My roommate’s daughter Max, a fantastically bright fancreature who is my buddy in all matters pertaining to feels and flailing about our respective fandoms (she explains the intricacies of Voltron and Camp Camp to me, I rant about Game of Thrones to her) is about to start 7th grade in a new school in a few days.
Her mom, who’s a single parent, is in a serious financial crunch at the moment, and has literally a dollar and some change to her name until her next payday, which won’t be until next week. (And even then, she won’t have much left over after rent and loans and stuff.) SO: Max needs school supplies. She’s got clothes and bookbag, but all the other stuff–notebooks, binders, Kleenex, post-it notes, pens and pencils, etc–need to be obtained by September 5th.
I myself am close enough to being broke that I can’t help as much as I would like. So I thought I would ask you guys if you would be willing to chip in. Any amount would help–$5 is enough for a couple of cheap binders or notebooks or a box of Kleenex. Max and her mom don’t have Paypal, so if you’d like to donate, please do so at hey.branwyn@gmail.com and make a note that it’s for school supplies. If anyone wants receipts to prove that I didn’t just squander the money on tea and chocolate for myself, I’m happy to provide them.
If you happen to enjoy my writing, and you’re willing to donate $25 or more, I will be happy to write fic of 1k or more about whatever you like.
If you can’t afford to donate but would like to help, please feel free to reblog.
Step 1: Make a list of all the things you want colleges to know about you.
How? You can do this either:
in a bulletpoint format (organized, easy to read)
on a blank sheet of paper (with drawings, get creative)
on a timeline (see drawing below)
Note: I don’t recommend a stream-of-consciousness free-write because this tends to get a little messy. By “messy” I mean that this tends to bring forth a lot of words but not a lot of specific, bullet-pointable qualities that will help you get into college.
And that’s the point of this list: to provide your counselor (or yourself) with a solid list of qualities, values and cool stuff that will help get you into college.
Reason #1 that this list is a good idea: It generates a list of details and possible topics for your personal statement, supplements, activities list and additional info section.
Tips for creating a great list:
Have fun. This doesn’t have to be a chore. It’s you basically making a list of everything that’s awesome about who you are and what you’ve done, which can be pretty darn affirming.
Create the list with a parent or friend. Say to him/her: “Hey, I’m trying to make a list of all the reasons why any college should love me as much as you do—can you help?”
Back up general stuff with specific examples. If, for instance, you’re like, “I can motivate people!” or “I stick with things I’m passionate about!” provide a specific example that backs up your claim—or better yet, both claims! (Like the fact that you helped raise debate membership from 19 to 96 at your school over four years.)
Step 2: Once you’ve created your list:
If it’s a bullet-pointed list, upload it to a Google doc and…
If it’s a drawing or timeline, take a photo of it, email it to yourself, upload it to Google a doc and…
SHARE the Google doc with your friend/parent/counselor (whoever is helping you with your applications and ask that person: “Can you help me make sure that all this stuff makes it into my application?”
Wait, can I do this once my application is almost finished? Absolutely. In fact, this will provide a checklist for making sure all the important parts of you are represented somewhere in the application.
Step 3: Decide with your counselor where the information should go in your application.
Some options include your:
Main Statement
Activities List
Additional Info section
Extracurricular essay (required only for some schools)
Another supplemental essay (required only for some schools)
Pop Quiz: Which of the following details would you NOT include on your application? Which details would you DEFINITELY include? For those details you’d include, on which part of the application do you think each one should go?
I am half Filipino and half Egyptian
I travel a lot (have been to countless countries such as Egypt, the Philippines, Netherlands, Italy, Jamaica, Bahamas, Mexico, Guam, etc….)
I have played the violin for over 11 years and I LOVE IT
I can also play the piano
I do canoe paddling year round. We once saw dolphins swimming by us as we paddled out deep in the ocean.
I have an entrepreneurial mind. I made $300 in a week selling coffee at my dads office when I was 7. I named the booth the “Coffee Cafe” and had my own menu with various drinks as well as a bean grinder. I ended up donating all of the profits to my missionary friend Kate who was leaving for India. When I was 12 I made $70 selling online ebooks about basketball that I wrote. I painted curb address numbers for neighbors when I was 11 and made about $100 off of that.
I like weightlifting. I also sell supplements to my friends at school. I buy them in bulk online and mix some, for example, whey with creatine, and re-brand them (not FDA approved, uh-oh) and sell them for profit.
I tend to bypass the system (and get away with it a lot) such as sending money to paypal directly from VISA (even though they say it isn’t possible) or finding a way to get past the school’s online filter
I love reading (my bookshelf is stacked)
Note: there’s no “right” answer for where each of these details should go. No magic formula. Just work with your counselor (or me) to make sure your application shows you off in the most complete way possible.
For more tips, including how to develop your college list and save $3,480, go here.
It’s that dreaded time of the year again! I probably should’ve done this way earlier but here’s a masterpost to help you guys study for all the AP exams there are. The subjects are listed in order of the schedule and I combined the similar ones together. If any of the links is not working please kindly inform me. Good luck to everyone taking the AP exams!!
Hi guys! Here’s a masterpost of some inspirational quotes taken from classical literature that you can use in your bullet journal, planner, or whenever you need some extra motivation! Italicized are some of my favorites that really help me stop procrastinating and get through the day :)
romans:
seneca:
“i will storm the gods, and shake the universe.”
“luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”
“if one does not know to which port one is sailing, no wind is favorable.”
“it is not because things are difficult that we do not dare, but because we do not dare, things are difficult.”
“sometimes it is an act of bravery even to live.”
ovid:
“nothing is stronger than habit.”
“let your hook be always cast. in the pool where you least expect it, will be fish.”
“endure and persist; this pain will turn into good by and by.”
“what is without periods of rest will not endure.”
virgil:
“they can because they think they can.”
“let us go singing as far as we go: the road will be less tedious.”
“work conquers all.”
“practice and thought may forge many an art.”
“we cannot all do everything.”
horace:
“adversity has the effect of eliciting talents, which in prosperous circumstances would have lain dormant.”
“he who has begun has half done. dare to be wise; begin!”
“remember when life’s path is steep to keep your mind even.”
“mix a little foolishness with your serious plans. it is lovely to be silly at the right moment.”
“he who feared that he would not succeed sat still.”
catullus:
“often has leisure ruined great kings and fine cities.”
“if anything has happened to one who ever yearned and wished but never hoped, that is a rare pleasure of the soul.”
“i hate and i love. perhaps you ask why i do this? i do not know, but i feel it happening and i am tortured.”
greeks:
homer:
“the fates have given mortals hearts that can endure.”
“some of the words you’ll find within yourself, the rest some power will inspire you to say.”
“for a friend with an understanding heart is worth no less than a brother.”
“there is a time for many words and there is a time also for sleep.”
sappho:
“may I write words more naked than flesh, stronger than bone, more resilient than sinew, sensitive than nerve.”
“beauty endures only for as long as it can be seen; goodness, beautiful today, will remain so tomorrow.”
“you who judge me, for me you are nothing.”
plato:
“be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”
“no one should be discouraged who can make constant progress, even though it be slow.”
“music is a moral law. it gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.”
“the first and best victory is to conquer self.”
“the beginning is the most important part of the work.”
aristotle:
“the roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.”
“pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.”
“poetry demands a man with a special gift for it, or else one with a touch of madness in him.”
“we are what we repeatedly do. excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” (misattributed, but too good to pass up :) )
plutarch:
“the mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled.”
“what we achieve inwardly will change outer reality.”
“to make no mistakes is not in the power of man; but from their errors and mistakes the wise and good learn wisdom for the future.”
“painting is silent poetry, and poetry is painting that speaks.”
“to find fault is easy; to do better may be difficult.”
I hope you find these useful, or at least enjoyed reading through them! Let me know which are your favorites!
if u put any greens in your smoothies what i’ve found is that if u blend the liquid w the green BEFORE putting anything else in u won’t get any weird spinach chunks or something like that
popcorn. good just plain, w cinnamon-sugar, or w sriracha
blueberries and almonds
clementines and oranges
oatmeal
fav recipe: in a bowl, mash a large banana(or 2 small) and mix with cinnamon. then heat almond milk in a pan, when warm, put in the oatmeal. after a minute, put in the mashed banana mixture and stir around for a couple more minutes. top with your fruit of choice and some peanut butter
《09072017 • July Week 1 Weekly Spread • 🎧 : Red Flavor - Red Velvet》
me: *jamming to red flavor by red velvet* *shivering while wrapped up in four blankets* ahh it feels like summer!!! ☀🌿😊🍑
Anonymous asked: Hey I love the kind of stuff you post! I was just wondering if you knew of any other people that post stuff along the same lines you do? Like how to and adulting things?
@writing-reference: Does not post too much nowadays, but has an absolutely insane archive with everything you could possibly ever need ever.
I am sure I forgot somebody! Please comment if I left you out.
You know, it’s quite and honor to be one of @yournewapartment’s main squeezes.
(I would also like to mention @howtogrowthefuckup is no longer active but she was the internet mom for such a long time and has amazing guides and resources you’ll still want to check out)
To be fair, I’m considering it a “semi-retirement.” You can’t quit being mom.
Kids move out and do their own thing. Mom’s are still mom’s but they also have time to do their own thing. All us kids are grateful to you that we are more capable adults. But now it’s time for you to do your thing even if you’re still the mom.
I’m gonna be the mom that occasionally checks in on you in your new adult life to make sure you’re eating healthy and to send you articles she saw online that she thinks you might find useful. But at the same time, the mom that’s like “I gave them the tools and now it’s their job to figure out how to use them.”
It’s back to school time and every store is going to try to sell you on what you “need” to bring to school and honestly, you could do without most of it. Especially in your freshman year, you’re going to be very limited on space, but will worry about leaving something behind that you won’t be able to get later. Some of you live within easy driving distance of school, but lots go away to school each year and need to be prepared.
I went through lists of dorm room “essentials” and broke it down into what you actually need, what’s nice to have, optional items, and what you can do without. Obviously, every student is different and some of these won’t apply to you or you may need extra things, but this will help get you started.
