yours and use it in your favor.

Relationships with classmates. You probably will only see your friends in some classes or just one, dont let this unmotivate you and not attend to lectures!! Everyone is asleep and no one will think you’re awkward for sitting alone. Don’t force friendships or try acting like someone you’re not, people can see it and repells them.

Relationships with teachers. Can’t stress this enough, if you’re gonna put effort in creating a bond with someone in college, it has to be your teachers. Try getting there early and pick a seat in the front, make questions via email or in person, if you’re shy like me wait until the end of the lecture and talk to the teacher instead of asking out loud.

Learn from failure. Don’t waste precious time giving yourself a hard time, it won’t make you any smarter. Pay attention to details and correct them for the next time, that’s how champs do it AND YOU’RE ONE OF THEM!

Relaxing. I know how guilty you feel when it’s been days and you haven’t looked at your notes, but hey we all go through that. It’s important to disconnect a little sometimes and come back with a %100 battery instead of a %35, am i right? Just don’t let the relaxation become 2 weeks or a whole month.

Hope these few tips may help you if you need them ♡

Part 2

cuties 

Okay! Posting this as a break after answering the late-answered asks (so sorry!!! I’ll resume in a while hahaha).

So yeah, I finally got my degree for BS Basic Medical Science last June 22. It’s kinda hard to explain the program I’m in to some, but in short, I just finished 5 years out of this 7-year intensive medicine program. It was a roller coaster (lol cliche!!! but nevertheless true!!!) but I learned to love medicine along the way. I could really say that my heart is in the right place :)

Sometimes I can’t be thankful enough that I’m here, wearing this sablay. Did you know I almost didn’t make it? I wasn’t part of the original top 40 list, and I almost didn’t even make it as waitlister because I only found out I was waitlisted a day before the deadline of confirmation. The letter didn’t find its way to me. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for that one fateful phone call from the college to my mom’s office in Camarines Sur (a province, no less!) following up whether I wanted to take the slot (that I wasn’t aware of in the first place) or not. They said they couldn’t contact me through my personal mobile phone (waaaah! Imagine if they just gave up contacting me, right? Huhu I love you UPCM). My sister, who was thankfully in NCR that time, even rushed to process my documents and brave through the streets of Manila just so I could confirm my slot.

And here I am, proudly wearing this sablay that I wouldn’t trade for the world. This piece of clothing represents all the victories and struggles I encountered in the past for the service I promised to give in the future. Again, I will never get tired of being thankful.

As much as I am scared for clerkship, and for PGH to eat me alive, I am more determined to pursue this dream I first considered way back in high school. Like I said before to myself, I am blessed to be stressed about this. 

Cheers to a lifelong journey of learning! :)

Rosa Silvana T. Bascuña INTARMED Class 2020 cum laude

types of study breaks for every situation

if you realize you’ve been studying for hours: grab a snack to refuel your body and watch a sitcom to refuel your brain. then back to the books.

if you’re feeling stressed out: take some deep breaths, text your friends, maybe stair at a wall for a few minutes. gather yourself.

if you can’t seem to focus: get moving and get outside. take out the garbage, check your mail box, maybe walk your dog. just get moving and get fresh air. it’ll help bring you back.

if there’s something else going on in your life and you can’t get it off your mind: write down what’s going through your head, sort of like a diary entry. it’ll help you work things out.

if you’re just mentally and physically exhausted: set a timer for 25-30 minutes and take a nap. any longer and you’ll hit REM and you’ll wake up feeling just as tired. once you wake up, get some caffeine in you.

if the material is boring as hell: find another way to study. see if there’s a crash course video online about it or draw out what you’re trying to learn in diagrams and pictures to make it fun.

if people around you won’t shut up: listen to some music. soundtrack and classical music is always good because they won’t absorb you as much as music with lyrics. white noise (like ocean waves, rain sounds, etc.) also works.

if you only half understand a concept: call/message a friend who’s not in the class and try to teach the material to them. this will help you mentally work through the material and will help you remember it as well.

Back to (Online) College

Since my classes begin tomorrow and it is mostly online I thought I'd share some simple study/self care tips that I will be sticking to.

Decide where you will work - even if it is at your kitchen table, having a designated work spot is so important for online classes and study. I understand that for some people this can be difficult, so you could break up your day instead of sitting down for a few hours straight.

Get enough sleep - Summer is over, it's time to settle back into a semi-normal sleeping pattern. Being tired can be a terribly difficult roadblock for concentration.

Get up early - by this I don't mean "get up at 6am every day". I mean don't stay in bed until five minutes before your class starts. Get up maybe an hour or so beforehand, which leads me to my next point-

Eat breakfast! - it will help you concentrate on your study. Plus, now you're at home you can snack throughout the day as well!

Hydrate! - It is SO important to drink water regularly. Try to keep a tall glass or a bottle nearby when you're working.

Wash and Dress - if you don't have the time or energy to shower, you can brush your teeth and wash your face. Trust me, it will makes a world of difference. It also might be tempting to throw a sweater on over your pyjamas for lectures, but you will feel a lot more alert and ready to work if you change out of the clothes you slept in. A change of underwear and even clean joggers and a shirt can freshen you up a lot.

Take your breaks! - even a 15 minute break for you to stretch your legs and grab some air will help so much!

Stay in touch with your friends and classmates - working alone can feel very daunting, so it might be a good idea to reach out to friends and organise a study session on a group call or video chat. You needn't be lonely just because you're alone.

Keep any medication you take close to where you work - I started doing this not long ago. It can be frustrating to have to break the flow of work to get up and take it, so it may be tempting to leave it until later. If you have it within arms reach you can take it without disruption. It also might help to set an alarm if it is time sensitive.

That's it! This is a pretty basic self care list for studying online but sometimes it's best to keep it simple. Good luck my loves and mind yourselves!

just remembered that chuck palahniuk quote