Tag: school

????

~ Brooke F. ~ 18 Comments

Did you know I once heard
In a poetry class
That a sign of a weak poem
Is when the writer asks?
Did you know that I heard
The teacher say
That a question has no place
In a poet’s wordplay?
So then I asked myself
Can you do this task?
Where the narrator does nothing
But question and ask?
Maybe I could end every line
With that lovely little mark?
What’s wrong with this symbol?
Am I correct in saying its not dirty or dark?
Dont you think that we owe
It a little respect?
A symbol of curiosity
Lovely Punctuation and not a defect?

How to Juggle being a Writer & Student

~ Brooke F. ~ Leave a comment

Hello everyone! It’s me! Winter break has been kind to my thus far and I am super relieved finals are over at long last. And even though I’ll miss some of my teachers and class, overall, I’m excited I don’t have to worry about the whole writing & school juggling thing that I have to do for the majority of the year.

Admittedly, some weeks I’m better at it than others. But I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t picked up a few tips and tricks along the way that help me balance writing and doing homework/attending classes like a good college student. And here are a few.

★Read

Reading gets your brain in that “book” mindset. It helps exercise your brain and keeps you sharp and in the zone to write. Plus, reading other people’s books is always a marvelous way for you to pick up writing nuances and techniques that you could employ in your own work when you finally have the time to work on it.

★Write between classes

Filling up the random chunks of time you have between classes with a bit of writing never hurt anyone. In fact, you don’t even need to sit down and write for a long time. I had a goal of a 200 daily word goal throughout the semester and while I didn’t manage it everyday, most times I met it while writing between my biology lab and poetry class.

★Write on breaks

I mean during Winter break, spring break- whatever you feel like you can manage. But I do caution people in the event that they really need the mental break for themselves and not for writing, that is 100% fine too. I did that many times throughout the school year. At first it made me feel guilty as I felt I was wasting precious writing time, but really, sometimes the mental rest is worth more.

★Write in more chill ways

For example, journaling. Or roleplaying with your friends. Or writing a blog post. Or setting a timer for five minutes to crank out a flash fiction piece. Writing a little or badly is better than not writing at all. Quantity over quality is a philosophy that applies to writing as you naturally get better with more practice.

★Be kind to yourself

Just keep in mind that you’re student. You have limits. And school is going to cut into your writing time quite a bit. That’s just the reality of it. School also might cut into your “mental space” to where you don’t have the brain power to write all the time. And that’s fine too. It’s a hard thing, juggling two parts of yourself, and sometimes you just need to step away from it all and just be a person.

Not a writer.

Not a student.

Just you.

And that is enough.

An Open Letter to Freshman Me

~ Brooke F. ~ Leave a comment

Wow! Where to begin, where to begin…

First off, hey there freshman me. Hope you’re doing well.

But I know you’re not doing well. You can’t hide it from others and most importantly, you can’t hide it from yourself. I know you’ve been trying but it just makes stuff all that much hard. When you’re hurting, sometimes it makes it worse to walk around on that broken leg or with that emotional wound exposed to the world. And all the while you’re telling yourself “yeah, I’m fine. I’m okay. I’m gonna be okay.”

Girl, stop it.

Truthfully, if this letter really could reach back in time, I think you really just needed to be served some hard truths mixed with what you were really craving during that time: a little bit of hope. Funny how those things can walk hand and hand.

Loving truth.

Those words shouldn’t be separate. They shouldn’t be seen as opposites that you must balance equally on a scale. They are partners. Perfect partners.

But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Dear Freshman Me,

You’re tired, aren’t you? You’ve been here before, haven’t you? And that frustrates you.

In middle school and high school, you fought tooth and nail to just be comfortable in your own skin. You desperately wanted to see some self-worth in that mirror of yours and you thought you finally had it a few years ago. You thought, Wow, glad I figured that out! Now I’m good for life!

You were not good for life.

Loving yourself and figuring out how to be a healthy individual is not a one time thing and you’re done. You have to relearn how to be comfortable with who you are and where you’re at every single time a big change comes along. (And sometimes it doesnt even have to be a big change).

And now you’re learning it in college. Which, turns out, is a lot harder than you imagined. And so you’re in denial while simultaneously being mad at yourself for not being happy or the least bit healthy. You are a champion at beating yourself up and that needs to stop because it will quite literally kill you.

This lens that you’re viewing life from is also jacked up. You’re stressing waaaaay to much over the stuff that doesn’t matter. The stuff that is out of your control. You have a work ethic, and I’m proud of you. But no amount of work will guarantee you EVERYTHING to go your way. And I know that’s going to be hard to accept.

As much as I want you to believe that you can work hard for nearly anything and reach that goal… that’s not 100% true. This is a good philosophy to hold but it is not a promise. It was never a promise.

So when you get crappy teachers, lose your job because of a pandemic, get mistreated and let down by friends and family alike, don’t quite meet the criteria for that scholarship, don’t pass that midterm despite studying for days… don’t internalize it. Take a deep breath and evaluate. Don’t blame. Evaluate.

Because sometimes, as I’m sure you’re aware of, you are going to be the bad guy, sometimes it will be your fault, and sometimes you COULD have done better. But that’s not the case here. You tried your best and you know it. And that’s where it should end. None of this beating yourself up and SEARCHING for reasons that it was your fault, because if it was, that implies you had some sort of control in the situation.

So stop! Be proud of yourself for just a couple seconds. Please. You got here and that’s worth celebrating, whether or not you choose to continue down this path or reavluate.

Secondly, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. And I know you can’t see it and there will be more days in the future when you can’t see it, but you’ve gotta hold your feelings loosely. Yes, they’re important and they should be addressed but feelings can be a big ol’ liar too. So have a little faith.

Did you know, you’d finish the rough draft of your novel this year? You’re going to do that! Four years in the making and you’ll be able to print it out and begin the editing process and showing it to your friends! It’s going to be awesome!

You’re going to meet new people and they’re going to be great. I know some stuff hasn’t gone how you expected when it came to your social life, but people are going to let you done and sometimes you’re going to have to make the hard decision to move on without them, BUT (and there’s always a but) there are going to be some really neat new people for you to meet out there. That, and the ones who’ve stuck around, your friendships with them will only continue to strengthen.

You remember that saying? The one that goes “when a meeting occurs, a parting is sure to follow?” Well, I’m pretty sure the reverse is also true. Because when a parting occurs, a meeting is sure to follow. I promise you.

Gosh, this is getting long, but I still have so much to tell you.

Did you know you’re going to stop biting your nails? I know that might sound trivial to others but I think we both know the significance of that. A nervous tick that even braces couldn’t get rid of.

You’re going to wake up for classes every morning next semester and feel good! The first day of classes you’re going to cry in the car on the way home not because you’re sad, but because you’re thankful and oh-so relieved because you had a GOOD day and this semester is going to be nothing like this last one.

You’re new job is going to be hard but it’s going to be what you need. And people are going to appreciate and recognize you for your work ethic. I know that’s always meant a lot to you.

You’re going to be able to get coffee with friends and step away from studying with no self guilt. You’re going to cry and pray with that girl in the school library. You know, the one who you’ve been praying you could share your faith with? Yeah, that’s going to happen. You’re going to dissect things and that’s gonna be pretty awesome (the earth worm is kind of gross though, be warned). You’re going to write and write and write. You’re going to travel a little in the summer. Go on a roadtrip with your best friend (Twice!!). You’re going to attend a new bible study and you’re going to walk away from it every Wednesday feeling filled and happy. You’re going to have things to look forward to (you’re going to see the ocean next year!). You’re going to play DnD with old friends and a new one every other Saturday. You’re going to dress up in costumes, hang out with your sister and no longer feel like you’re walking on egg shells. You’re going to be an aunt soon, hold tight. You’re going to turn twenty in a few months.

Things aren’t just going to be okay, they’re going to be good. And you’ve gotta keep going so you can see it. I’m proud of you and wish you the best. There’s going to be some hard stuff up ahead but you’ll get through it. Because it will be good because God is good. And you’re going to feel that very soon.

Ugh, sorry, this is getting long. I know you probably have a mountain of biology homework to do so I’ll let you go. Take care of yourself, alright?

Love,

Sophomore Me

Tips on Studying for an Exam (especially when memorization is involved)

~ Brooke F. ~ 2 Comments

★Flash cards!

And while I know there are a lot of nifty online flashcard making sites like quizlet and so forth, but I personally recommend getting your own index cards and making your own by hand. Making the cards itself can help you study, plus if you’re ever somewhere without access to the internet, your phone, or computer, you can pull your cards out and study. Plus, it just really helps your memory to lay the cards out in various ways and studying them. Remember, the more physical movement involved in your studying, the more likely you are to retain the information.

★Make your own study guide.

Seriously. It helps you study while making it but can also be invaluable when actually studying. Memorize the information by covering up the answers to said study guide and writing the answers out, by hand. Which brings me to my next tip-

★Write things out you need to memorize

Not type. Write. If you’re handwriting is bad, don’t worry about it. That’s not the point. The point is to memorize and studies show that people are more likely to remember something when they write it out by hand.

★Recite and Read Out loud

And if you’re wondering if this is another memory thing, it is. Read your stuff out loud to your sibling, cat, your breakfast, whatever you want. Just solidify those words in your head and attach sounds to them. Again, you’ll be a lot more likely to remember.

★Take breaks

Your brain can only really focus for about an hour before wondering off into oblivion. So, every hour, walk around a little and take a well-deserved break. Study smarter, not harder.

★Don’t wait till the last second to study

We’ve all tried. And it rarely works out. And even when it does, the amount of stress you undergo the day before is not worth it. Do yourself a favor, and start as soon as possible.

★Reward yourself

Try and prevent burnout not only be taking breaks, but rewarding yourself if you can. My favorite way to do this, is if I’ve studied a long time, I’ll allow myself to buy an iced coffee before hitting the books again. Find out what little ways you can give your brain dopamine and integrate that into your study time.

★Eat food. Drink water.

Do you know how utterly useless your brain is when you’re dehydrated and hungry? Pretty darn useless. And even if you feel like you’re making progress, you’re probably are fatigued by a head ache. That’s why I mean it when I say to feed yourself and drink water. Not coffee. Not a smoothie. Water.

★Don’t attach your performance on this test to your self-worth

This is more of a mindset tip, but it concerns your preparation for this test. No matter what, PLEASE do not attach your performance on this test to your grade. Please. Speaking as someone who lived this her freshman semester, this does not help your testing abilities. You will probably find yourself a nervous wreck before, after, and during the test, therefore hindering your memory. The more stressed out you are, the more likely you are to forget stuff. And then if you don’t get the grade you wanted, you feel super defeated and it’s much harder to bounce back from a bad grade or a failed test when you possess this mindset. So do yourself a favor, and trash it. Try your hardest and the rest of it will workout.

The 6 Stages of a Study Session

~ Brooke F. ~ Leave a comment

Steps of Studying

1. The Motivation

Whenever I need to study for something, at first, I’m pumped. I tell myself this’ll be a breeze and I’ll ace the test and I’ll be so scholarly and wear cool glasses even though I have perfect vision… but when the breeze turns into a hurricane, this motivation quickly leaves, leading me to step 2…

2. The Procrastination

I am a procrastinator. If getting distracted was a sport, I’d be on a Wheaties box. I suppose you could say I’m a pro (crastinator). In this stage Youtube is my biggest enemy and friend at the same time.

3. The Guilt

All through step 2 you are probably pushing back this nagging guilt. In step three this feeling resurfaces, leaving you on the edge of panic. If you are good student, then you’ll probably get your rear and gear and actually study but if you’re anything like me, you will proceed to step 4…

4. The Rationalization

This step is how you get reality to go away when it knocks on your door…

You will rationalize with yourself that you have plenty of time to get your book work done! One of the signs your a rationalizer is you use phrases similar to these:

Just one more episode of Andy Griffith and you’ll study…

Just another game of free cell…

It’s not procrastination if your drinking coffee… it’s procaffinating.

Well, another sentence read! I should reward myself with another study break and another box of pop tarts!

I wonder if iisuperwomanii came out with a new video….

They say if you say something enough, it’ll come true but what about if you ignore it? It’ll go away right? That’s how real life works, right?

Then comes along inevitable step 5…

5. The Realization/Panic

When reality goes from knocking on your door to repeatedly ringing your doorbell, to breaking the door down like some sort of Ninja Chuck Norris. But reality always seem to do this at the last second when you are an hour away from taking that test and you realize you are not toast, but charcoal that is covered in gasoline and gun powder that is on fire as it’s being thrown into an active valcano that is about to errupt! This is when you hit full on panic mode… and when you’re greatest ideas and inspiration comes, leading you to step 6…

6. The Scramble

No, I’m not talking about eggs. This step is also known as the cram. This step is usually about one morning as far time. This is where you cram so many factoids down your brain’s throat (I don’t even know how that works), that it practically shrieks in protest. In this step you burn like 12397 brain cells which is really sad considering you could of killed those cells doing something a lot more enjoyable, like watching Gilgan’s Island or smelling gasoline.

Then you usually end up taking the test, get a passable grade, and then come home, realizing, that the only thing you learned is… oh wait! You didn’t learn anything because all these steps are repeated the next time you have to study for a test! Live and don’t learn, that’s humanity for you!