[galina]

hi, galina. how could i organize the material to write an essay? (i'm not in college, but i'd love to improve my writing.) any tip will be very helpful and really welcomed. thanks!

try these posts ☺︎

research notes, pt i

research notes, pt ii

finding references

on writing essays, pt i

on writing essays, pt ii

hope this helps x

[galina]

Do you listen to music when you study? Could you recommend a playlist or some good music to listen while working/studying?

yes— I’ve got you, don’t worry, here’s my (currently) 57 hour studying playlist

[galina]

Where do you usually buy those essay books?

do you mean this as in where I would buy non-fiction books? online I nearly always buy direct from the publisher or use bookshop (because they redistribute funds to local bookshops which is cool). some ideas:

my bookshop page

bookmarked ‘want to read’ books

bookmarked non fiction / essay books

my map of local bookshops

happy book shopping :-) x

[driflloon]

every once in a while my brain cells kiss and i experience critical thought

[galina]

Hello Galina! I was wondering if you would mind describing how you analyze a book -- For example, what method do you prefer to take notes on what you are reading? I am to read a few academic writings (although not quite literature) as research and I am having a terrible time getting started and actively reading. Thank you so very much, and (this is rather belated) congratulations on graduating!

Hi – some posts I’ve made on this:

on writing essays

on writing essays, part ii

on writing essays, part iii (research)

Thank you : - )

[galina]

what are some essentials for starting uni? like for a dorm, stationary supplies etc??

I’m not sure what to recommend exactly but I can tell you what my essentials are, I move around a lot and have done ever since I first moved to uni. Try to take only the bare minimum, you’ll accumulate things whilst you’re away :–)

stationery, I currently use:

pens: micron fineliners, zebra f-301, uniball sx-101

pencils: pentel p200 0.5, staedtler hb, tombow eraser

highlighters: mildliners (sorry I’m boring, they’re just so nice!)

notebooks: moleskine (a5, soft cover, squared)

pencil case / folders

and a 30cm folding ruler is useful too

room essentials:

a cruelty-free double duvet + two really good pillows

I am obsessed with my duvet, I went around the shop scrunching every one until I found the one closest to real down. good sleep is really really important!

even if the bed at your accommodation is a single, a double duvet can fold or hang over the side, whereas a single duvet might have to be replaced if you move to a new place that has a double bed

a blanket or throw

a desk light / a bedside light

an easy-to-care for indoor plant that purifies the air

try: dracaena, sanseveria, ficus, spathiphyllum

a medicine tin with standard painkillers, effervescent vitamin c, savlon, indigestion tablets, tiger balm and other bits you might need (remember to take your anti-allergy tablets, inhaler, etc.)

cafetiére / pourover / teapot and a kettle

or invest in a hot plate coffee maker and a timer plug – voilà, you can wake up to fresh coffee in the morning

speaker(s) (pack headphones too… don’t be that neighbour)

printed photos of your friends and family, artwork, posters, or a small rug will make you feel instantly more at home – put them up with washi tape though so you don’t mark the walls!

other stuff

if you share a kitchen: instead of taking a big set with lots of plates, try going to your local market or charity / secondhand shop and buy just two small plates, two small bowls and some knives and forks. this way, you’ll have more space in the kitchen + be able to tell which are yours, as well as nice memories of going to those places in your hometown before moving

if you share a bathroom: invest in a toiletries bag, then you don’t have to leave all your stuff in the bathroom if you don’t want to

Finally, my mum’s advice to me: take something, or a few things, that are really old and you’ve had for ages. It can be tempting to take university as a ‘fresh start’, and you should, but if you take at least one thing – maybe a bag, or pencil case – that you’ve loved for years, it might make you feel more grounded if things get overwhelming.

I am so excited for you, good luck at university and I hope you really enjoy it.

[galina]

FAQ: Photos

Hi, thank you everyone but I am not answering any more messages like this from now on. I don’t mean to be rude, I just find these difficult to answer.

There isn’t a ‘secret’ and I’m not going to make a “how to take photos just like me” guide. It’s just a bit of fun, so go out n take some photos, try things for yourself. :–) 

Tips for editing photos:

it helps to start by taking a photo that has a lot of light and a composition

composition: cropping, changing the ratio and straightening help frame the subject of the photo

light tones: adjust exposure (n.b. if the photo is too exposed when you take it no amount of editing will fix it)

dark tones: darken the contrast, but ‘flatten’ or take depth out of shadows to keep details from being obscured

colours: add (warm) yellow tones if the photo is blue-toned, (cold) blue if yellow-toned, green if pink-toned, etc. (colour wheel)

Apps: VSCO, Huji, Pixlr, Afterlight, Snapseed, Filterstorm Neue, Adobe PS and SKWRT

I use my phone unless stated otherwise. I have also taken photos on 35mm film, I don’t edit those (Canon AE1-p, Superheadz Wide Lens, Pentax Digital).

Books on photography:

John Berger, Understanding a Photograph

Susan Sontag, On Photography

Jackie Higgins, Why It Does Not Have To Be In Focus

Jason Fulford, The Photographer’s Playbook

Watch my editing process on my instagram: @warmhealer

[galina]

Recently I’ve been reading Étienne Balibar’s Politics and the Other Scene, for fun but also for my political philosophy essay on Europe and ‘the end of history’. It’s extra reading, but I’m really, really enjoying the research process for this one and I know that all of this work will be useful for next year, too.

[galina]

Do you have any tips for writing an essay?

I don’t know about tips, but I can share my process of essay-writing for literature and philosophy courses. I use MHRA referencing. I have written on essays and writing style before here: [x]

1. Deciding on a topic – this seems obvious but I always try and choose a topic which is interesting, or inspiring (or that I disagree with and makes me angry). 

Start thinking as soon as possible about possible arguments. If there is an essay question or quote to respond to, underline key terms and make them the starting point for research.

2. Reading and research – write down every quote relevant to the essay topic, both primary and secondary reading, in a document with annotations and thoughts on each one, as well as the full reference. I usually start by defining my terms, then branch out from there.

‘It seems to me the most sensible answer is this: approach two or three of the most general critical texts immediately, just to get an idea of the background against which your author moves. Then approach the original author directly, and always try to understand exactly what he says. Afterwards, explore the rest of the critical literature. Finally, return to examine the author in the light of the newly acquired ideas. But this advice is quite abstract. In reality, students tend to follow the rhythm of their desire, and often there is nothing wrong with consuming texts in a disorderly way.’Umberto Eco, How to Write a Thesis (Cambridge: MIT Press, 2015), p. 103.

3. Planning – think about the structure before starting to write. Essays usually have: 

an introduction

a critical framework (this may be defining terms, or situating your argument in relation to other works on the same topic)

analysis

conclusions

There might be a section before concluding which revisits the second section in light of analysis. In an essay of 5,000 words, 1,000-2,000 words might be the introduction and critical framework, followed by 2,000 words of analysis and between 500 and 1,000 words to conclude. Equally weighted sections should make an essay seem well balanced and paced. 

I usually give myself lots of helpful section headings to keep the essay structure from going astray. I even write instructions: ‘write a sentence or paragraph here about…’, ‘don’t forget to try and work in…’. This also means you won’t start with a blank page. 

4. Writing – I start either in my analysis section or in the critical framework. These are the main sections of the essay. I always try to define the terms I use as clearly as possible, and situate my argument within the field (i.e. argue with other writers on the same topic). Write conclusions and introductions last to frame the essay. Footnote and reference during the writing process. 

Analysis paragraphs should have an argument, a quote to back it up, an explanation of how the quote backs up the argument, then a link to the next paragraph. UK students often use the acronym PEEL – Point, Evidence, Explanation, Link. It works in most cases.

5. Editing – reading aloud helps, as does proofreading (especially if done by someone else, or printed rather than on a screen). Taking a day away can give clarity. Beware of over-editing! : - )

Book recommendations: 

Hazel Hutchinson, Essays and Dissertations Made Easy

Strunk and White, The Elements of Style

Umberto Eco, How to Write a Thesis

Brian Dillon, Essayism

[galina]

could you recommend me some books on critical theory, but like some introductory reading on it?

Introductions & anthologies:

Jonathan Culler, Literary Theory

David Lodge, Modern Criticism and Theory

Graphic Guides: Philosophy, Derrida, Foucault, et al

The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism

Essays:

Roland Barthes, Image Music Text

Albert Camus, Create Dangerously

Susan Sontag, Against Interpretation 

Mieke Bal, Narratology

John Berger, Confabulations

Edward Said, Orientalism

Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak in Morris (ed.), Can the Subaltern Speak?

bell hooks, Feminist Theory

Umberto Eco, On Literature

Linda Hutcheon, A Poetics of Postmodernism

Zadie Smith, Changing My Mind

[aradeia]

“Veritas numquam perit.”

—

Seneca the Younger

Truth never perishes.

(via vaeputodeusfio)

[lucytara]

u can tell who the ancients of tumblr are bc they’re the ones not posting anything abt where to find them if this site collapses…we know this site isnt going anywhere….the apocalypse couldnt stop this garbage…..it has the cybernetic code of a cockroach

[siyanie-zvezd]

[birdasaurus]

Michaela Hallen

[percyhoneybee]

THERE MUST BE A PARAGRAPH BREAK EVERY TIME A NEW CHARACTER SPEAKS

THIS IS NOT OPTIONAL

NO ONE WANTS TO READ ONE BIG BLOCK OF TEXT JESUS CHRIST

[bloated-butch]

REMEMBER TIP TOP OK:

Make a paragraph every time that any of these things change!

Ti me

P lace

To pic

P erson

[mellify]

Strike a pose.

[serdtse]

“Having no soul. I never had one really. It was always fobbed off on me. Soul was the only thing there was between you and me. Thank goodness it’s gone. Haven’t you lost yours? The one that seemed to worry you, like a decayed tooth?”

— D.H. Lawrence, from Collected Stories (via violentwavesofemotion)