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Latest Posts by studentlifeposts-blog1 - Page 2
This is a picture of a human brain that is entirely smooth – free of the ridges and folds so characteristic of our species’ most complex organ. The patient had a rare condition called agyria; a lack of gyri and sulci, the ridges and folds formed by the normally wrinkled cerebral cortex. This disorder often leads to death before the age of ten, and can cause muscle spasms, seizures and a range of learning difficulties due to the considerably reduced surface area of the brain.
I don’t know if you’ve ever felt like that. That you wanted to sleep for a thousand years. Or just not exist. Or just not be aware that you do exist. Or something like that.
Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower (via theliteraryjournals)
Definition of a teacher #teachersofinstagram #teachersfollowteachers #teacherquotes #iteachtoo #teachergram
Eight Things to Know About Our Flying Observatory
Our flying observatory, called SOFIA, is the world’s largest airborne observatory. It is a partnership with the German Aerospace Center (DLR). SOFIA studies the life cycle of stars, planets (including Pluto’s atmosphere), how interstellar dust can contribute to planet formation, analyzes the area around black holes, and identifies complex molecules in space.
1. A Telescope in an Airplane
SOFIA stands for the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy. It is a Boeing 747SP aircraft that carries a 100-inch telescope to observe the universe while flying between 38,000 and 45,000 feet – the layer of Earth’s atmosphere called the stratosphere.
2. The Short Aircraft Means Long Flights
SP stands for “special performance.” The plane is 47 feet shorter than a standard 747, so it’s lighter and can fly greater distances. Each observing flight lasts 10-12 hours.
3. It Flies with A Hole in the Side of the Plane…
The telescope is behind a door that opens when SOFIA reaches altitude so astronomers on board can study the universe. The kind of light SOFIA observes, infrared, is blocked by almost all materials, so engineers designed the side of the aircraft to direct air up-and-over the open cavity, ensuring a smooth flight.
4. …But the Cabin is Pressurized!
A wall, called a pressure bulkhead, was added between the telescope and the cabin so the team inside the aircraft stays comfortable and safe. Each flight has pilots, telescope operators, scientists, flight planners and mission crew aboard.
5. This Telescope Has to Fly
Water vapor in Earth’s atmosphere blocks infrared light from reaching the ground. Flying at more than 39,000 feet puts SOFIA above more than 99% of this vapor, allowing astronomers to study infrared light coming from space. The airborne observatory can carry heavier, more powerful instruments than space-based observatories because it is not limited by launch weight restrictions and solar power.
6. Studying the Invisible Universe
Humans cannot see what is beyond the rainbow of visible light. However, many interesting astronomical processes happen in the clouds of dust and gas that often surround the objects SOFIA studies, like newly forming stars. Infrared light can pass through these clouds, allowing astronomers to study what is happening inside these areas.
7. The German Telescope
The telescope was built our partner, the German Aerospace Center, DLR. It is made of a glass-ceramic material called Zerodur that does not change shape when exposed to extremely cold temperatures. The telescope has a honeycomb design, which reduces the weight by 80%, from 8,700 lb to 1,764 lb. (Note that the honeycomb design was only visible before the reflective aluminum coating was applied to the mirror’s surface).
8. ZigZag Flights with a Purpose
The telescope can move up and down, between 20-60 degrees above the horizon. But it can only move significantly left and right by turning the whole aircraft. Each new direction of the flight means astronomers are studying a new celestial object. SOFIA’s flight planners carefully map where the plane needs to fly to best observe each object planned for that night.
Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com
Albert Einstein on reality, rationality, and harnessing our human “passion for comprehension”
Yesterday, North Carolina’s anti-transgender climate reached a new low.
School officials announced that students will be allowed to bring pepper spray or mace to school beginning in the fall. One board member went as far as to say that defensive sprays could be used against trans people in bathrooms:
Board member Chuck Hughes voiced support of students carrying sprays, saying it could be a useful weapon should transgender students be allowed to use the restroom that matches their gender identity.
“Depending on how the courts rule on the bathroom issues, it may be a pretty valuable tool to have on the female students if they go to the bathroom, not knowing who may come in,” Hughes said, according to the Salisbury Post.
However, that person later tried to rescind his comments:
Hughes said he believes that his previous comments were “inappropriate” and that he didn’t mean for them to be related to the LGBT community.
“Perverts and pedophiles taking advantage of this law in bathrooms was my major concern,” he told BuzzFeed.
Oh my god. I can’t even believe this is real.
On Autism and College, revised.
Here is some advice on navigating college/university, by an Autistic (American) student, for a/Autistic students.
Register with disability services as soon as you make your decision to go to your school. If you don’t have a diagnosis, you may be able to talk to them and get tested/diagnosed and get accommodations. It depends on your school.
Make sure to research housing. You will want to know about food, the type of people who live there, location, and activities available. You want to be able to eat with your meal plan, get to class just fine, meet people there (or not, depending what you prefer), and if you want something to do there you should know what is available.
Spread out classes as much as possible. You will get to choose when you have your classes. Know your schedule and work with it. For example, next semester all of my classes are in the afternoon, which is good because I have a weird ass circadian rhythm and ended up being nocturnal for half of this semester.
Find out the minimum amount of classes you can take and start with that. Don’t overwhelm yourself. I’m taking twelve hours (the minimum for a full time student) next semester.
Make a schedule of when your work is due. You will likely (especially in math and sciences) have weekly homework due on a certain day. Know when that is and plan for it.
Try your best to not procrastinate. I’ve had far too many panic attacks and meltdowns from waiting too long to do work. You probably won’t have work assigned one day and due the next (it can happen, but I haven’t seen it), so plan your time.
Don’t overdo it with organizations/clubs. Friends are great, but don’t make extra commitments you can’t keep. I’m being treasurer of an organization I love because I’m needed and it’s not a huge commitment; I just have to turn in paperwork by deadlines, which I have no problem with.
Keep in touch with your advisor. If you need to drop a class or change your major, you will need their help. Know their email and use it.
It’s okay to stim. No one’s gonna notice you stimming in a lecture hall unless it’s loud. I twist a paracord bracelet and chew a necklace in lectures. Smaller classes are trickier, but people tend to not care if you’re fidgeting with a bracelet or something that doesn’t make noise or chewing on something. It’s okay.
Emails can be awkward, it’s okay. You’re not going to have the perfect email all the time. Most professors are fine with a very straight to the point email. Example asking for help from a professor:
Dear [name]: I am in your [time] [class name] class. I need help with [x]. Could we meet sometime to work through this? (If you have a problem with face to face interaction, you could say “Could you explain this to me via email?” They may ask you to meet with them anyway, just a warning.) Thank you, [your name]
Write down all office hours, whether or not you think you’ll need them. Professors want to help. It looks good for them when students do well. Mostly they sit bored in their office during hours. Even if you’re not struggling, it looks good for you when you come in and talk about the course with them during hours.
If you can’t handle your major, switch. Try to major in a longtime special interest if you have one that you could do that with. There are jobs in every field. I personally am switching from physics to psychology.
Clubs are good for finding friends. I’m in five(ish) queer organizations and have quite a lot of friends from them. Especially in larger schools, you can probably find other a/Autistic folk by pursuing interests and joining clubs devoted to them.
You likely won’t be judged for being a little “odd”. No one really bats an eye when they find people sleeping in public places here. At most, people might know you as “that person that does X thing”, but if you have the confidence to rock that, then you’ll be fine.
Don’t buy textbooks until class starts. You almost definitely won’t need them the first day of class and there’s no point in buying a $120 textbook you never actually use.
Keep all of your class syllabuses together. Just… try not to lose them, and if you do contact your professor. They might have assignment due dates for the whole year.
Use a planner. I use Habitica, an app that works kinda like an RPG. It helps me remember meds and work and all that jazz.
If you need one, take a gap year. School will still be there when you get back. It’s okay.
Feel free to message me with questions! I will be a sophomore at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign next semester!
Tomorrow, the Obama administration is expected to issue guidance regarding transgender students in schools. More specifically, the guidelines will tell schools they cannot discriminate against transgender students with regards to bathrooms, housing, sports teams, and many more contexts.
President Obama has been an advocate for trans students for a while, but this will likely be the most direct statement on behalf of trans students yet.
“When a school provides sex-segregated activities and facilities, transgender students must be allowed to participate in such activities and access such facilities consistent with their gender identity,” says a copy of the letter obtained by BuzzFeed News.
The rules apply to restrooms, locker rooms, sports teams, fraternities, sororities, housing, and more.
According to the guidance, school officials cannot require that a transgender student provide identifying documents, such as a birth certificate, or undergo any form of medical validation to qualify. “There is no medical diagnosis or treatment requirement that students must meet as a prerequisite to being treated consistent with their gender identity,” says the letter to school administrators.
This. Is. Incredible.
Teacher inspires nervous young test-takers with messages on all of their desks
Chandni Langford teaches fifth grade in the Woodbury City public school system in New Jersey. When she heard that her students were nervous about an upcoming test, she devised a clever and heartfelt way to encourage them.
The pictures have since gone viral with over 18,000 shares, and hundreds of people have chimed in with messages of support. But it’s the students’ response that will leave you in tears.
HOW TO STUDY A WEEK BEFORE AN EXAM
Day 7
List out all your topics, and highlight those you are least familiar with. I also love listing out the resources/materials I have to study.
You should start reading and annotating the materials you are unfamiliar with.
Day 6
If you have not started making notes at all, it wouldn’t be wise to start making notes now.
Instead, try to annotate things, write down explanations next to the things that you don’t understand, or definitions that you think can be elaborated.
Remember to be exam-oriented. Don’t spend time on things that are very trivial, or things that won’t be covered in the exam anyways.
At this stage, you should be focusing on annotating and enhancing your understanding of the materials.
Day 5
You should make sure you have most of your notes ready and that you have digested everything.
If you haven’t done a summary card, you should probably do it at this stage. This is a great way to consolidate your information.
Get a bunch of index cards. Write out the title of each chapter on each card.
Write the outline of the chapter. Alternatively, you can make a question attack plan for each chapter.
Turn over and write down some key terms that you don’t know. Or, you can write down some common mistakes, formulas etc, depending on your subject.
Day 4
With 4 days left, you should start memorizing things now. Focus on spellings and key terms.
By memorizing, you can do the following:
Read the notes out loud, and repeat them by not looking at the paper (this is the way I personally use!)
Try to memorize, and cover the sheet and rewrite everything
Teach yourself, or to an audio recorder, or to a friend
Draw a mindmap without looking at your notes.
Day 3
You should go for some practice questions by chapter.
You may also try to complete the exercises at the back of the chapter in your textbook.
Don’t just do the practice question and throw them away. Make full use of it:
Check the answer. Find out what you failed to get right and failed to write down on the answer paper.
Understand your mistake. Understand why you make the mistake, and how you can avoid it.
Take notes of your misunderstanding and mistakes (as well as the correct answers). This will help you to avoid making the same ones.
Day 2
Repeat what you have done on day 3.
Some teachers may also offer some mock papers or practice papers, or you may also try to complete past papers here.
Day 1
You should do your very last review here. You should make sure you read through the following this day:
Your summary cards
Your notes
The notes you have made while doing the practice questions and papers
If your exam involves some formulas or difficult keywords or definitions, you may need to memorize them again this day.
Day 0
Now that’s everything. With all the preparation above, you should be very confident since you have got everything covered! All you have to do is to take a good breakfast and focus during the exam! Good luck!
For more details, check out the article on Students Toolbox!
For more updates of Students Toolbox and Strive-for-da-best, make sure to follow my Facebook- Instagram -Twitter -Pinterest- Bloglovin!
Now Teaching English Online
Hey everyone!!
Now that I have moved back to Canada I will be giving online lessons via verbalplanet. If anyone is looking to better there conversational skills or studying for the Cambridge exam please try a free lesson with me(Ashante C) at:
http://www.verbalplanet.com/publicviewprofile.asp?tr_id=10028741945&lang=ENG&lang2=ENG
*It’s hard to tell which one is me lol I’m the one infront with the converse shoes and backwards cap:)
-IGGY
I’m never over the fact that Juliet, though sunshiney, loving and in many ways naive, is actually a ridiculously morbid and very calculating person. I love her for it, honestly, and I hate when people cut those lines or play it as though she isn’t these things.
Like, my love for Juliet Capulet knows no bounds as it is–she’s defiant, she’s passionate, she’s nonviolent, she’s loving, and basically the coolest. But I feel like the fact that she’s kind of a manipulative genius at times, and a somewhat creepy Gothic romantic at others is so often overlooked, and I can’t imagine why, because that’s great!
I mean, it’s clear how intelligent she is, and how easily she manages to say what her parents want to hear, without even once letting on what she’s really saying, as the audience knows, most notable in Act III, Scene VL
Indeed, I never shall be satisfied With Romeo, till I behold him—dead— Is my poor heart for a kinsman vexed.
Where she basically knows how to simultaneously say that she’s grieving both for the loss of Tybalt and Romeo, while letting her mother hear that she wants Romeo dead, and then later in the same scene:
I pray you, tell my lord and father, madam ,I will not marry yet. And when I do, I swear It shall be Romeo, whom you know I hate, Rather than Paris. These are news indeed!
Where she manages to basically throw it all out on the table–she’d rather marry Romeo than Paris–and still words it just so they have no idea. This is an extremely subtle and deft crafting of word and communication and how people hear things. The girl is basically a genius and could probably have made a terrifyingly good con artist if she wanted.
But then I also love the fact that lots of her other lines are oddly morbid, and that she clearly loves and enjoys darker things, and isn’t quite the wilting, delicate flower people seem to portray her as. I mean, one need mostly just look at her speech in Act III, Scene II, which I’ll do here, and then it becomes a wonder no one modernizes R&J and makes her an adorable Gothic princess, in a way.
Gallop apace, you fiery-footed steeds, Towards Phoebus’ lodging: such a wagoner As Phaethon would whip you to the west, And bring in cloudy night immediately. Spread thy close curtain, love-performing night, That runaway’s eyes may wink and Romeo Leap to these arms, untalk’d of and unseen.
This part isn’t terribly dark, but it’s got the feeling of a battle cry, in a way, invoking horses of the gods to go away, commanding the sun to set. It’s intense stuff.
Lovers can see to do their amorous rites By their own beauties; or, if love be blind, It best agrees with night. Come, civil night, Thou sober-suited matron, all in black, And learn me how to lose a winning match, Play’d for a pair of stainless maidenhoods:
To me, at least, there’s something witchy about this: it reminds me, in a way, of Lady Macbeth’s “Come, thick night,” speech, where she’s powerful, literally calling evil spirits to do her bidding and change the course of what’s to be done. Obviously, Juliet isn’t a witch and no spirits come to her aid, but the thought is there, as is her love for darkness, her disdain for light, her romanticization of the night and its cover and the color black. It makes me want to picture a modern Juliet painting spider-webs on her fingernails and watching the starts for hours in the dark, and listening to The Cure.
Hood my unmann’d blood, bating in my cheeks, With thy black mantle; till strange love, grown bold, Think true love acted simple modesty. Come, night; come, Romeo; come, thou day in night; For thou wilt lie upon the wings of night Whiter than new snow on a raven’s back.
Again, this is something she very clearly loves and thinks is gorgeous, and it’s morbid and dark and rich. And yet she’s so constantly written off as this silly little girl, foolish and flowery in the way people read her or perform her.
Come, gentle night, come, loving, black-brow’d night, Give me my Romeo; and, when he shall die, Take him and cut him out in little stars,
Honestly, just to drive the point home, she’s thinking about her lover’s death making him scatter into the stars and literally becoming part of the night. She wants to be Night’s lover, in an indirect kind of ways, and the fact that she twines darkness with Romeo in this image, indicates that she associates love and things she adores with darkness. It’s certainly a love for the dark that I’d put into a Gothic Heroine of later literature.
And he will make the face of heaven so fine That all the world will be in love with night And pay no worship to the garish sun.
And finally, she concludes with calling the sun “garish,” which, if anything, makes me think of a line in a song from Phantom of the Opera–”Turn your face away/ from the Garish light of day”–which also associates romance with darkness, and a contempt for light. But this isn’t meant to make her bad or wrong, simply private and rich and dark.
So basically, this all boils down to two things: One is that Juliet Capulet should not be written off as stupid because she is literally too clever for anyone else. The other is that I don’t get why people portray her wearing all white, or bright colors so often in modern adaptations, because there’s literally text-based justification for goth!Juliet if you wanted.
TL;DR Juliet Capulet is my cunning Goth Daughter who I love to hell and back and would kill someone for and I hate that people do not like her or put a lot of thought into her. Also, if you’re ever thinking on it, consider goth!Juliet who loves spooky things and sneaking out at night. It could go very well with pastel!Romeo.
I'm fine.
What she says: I'm fine.
What she means: Why do we never speak about the fact that we don't know what happened to Benvolio after Act III. His last fucking line is "This is the truth, or let Benvolio die." and fucking Shakespeare decided that it would be a great idea to let him out of the play and never speak of him again. He DIED in the Q1 and we never are told how, Lord Montague simply says "and young Benvolio is deceased too." Even though in Q2 at the final scene it says "Enter Lord Montague and others" it is never openly said if he entered along with his uncle or not. His two best friends died, one in his arms and the other was his cousin; he was left alone and Shakespeare didn't even bother tell us his fate. Why couldn't he give him the happy ending he deserved? Why didn't anyone listen to him? Why? There would have been way less death that way.
“I would love, love, love to play Hamlet,” said James Norton, who was plucked from the Cambridge student body for Trevor Nunn’s production of “Cymbeline” nine years ago and is melting hearts as a jazz-loving vicar in PBS’ “Grantchester.” “But I’m already a bit too old.”
The 30-year-old Norton may think the role has passed him by — although maturity didn’t stop Mel Gibson from doing a 1990 film version at the creaky age of 34 — but there are plenty of other choices in his future.
For “Hamlet”
Наставление Полония сыну Лаэрту…
“Держи подальше мысль от языка, А необдуманную мысль – от действий. Будь прост с другими, но отнюдь не пошл. Своих друзей, их выбор испытав, Прикуй к душе стальными обручами, Но не мозоль ладони кумовством С любым беспёрым панибратом. В ссору Вступать остерегайся; но, вступив, Так действуй, чтоб остерегался недруг. Всем жалуй ухо, голос – лишь немногим; Сбирай все мненья, но своё храни. Шей платье по возможности дороже, Но без затей – богато, но не броско; По виду часто судят человека; А у французов высшее сословье Весьма изысканно и чинно в этом. В долг не бери и взаймы не давай; Легко и ссуду потерять и друга, А займы тупят лезвее хозяйства. Но главное: будь верен сам себе; Тогда, как вслед за днём бывает ночь, Ты не изменишь и другим. Прощай; Благословеньем это всё скрепится.” …
Polonius advice for Laertes…
“Look thou character. Give thy thoughts no tongue, Nor any unproportion’d thought his act. Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar: Those friends thou hast, and their adoption tried, Grapple them unto thy soul with hoops of steel; But do not dull thy palm with entertainment Of each new-hatch’d, unfledg’d comrade. Beware Of entrance to a quarrel; but being in, Bear’t that th’ opposed may beware of thee. Give every man thine ear, but few thy voice; Take each man’s censure, but reserve thy judgment. Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy, But not express’d in fancy; rich, not gaudy; For the apparel oft proclaims the man, And they in France of the best rank and station Are most select and generous, chief in that. Neither a borrower nor a lender be; For loan oft loses both itself and friend, And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry. This above all- to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man. Farewell. My blessing season this in thee!”
…
Construction workers have found 1,300 pounds of ancient Roman coins while carrying out routine work on water pipes in southern Spain.
On the photo a technician holds a coin at the archeological museum in the Andalusian capital of Seville, Spain, April 29, 2016. The coins come from a cache of 19 amphoras discovered in Tomares on April 27, 2016.
Read more
Student-loan delinquency skyrocketing, hitting “Danger Zone” January 31, 2013
Most of us are have seen headlines about the burgeoning student-loan crisis. As of August, for instance, student loans had topped $914 billion – an increase of $10 billion in less than half a year, even as most debt was falling around the country. Still, we do not appear to have hit rock-bottom. A new report shows that student-loan delinquency rates have gone through the roof in recent years and that, even more troubling, we may be entering a “danger zone” in which the entire U.S. economy is at risk.
The report from FICO Labs shows that student-loan delinquencies saw a 22-percent increase in the past several years; the overall delinquency rate is now more than 15 percent.
The LA Times has more:
The worsening deliquency rate comes as loan balances surge. The average student-loan debt jumped to $27,253 last year, up 58% from $17,233 in 2005. By contrast, average credit-card and auto-loan balances declined during that period.
“As more people default on their student loans, their credit ratings will drop, making it harder for them to access new credit and help grow the economy,” [FICO Labs head Andrew] Jennings said. “Even people who stay current on their student loans are dealing with very large debts, which reduces the money they have available to spend elsewhere.”
Source
Strike Debt has created a Debt Resistor’s Manual that you can read here.
It’s side project, Rolling Jubilee, has raised $552,682 to abolish $11,058,465 in debt.
This has been a thing for a little while, but it certainly bears repeating! If you can get the certification (that’s definitely the trick here), it can work for some private loans too.
Student loan default is $849 billion and rising
WASHINGTON – In east end Manhattan mates years ago, the billboard-size clockworks that keeps track concerning the U.S. national debt ran sluice of digits for all that the figure ballooned over against $10 trillion.
Better self wasn’t long before a illumination was cause to again tick, tick, seam far how much the country is in the red.
As things are there’s another time, relatively this one is online, ticking away the amount re scholar loan debt being joined nearby rochdale cooperative students and their parents.
Mark Kantrowitz, book salesman of finaid.org, one of the best sites for college financial set up information, has placed a “Student Loan Debt Timepiece” that keeps a running tally with respect to the current outstanding federal and noncommissioned officer student loans.
If you check today, the grand purposefulness be more than $849 zillion. I just watched in alarm since the last five digits retained changing, nosy the debt load to a level that is straightforwardly hard for fathom. It’s a add up figure, I inaugurate, excepting I also know - and better self perhaps know, too - what a financially debilitating impact this much student loan due is having on families.
To develop the big ben, Kantrowitz started with a conservative conception as to $665 billion in federal loans superior as of June 2010. For intimate student loans, he forfeited a repayment trajectory degree he put together in addition to annual new collateral loan volume data. Those calculations yielded $168 a zillion for private student loans. Combine all this debt and you get the starting estimate of $833 googol.
The total debt figure is earlier increased by $2,853.88 for each lunar month long since midnight June 30, he said. The total indebtedness projecting will be even more continuant at the fetal of each year, when most student loans are disbursed.
Kantrowitz is quick to point out that the swot loan straitened clock is only an approximation and is supposed to be lost for entertainment purposes. DA, but there’s nothing entertaining up and down this deterrent big ben. It’s proportionately strong a statement as the ethnic debt fix the time.
“Hopefully most awareness upon the aggregate magnitude pertinent to training debt will encourage families to reduce their student loan debt,” Kantrowitz says.
Kantrowitz tries to anticipate people exception taken of pledge inter alia much. Most new on finaid.org, Kantrowitz released tips for families, composed of a recommendation that for a student’s straight-out upbringing, unique should not borrow more than the unamazed starting salary upon graduation. Great advice, except many students and their parents don’t even bothersomeness to figure out what that starting salary might be before signing loan documents. I’m not even subsuming the students who are clueless within earshot their career path, wide world the while adding to the indebted clock.
Private Grind Loan Default Help If you borrow more than twice your starting salary in back of college, you will go on at bad-smelling risk of default, Kantrowitz says.
Kantrowitz has another reason for posting the clock. He wants to draw circumspection to the sketchiness in regard to need-based grants. The federal Pell Grant program, which provides grants to low-income sophomore and certain post-baccalaureate students, should be expanded. Student Loan Settlement A Pell Grant, unlike a loan, does not have up to be repaid. Kantrowitz suggests doubling the maximum grant, which for the 2010-11 offering year (July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011) is $5,550.
“Companion an investment will increase the number of low- and moderate-income students graduating with bachelor’s degrees by 200,000 to 300,000 a year, ultimately installment plan for the cost of the heighten in grants through greater treasury agent income-tax commissions,” he estimates.
In a notice to Congress and the Department of Education, the federal Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance predicate that inadequate need-based grants brink the ability of students from low- and moderate-income families to attend four-year colleges and universities. Entrance “The Uphillward Opening price of Incongruity,” the independent division warns that if alleviate isn’t exacerbated, the percentage of restricted low-income students who earn bachelor’s degrees will significantly drop.
We all know there is a increasing draw between the haves and have-nots. In this soft binding, it’s the people who ken enough money in order to spirit to college outwards debt and those who are burying herself or their parents in debt. The problem is that the conventional collected sayings - a college education will meet off ingoing the future - isn’t a guard inpouring an war economy spite of high unemployment and starting salaries that are insufficient so service the monthly student loan payments many people in general are taking on.
So if you’re borrowing on behalf of college, last to finaid.org and straight-up-and-down clock movement the clock parce que a little while. Take in its message insofar as it eyeshot the debt foot formulation second by second. It’s haunting. It’s crazy. It’s sad. Clerk Long-term loan Forgiveness
What's it like to pay $250/week to student loan?
While in theory this is awesome, in actuality it’s not all that easy.
We used to pay the monthly minimum of $420 because that’s what we could afford then. Life situation improved, so we increased the monthly payments to $500. Further life improvements and sacrifices later, it was up to $600.
Then I thought “Why not pay $150/week?”. We made the leap and have been paying weekly since summer of 2013. Two years running now.
Where are we now?
Still in debt! We started getting aggressive and jumped from $150/week to $250/week in September 2014. Some weeks we had more to pay, sometimes as much as $300/week.
As for parting with money, monthly or weekly doesn’t make much of a difference. Paying debt is paying debt. We’re bound to pay the student loan no matter what anyway. We stake no claim in the money owed to the lender though it’s packaged as paycheck–money that should’ve been ours.
But if I stop and ponder on this, it’s overwhelming. No matter the frequency, the amount overwhelms me. All of that hard-earned cash slips from our hands. I’m angry. I’m resentful. It’s not because I could use the money to buy something because I don’t think like that. It’s because a significant number of my youth years is spent on working to pay debt.
What can $250/week do for my family? A lot. It could be used to invest more in retirement, invest more in my kid’s 529 Plan, toward our goal to be landlords, on traveling, on improving our home…I could go on and on. However, the primary reason I’m angry and resentful is because it’s lengthening my work years and shortening my investing life.
I can’t stand catching up. Much as I like the challenge, everyone gets burnt out from constant challenges thrown their way. I’ve been at this for nearly 8 years. It’s time to retire this challenge. I’m exhausted–of working, of being angry and of being resentful.
Don’t get me wrong. I like being productive and I like my job a lot, but I’d want to be in a state of simply enjoying it and the benefits/paychecks that come with it.
I sound like like an ingrate sometimes. Imagine how many people struggle to even make ends meet, much less pay their debts? And what about the students who just graduated with 5- or 6-digit student loans? They’re just about to enter into the world of bondage, and yet we’re nearing the end. The light at the end of the tunnel is getting bigger and brighter. I should be at least happy that we are able to make a minimum of $250/week. Not per month but per week!
So what’s it truly like to part with $250 each week?
It has become a way of life for us, like mortgage, grocery and utilities, but more than that it’s:
like having a bear for a pet that we need to feed a lot.
like owning and driving 2 gas guzzling cars everyday.
like living in the posh side of town paying twice our mortgage and property tax.
like eating out everyday for dinner.
like having 2 infants in daycare for 8 years.
None of the above applies to us. We only have 1 small dog who eats once a day some days. We have a 15-year old car that only costs us $80/mo on gas at most. We have a small house in a not-posh neighborhood. We don’t eat out for dinners weekly even. We only have 1 child who’s in grade school now.
Having and paying debt is living a frugal (or poor, if that’s more applicable) lifestyle for the price of a posh one. It hurts and it sucks.
Our debt is now in the $12k mark. What a long way from the $40-thousands. I’m setting aside investing for the rest of this year to focus entirely on this. I’m giving my final effort to decimate it, so that I can finally focus on investing to shorten my working years and to finally live a frugal lifestyle–not only because we’re forced to but because we want to.
Student Loan Forgiveness
An email I got this morning from the government regarding my student loans:
We recalculated your monthly payment for your Income-Based Repayment (IBR) plan. We used the income documentation […] to determine your monthly payment of $334.66 [….] If you do not recertify or you no longer have a partial financial hardship (PFH), your payment amount will be $641.77.
The power of Income-Based Repayment plans for student loans: I am literally paying half what my monthly payment would be if I didn’t have “income based” forbearance.
The downside of course is that it would take me well over twice the length of time to pay off my loans (given the payment size plus interest), but I am enrolled in Public Service Loan Forgiveness, which means if I am employed with a not-for-profit for another four years, to make ten years total, the balance of my loans, roughly $30K, will be forgiven.
Furthermore, I believe (qualifier: this may no longer be true, I haven’t checked recently) if you are enrolled in IBR and paying based on income, after 25 years your loans will be forgiven regardless of where you work. If you are unemployed, IBR can reduce your loan payments to zero even once you’ve used up your grace period. If you are long-term unemployed, that means in 25 years you will no longer carry student loan debt.
It’s 25 years of payments instead of 10, but it’s better than no help at all.
If you are in a low-earning job (I make just over $50K per year which in Chicago does not go far), IBR can help you keep your head above water and build savings by not charging you through the nose for your loan repayments. IBR is making it possible for me to afford to buy a home.
If you are employed with a charity, public school, private not-for-profit school, government agency, or other 501( c)(3) organization, you also qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness, which means after ten years of payments all of your qualifying loans will be forgiven.
A few years ago I wrote up how to apply for IBR and PSLF here. I just went through and updated all the links; it should be a good primer on the kinds of loans and jobs that the setup involves.
Yeah, but instead of signing away your voice for a dude, you’re signing away your your future paychecks for a piece of paper that theoretically qualifies you for said paycheck.
Of course, when you’re drowning in student loan debt, you have absolutely no right to speak up because you took out those loans dammit, and it’s not like credentialism and economic inequality, coupled with rising higher ed costs had anything to do with your choice because reasons and bootstraps. And a crippling recession that has you competing with a whole different class of older, experienced, more educated workers for entry level jobs, well, them’s the breaks, kid. Also, the depressed wages of the bottom 80% of Americans definitely didn’t influence your inability to pay on this debt with a higher interest rate than what the big banks pay for their bailouts. Nope. Not at all.
In a sick way, I suppose you’re signing away your voice in order to place a bet on a rigged roulette wheel overseen by plutocrats drunk on crony capitalism, who, while on an epic bender with the political class, managed to socialize the house’s risk and privatize its profits. Sorry, plebes.
At least the eternity part is 100% correct. Sallie Mae will follow you to the grave. Shit, they’d probably put a lien on your headstone and the plot in which you are buried.
People with and without federal student loans please check this out!!
Ok so I want to tell you guys about this project I found out about called Givling! It’s basically a trivia game website that benefits people with student loans!
The way it works is people make an account for free which secures their spot in the list of people involved in the site. Then people pay 50 cents a game to play. If you have federal student loans and you’re next on the list then you provide them with proof of your loans and they start raising money from all the people playing to pay off your loans. Once your loans are paid off then they go to the next person in line. If you don’t have loans then you can sell your spot in line or give it away. So far it looks like this is legit and it’s really exciting! They haven’t been around long so they just recently paid off the loan of the first person on the list and are a third of the way through the second person on the list. The also do daily money giveaways of much smaller amounts as extra incentive for people to play the game and help raise loan paying funds!
Please check this out and play if you want and do your own research if you are worried about the legitimacy of this project! Below is the link to the website, the group’s facebook page, and a few articles I found about it. So far I haven’t found anything bad about it and everything points to it being legit so please support or promote if you can!
Givling site:
https://givling.com/givling/
Givling facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/Givling?fref=ts
Articles about Givling:
http://www.wired.com/2015/03/online-game-thatll-help-pay-off-student-debt/
http://college.usatoday.com/tag/givling/
http://www.businessinsider.com/online-gamers-are-helping-people-pay-off-their-student-debt-2015-7
http://www.psfk.com/2015/03/givling-gamifying-paying-off-student-loans-paying-college-debt.html
Important for people looking for colleges next year!
Campus Pride gives lists of:
Trans-inclusive women’s colleges
Colleges that have insurance that covers medical transition for students
Colleges with nondiscrimination policies that include gender
Colleges that allow you to change your name and gender on school records
Colleges with gender-neutral housing
Trans-inclusive college sports teams
Trans-inclusive college admissions policies
Also more stuff. (All are directly linked from the first link.)
Reblog so someone doesn’t have to spend their next 2-4(+) years at a school that treats them like crap.
i cannot stress this enough
if you are an eligible voter in the US this coming election and bernie sanders does not have the democratic nomination
you. have. to. vote. for. hillary.
i am not fucking messing around
i am not gonna sit here while you write in names or go on some fucking strike. hillary is not on the same level as donald trump. all of you who act like that’s a hard choice are ridiculous. you vote for hillary clinton if she gets the primary. if you don’t, you give trump the presidency. clear and simple. normally i would not advocate against writing in names, but at this point writing in names would take away from hillary’s vote if she is the nominee–EVEN IF YOU WRITE IN BERNIE SANDERS, YOU GIVE TRUMP A HIGHER CHANCE AT THE PRESIDENCY, AND YOU DON’T WANT THAT.
not even a year ago y’all were laughing about donald trump. don’t fuck this up. in no world is hillary clinton as bad as donald trump.
writers:
break up your paragraphs. big paragraphs are scary, your readers will get scared
fuuuuck epithets. “the other man got up” “the taller woman sat down” “the blonde walked away” nahhh. call them by their names or rework the sentence. you can do so much better than this (exception: if the reader doesn’t know the character(s) you’re referring to yet, it’s a-okay to refer to them by an identifying trait)
blunette is not a thing
new speaker, new paragraph. please.
“said” is such a great word. use it. make sweet love to it. but don’t kill it
use “said” more than you use synonyms for it. that way the use of synonyms gets more exciting. getting a sudden description of how a character is saying something (screaming, mumbling, sighing) is more interesting that way.
if your summary says “I suck at summaries” or “story better than summary” you’re turning off the reader, my dude. your summary is supposed to be your hook. you gotta own it, just like you’re gonna own the story they’re about to read
follow long sentences w short ones and short ones w long ones. same goes for paragraphs
your writing is always better than you think it is. you just think it’s bad because the story’s always gonna be predicable to the one who’s writing it
i love u guys keep on trucking
University life
Hello!
No one will probably read this but I’ll write it anyways.
Big news: I GOT IN UNIVERSITY! ONE OF THE BEST IN RIO DE JANEIRO!
I was approved in 3 universities, 2 publics and a private one. I choose the public one near my house (because it’s free). I’m not gona explain how is the process to get in a university here because it’s confusing, if anyone really wants to know send me a message.
That’s the reason I disappeared. I graduated from my technical school (yay), I’m doing my internship and university at the same time. So this means I have zero time left hahaha. My major is chemical engineering and it’s a 5 year course. I’m loving university so far, I’ve already been to a party and I love it.
Now that I’m studying again I’ll try my best to update this blog because I love the community so much! That’s it!
xx, Mariana
here’s 23 uni specific rules to help u out 4 future:
rule n1: no zero days - never have a day where you do no uni work even if u just do 5 minutes no zero days no excuses
rule n2: never miss tuts or lectures unless u r dying uni culture is great but u gotta get the d(egree) or its 4 nuthin alotta lectures are recorded so even if u can’t physically be there schedule a time to listen and treat it like a proper lecture
rule n3: spend 15-20 minutes doing work for each of your classes everyday (I do this in the morn when I get up)
rule n4: replace your phone with ur readings take your readings with you on public transport and when u go to the toilet (srsly its weird but I do most of my readings there because I have nothing else to do)
rule n5: be 2 days ahead, pretend everything is 2 days before it actually is so you’re prepared
rule n6: go to bed before midnight for uni days always
rule n7: start all assignments 2 weeks before they’re due
rule n8: never start anything after 9pm its better to wake up early when ur brain is rested
rule n9: your brain associates places with actions so don’t study anywhere like your bed, have set spaces or go the quiet section of the library
rule n10: to do lists are your best pals write and review at the start and end of each day, make lil rewards 4 yourself when u complete them
rule n11: help out other peeps with assignments, uni isn’t like school ur not competeing for ranks so everyone can help each other. it helps you focus, sometimes means you don’t have 2 buy text books and you know you know something if you can teach it to others
rule n12: limit social media times i know its hard but u gotta
n13: reward yo self and always look forward to things (this will keep you sane) but dont reward yurself fo nuthin
n14: TURN OFF YOUR PHONE WHEN U R STUDYING OR PUT IT OUT OF REACH GODAMN U CAN TWEET LATER
rule n15: get your sleep (so your brain can sort shit) but don’t nap all day (your brain will get lazy af), eat at least one vegetable and 2 proper meals, never skip breakfast and take a multi vitamin there are cheap ones
rule n16: schedule the use of your freetime between and outside classes (see rules 7 and 5)
rule n17: project guternberg has heaps of books for free if your doing lit courses so check there before you buy things
rule n18: be strict on yourself, but not hard, you might be your own worst enemy somedays but you’re also you’re the only person who won’t give up on you
rule n19: plan your essays/assignments according to the marking rubric NOT the assignment question
rule n20: read your course outline and know who your professors/tutors are if u need help they are your bros
rule n21: ALWAYS ASK IF YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND bruh you are literally in class cos you want to be there and learn stuff its not school where u gotta be there and u dont wanna ask questions so you’ll look cool like you are there to learn so do it and dgaf what anyone thinks of u but also don’t be a dick and try
rule n22: try and say one thing during class discussions and never leave a class without 3 dotpoints written down
rule n23: learn to say no bruh i get it you wanna go to that party cos if you dont ur mate will be pissed but guess what pal u have an assignment u gotta finish due tomorrow and lets face it thats gotta happen so say no because there will always be parties but you wont always get marks you lost back
Tips for Job Interviews:
So people are graduating high school/college and I thought it would be a good idea to compile a list of solid interview tips so you’re not only surviving on that MSG Ramen diet.
1.) Research: Know at least a little about what position you are applying for. Sounds obvious, I know. But I mean about the company or organization itself. You’re applying at Subway? Know a little bit about the company’s history or what a Sandwich Artist is. Applying at a store? Know that clientele that frequent the store, etc. Applying for a desk position at a college? “I was amazed at the new addition to the library and the dedication to student life and improvement just stood out to me that this is a university driven towards student success and something I would be proud to be a part of and strive for.” It’s like giving the hiring manager a high-five. Says why you chose them. Make them feel desirable in interesting to you.
2.) How to dress: When it doubt, always overdress. Nobody is gonna not hire you because you wore a nice suit to a gas station cashier interview. You’ll be taken more seriously than the khaki shorts and white t-shirt you were wearing to that cookout yesterday. Not sure what colors to look for? Black is your safest bet. Black and white are neutral if you have absolutely no clue. Pro tip: If you listened to number one and know the color of the uniform, try and incorporate that into you clothing selection because it helps hiring managers to see you like their co-workers. (e.g., If you’re applying at a hospital where the unit wears, say, maroon scrubs, try wearing a maroon top or tie.)
3. Behavioral Questions: It’s inevitable. Most jobs are going to give you a series of behavioral questions to gauge you as a person. It is what will divide you from other candidates. What’s a behavioral question? Here’s some examples: “Name a time when you provided exceptional customer service”, “Describe an instance when you had to resolve a problem/confront a coworker/maintain professionalism”, etc. Come PREPARED to name instances. Have about 3-5 in mind and get ready to tweak any of them to fit the frame of the question. Practice speaking in the mirror, to a friend, record yourself etc. But practice saying it out loud because you don’t want to stumble. (InterviewStream is a helpful website!) Answer completely! Explain how your response fits the mold through the story. Tell how you felt at the time and the outcome of what happened. It’s to figure out you as a person. (e.g. “I did ___ for a customer/client/patient/whatever. They were having suchandsuch issue and while what I did was so mundane, it really made their day. It was something that comes so naturally to me that I didn’t realize the impact it would make and it felt good to provide a service that wasn’t simply a run-of-the-mill thing we normally did working for ___). You feel me?
4. Critical Thinking Questions: Some jobs may present you with critical thinking questions the require pause for thought. An example for if you were, say, a nurse: “You have four patients. One with pyelonephritis and no signs of infection, one with a fractured femur with no pain, one with a fractured hip and leg who is leaving tomorrow, and one with diabetes mellitus and an open wound ulcer. A PCA tells you the the fractured hip patient has a blood pressure of 90/60 but says she feels fine, the charge nurse informs you that your pyelonephritis patient is having difficulty breathing and is sat at 89%, another PCA tells you your DM patient is difficult to arouse, and your fractured femur patient is screaming that he is rating his pain a 9/10 and is disturbing other patients. What do you do, who is your priority, and what is your plan of care?” A tad overwhelming. The interviewer is looking at you, you’re processing your options, there’s a lot going on. Take a breath. It’s OKAY TO ASK FOR A MINUTE TO THINK. IT’S NOT A TIMED EXAM! Voice your thoughts! Give complete responses. Even if saying “I would take vitals” sounds OBVIOUS, still say it. Go through your thoughts out loud because you may forget something that speaking it aloud could help. “I would take vitals” would lead to “I would perform an assessment” to “by listening to her lungs and taking his glucose” etc.
5. Body Language: Be open! Have your body turned towards your interviewer, look him/her in the eyes when you respond to a question, smile, nod, do not interrupt, sit up straight, know what you’re doing with your hands and feet (e.g. if you’re a chronic knuckle-cracker/hand rubber, fidgeter, etc.). Body language is one of the most helpful ways an interviewer can gauge your interest.
6. Strengths and Weaknesses: Strengths are easy. Everyone can come up with a good strength (Flexible, self-starter, love constructive criticism, love to learn, great team worker, etc.). Weaknesses though? Weaknesses are tricky. Rule number one: DON’T BE THAT DOUCHE THAT SAYS SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT OF “I work too hard” because nobody is impressed. But don’t also say something like “I am not a morning person” because what if they need you for mornings? No. Find a sweet-spot. Find a weakness that can be improved and isn’t a mere personality trait. Explain the weakness and how you have worked to improve it in the past and what has been effective. (e.g. I have issues with time-management. I have learned to get tasks done as soon as they are delegated to me rather than putting them off. or I have learned to prioritize which tasks will be the most time-consuming and which can be handled quicker so that all of the tasks get effectively completed.)
7. “What are your long-term goals/how long do you plan on staying here/where do you see yourself in x years”: Ah. Do I confess to McDonald’s that I have no intention on making a career out of this and that I only want to work here for the summer and risk not getting the job? Hell no. Don’t lie but don’t be completely truthful either. Keep it open-ended. If you intend on using this job for a bit of cash, have something else in mind as your end-game, or plan on using this job as a stepping-stone, that’s just fine. But don’t go on record as saying something like “Oh I intend on working here for a few years” because you know you’re lying. Say something to the tune of “For as long as I can/am able”. Be creative in your phrasing. Unless they ask you to specifically name an amount of time, variations of that response tend to work. Important thing to note is WATCH WHAT YOU SAY HERE. If you want to go far in the company, say that you want to pursue leadership opportunities and such. Do NOT say “I don’t want to just be a ____” because that is condescending and rude.
7. “Do you have any questions for me?”: ALWAYS. HAVE. QUESTIONS. Always have them! Even if it is something that you already know about, ask. Here are some go-to questions I have for interviews “Are there any leadership opportunities available?” “How long is orientation?” “Are there more ways for me to become involved or any committees I can join?” Having questions shows INTEREST.
Feel free to add more tips, people!
University (2) Masterlist
part one
Creating Hope (ao3) - wrightaway
Summary: Dan finally managed to make a few friends at university, but they’re not exactly what you would call “good influences”. On a dare, Dan calls in a professional female cuddler, but a mix up causes a man named phil to show up. Oddly enough, their relationship seems natural, and soon grows to something more. With the help of Phil, Dan begins to see the truly amazing possibilities life provides.
Double-Booked - evacuated-heart
Summary: It’s finals week, and the university’s art and photgraphy studio just so happens to be double booked.
Endless Cities Multiplying Out, Oceansize - krys-etc
Summary: Phil is trying to figure out his gender, and Dan is his roommate.
Every Day - zuzonicorn
Summary: UniStudent!Phil doesn’t really care to watch YouTube sensation danisnotonfire’s videos or live shows, and his uni class always ask why. He always gives them the same answer: “it’s like he hears it every day.” His classmates are about to find out why he always gives the same, dull answer in a way they never would’ve guessed.
Fly Around In Circles - dannihowell
Summary: Dan moves into Uni and finds that his new roommate is Phil, his ex-boyfriend.
I Can’t Do This Anymore (ao3) - alixinsanity
Summary: When Dan returns from his university lecture in tears, Phil comforts him.
I’ll Be Your Sugar Daddy - skinnyjeanshowell
Summary: When Dan is desperate for money for university, he does the one thing he never thought he would do. He goes to a sugar daddy for help.
I Sing The Body Electric - nokomisfics
Summary: genderfluid!phil university flatmates au.
I Will Take You There (If You Let Me Take You) - cafephan
Summary: In which Dan is a fresher and Phil is his RA, and a misunderstanding leads to something unexpected.
Snakebite Heart With A Bubblegum Smile - dark-days-dark-nights-xx
Summary: Phil didn’t want to be there, he really didn’t, but his parents had insisted Uni would benefit and he was determined to hate it. That was until he met his roommate, a guy whose wardrobe consisted of pastel jumpers and flower crowns who made Phil admit who he really was. (Punk/pastel Uni! AU)
Take Every Ounce of Love (And Beg You For More) (ao3) - starsalign
Summary: Uni!AU / Coffeshop!AU in which Dan has finals and the only thing getting him through this week of hell is seasonally appropraite coffees and the cute barista with pretty eyes.
Take My Hand, We’re In Foreign Land - phansomniac
Summary: Dan studies english lit and creative writing at university, a writer wound up in the works of art words can create. Phil transfers to english lit, and after a one night stand they face the trials of living with each other for a year, coping with each other through ups and downs and, eventually, they find they’re closer than anticipated.
Vibrancy - howellesterfics
Summary: Dan is in his third year of studying art in uni. His future is set by societal standards, and he’s prepared for his life beyond graduation: his relationship with Louie will continue to flourish, they’ll tackle the whole white-picket fence thing, have a dog and a kid and a perfect life. He’ll make a living off of his respected artwork. Everything is falling into place - minus the fact that Dan has fallen hard for the photographer on campus, Phil Lester.