ronnie kaye

History and Communictions Major 20. Slytherin. Aquarius Sun and Moon. Gemini Rising.

[preschooldr0pout]

every instance of love from my local newspaper’s community announcements (obituaries, memorials, births, birthdays, anniversaries, congratulations) - saturday, september 4, 2021

[bugkeeping]

I havent seen anyone talk about this yet so im making a post. 

So lets say you’re researching something for a paper (or just for fun) and the research paper you want to read is behind a paywall, or the site makes you create an account first, or makes you pay to download, or limits you to only 5 free articles, or otherwise makes it difficult for you to read what you want.

do not fear! copy the link to the article

go to sci-hub.se         (the url is always changing so its best to check out whereisscihub.now.sh to find what the current url is)

slap the article link in there

bam! free access! 

[tuyetanliu]

if you have a chinese character and you don’t understand our naming traditions, do not give them a chinese name. you cannot just slap on a name that “sounds right” or the name of a famous person (that’s actually bad luck) onto them. that’s not how our names work and if you operate like that you’re being lazy and culturally insensitive. if you’re writing a contemporary story, just give them a western name and use their last name to indicate their ethnic background. (you can use a chinese celebrity’s western name as inspiration though.)

explanation time:

chinese names work in very different ways and it’s dependent on what your parents want for your future, what day and time you were born, the chinese characters (and the amount of strokes in them), your last name, and your family. there are actual services to give your child a name that will denote a happy, healthy, and fortunate life that takes all of that into consideration. in many families, there are actual meetings on what to name a child. this doesn’t even consider the language you speak and where you live/which province you come from (dear god if you give a person from a cantonese speaking region/lineage a mandarin name i will choose violence when reading your work). if you do not understand the language, if you do not understand the traditions, if you do not do your research, you will just look like the court jester about to get his head lopped off. please just do not even attempt giving your chinese character a chinese name if you’re not willing to do the work. if you’re really insistent about giving your characters a chinese name, you can support the community by actually paying someone to help you give your characters names. you can look them up and research people in your area.

[kendallroy-deactivated20210425]

in which i recommend books like the netflix algorithm

you wanted it, you got it, babes! caveat: this list is long (seriously, sorry about the length) and i can’t write blurbs for everything, but i highly recommend going and looking at anything that sounds interesting. some books will fall under multiple headings, so i’m listing them twice. i am linking to their purchase pages on bookshop.org, because amazon sucks and bookshop helps support indie booksellers, but if your local indie bookstore offers delivery or curbside pickup, buy it there. and i’m trying to keep this list confined to pretty recent titles, so even though a few older ones might slip in there, it’s definitely centered on releases from the past few years. okay let’s do this.

if you want a book that feels like a primal scream:

godshot by chelsea bieker

the book of joan by lidia yuknavitch

girl, woman, other by bernadine evaristo

her body and other parties by carmen maria machado (short stories)

trust exercise by susan choi

my dark vanessa by kate elizabeth russell

the rehearsal by eleanor catton

indelicacy by amina cain

the answers by catherine lacey

the mars room by rachel kushner

the love affairs of nathaniel p. by adelle waldman

if you want clever social commentary and/or hilarious female protagonists:

you too can have a body like mine by alexandra kleeman

the new me by halle butler

queenie by candice carty-williams

prep by curtis sittenfeld

the idiot by elif batumen

my year of rest and relaxation by ottessa moshfegh

oksana, behave! by maria kuznetsova

where’d you go, bernadette by maria semple

convenience store woman by sayaka murata

nothing to see here by kevin wilson

made for love by alissa nutting

the pisces by melissa broder

the herd by andrea bartz

if you want to start reading the unhinged women canon (not all recent):

mrs. dalloway by virginia woolf

the awakening by kate chopin

we have always lived in the castle by shirley jackson

gone girl by gillian flynn

rebecca by daphne du maurier

white oleander by janet fitch

cousin bette by honore de balzac

wide sargasso sea by jean rhys

play it as it lays by joan didion

the piano teacher by elfriede jelinek

valley of the dolls by jacqueline susann

postcards from the edge by carrie fisher

if you liked the secret history:

if we were villains by m.l. rio

social creature by tara isabelle burton

the basic eight by daniel handler

the incendiaries by r.o. kwon

bunny by mona awad

hex by rebecca dinerstein knight

if you like speculative/dystopian fiction:

the dreamers by karen thompson walker

the book of joan by lidia yuknavitch

severance by lin ma

gold fame citrus by claire vaye watkins

the farm by joanne ramos

followers by megan angelo

the power by naomi alderman

the glass hotel by emily st. john mandel

if you want a book that reads like a good fanfic:

normal people by sally rooney

fame adjacent by sarah skilton

stay up with hugo best by erin somers

the seven husbands of evelyn hugo by taylor jenkins reid

circe by madeline miller

the nobodies by liza palmer

evvie drake starts over by linda holmes

if you like dark stories about complex relationships between women:

my sister, the serial killer by oyinkan braithwaite

baby teeth by zoje stage

dare me by megan abbott

eileen by ottessa moshfegh

social creature by tara isabelle burton

the worst kind of want by liska jacobs

the girls by emma cline

oligarchy by scarlett thomas

devotion by madeline stevens

baby by annaleese jochems

marlena by julie buntin

bunny by mona awad

necessary people by anna pitoniak

if you like stories about complicated families:

red at the bone by jacqueline woodson

the care and feeding of ravenously hungry girls by anissa grey

mostly dead things by kristen arnett

bee season by myla goldberg

bowlaway by elizabeth mccracken

everything i never told you by celeste ng

the nest by cynthia d’aprix sweeney

the grammarians by cathleen schine

ask again, yes by mary beth keane

if you like smart and thoughtful books about relationships between women:

my brilliant friend and the neapolitan novels by elena ferrante

such a fun age by kiley reid

gingerbread by helen oyeyimi

the female persuasion by meg wolitzer

the burning girl by claire messud

expectation by anna hope

the animators by kayla rae whitaker

if you want something queer that isn’t YA:

my education by susan choi

permission by saskia vogel

mostly dead things by kristen arnett

real life by brandon taylor

after dolores by sarah schulman

patsy by nicole dennis-benn

wilder girls by rory power

enter the aardvark by jessica anthony

less by andrew sean greer

exciting times by naiose dolan

you just want something good and are willing to take a chance on one of these books i love (these are not all recent, i just like them a lot):

dept. of speculation by jenny offill

the interestings by meg wolitzer

godshot by chelsea bieker

play it as it lays by joan didion

the bonfire of the vanities by tom wolfe

wolf in white van by john darnielle

things you would know if you grew up around here by nancy wayson dinan

sex and rage by eve babitz

wise blood by flannery o’connor

leading men by christopher castellani

saint x by alexis schaitkin

the cosmopolitans by sarah schulman

lake success by gary shteyngart

odds against tomorrow by nathaniel rich

the great believers by rebecca makkai

good citizens need not fear by maria reva (short stories)

[obsidianstudy]

hey there, it’s jo! i’ve gotta admit love tumblr a lot (probably too much, at times), but there’s just so much useful stuff you can find here! and so here’s some helpful stuff i’ve collected, put into one masterpost and cut up into various categories. (see bottom for masterposts on other stuff)!

the masterpost of stuff: life stuff (how to adult)

taxes

do i need to file a tax return?

do i need a 1040, 1040A, or 1040EZ?

the irs website

and introduction on taxes n stuff

vehicles

winterize your car

what to do after car accident (take all the pictures as evidence)

a guide to car insurance

apartments

basics for apartments (stuff people dont tell you about apartments)

a guide to apartments

an apartment packing list

life

how to drain a sink without using chemicals

for those big cleaning days

how often should you clean stuff in your apartment?

tips for when you’re living alone

bruh don’t accidentally off yourself while cleaning

how to cook (the technical aspects)

here’s how long u can store your groceries

money / bank

a masterpost on how to make some money

make money just by surfing the web

how to build credit and prove you can handle your finances

how to write a check

debit vs credit

balance a checkbook

what to do if you’ve lost your wallet

jobs

cover letters

on resumes, advice from a hirer

how to handle phone interviews

questions to ask in interviews

uncommon interview resume tips

thank yous for after the interview

how to get a job with little experience

write a personal statement

how to get a job quick as hell

write an email like an adult

self-defense

here’s how to break out of a zip tie here’s another one

womens self defense level one

tips for self defense

how to call 911 with someone dangerous in the room

11 self-defense tips even a child could use

got a creeper asking for your number? give him this instead (two links)

miscellaneous

how to grow the f up

a general how-to on things (car, plumbing, electrical, home stuff)

random life tips

an amazing cordless drill drawing explanation

hella important paperwork to always have available

how to grocery shop

a big life tips masterpost

adult life hacks

before you pay your hospital bills

different knives and their uses

in case you fall in ice

why you should stop being nice and start being kind

i hope this helps y’all lovelies!

find other masterpost stuff: health | school | humanities | miscellaneous i

if you have any good reference posts / posts you want to share and add to this masterpost, please send posts or submissions here! thank you!

[michaelbjorkwrites]

5 frustrating workshop rules that made me a better writer

Throughout the 15 workshops I joined in college and grad school, I encountered two types of writing rules.

First, there were the best-practice guidelines we’ve all heard, like “show don’t tell.” And then there were workshop rules, which the professor put in place not because they’re universal, but because they help you grow within the context of the workshop.

My college’s intro writing course had 5 such rules:

No fantasy, supernatural, or sci-fi elements.

No guns.

No characters crying.

No conflict resolution through deus ex machina.

No deaths.

When I first saw the rules, I was baffled. They felt weirdly specific, and a bit unfair. But when our professor, Vinny, explained their purpose (and assured us he only wanted us to follow the rules during this intro workshop, not the others to come), I realized what I could learn from them.

1. No fantasy, supernatural, or sci-fi elements.

Writers need to be able to craft round characters, with clear arcs. While you can hone those skills writing any type of story, it can be more difficult when juggling fantastical elements, because it’s easy to get caught up in the world, or the magic, or the technology, and to make that the focus instead of the characters. So Vinny encouraged us to exclude such elements for the time being, to keep us fully focused on developing strong, dynamic characters.

2. No guns.

Weapons have a place in many stories, but when writers include a gun, they often use it to escalate the plot outside of the realm of personal experience and into what Vinny called “Hollywood experience.” He wanted us to learn how to draw from our own observations and perceptions of life, rather than the unrealistic action, violence, and drama we’d seen in movies, so he made this rule to keep us better grounded in our own experiences.

3. No characters crying.

When trying to depict sadness, writers often default to making characters cry. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with that, tears are just one way to show grief, and they aren’t always the most subtle or emotionally compelling. That’s why Vinny challenged us to find other ways to convey sadness — through little gestures, strained words, fragile interactions, and more. It was difficult, but opened us up to depicting whole new gradients of grief and pain.

4. No conflict resolution through deus ex machina.

This is the only one of the rules I’d say is generally universal. Meaning “God from the machine,” deus ex machina is a plot device where a character’s seemingly insurmountable problem is abruptly resolved by an outside force, rather than their own efforts. These endings are bad for various reasons, but Vinny discouraged them because he wanted us to understand how important it was for our characters to confront their struggle and its consequences.

5. No deaths.

Death is inherently dramatic and can be used to good effect, but many writers use death as a crutch to create drama and impact. Writers should be able to craft engaging, meaningful stories, even without killing off their characters, so this rule challenged us to find other methods of giving weight to our stories (such as through internal conflict).

How these rules helped me grow as a writer

First things first, I’ll say it again: apart from #4 (deus ex machina), these rules were never meant to be universally applied. Instead, their purpose was to create temporary barriers and challenges to help us develop key skills and write in new, unfamiliar ways.

For me, the experience was invaluable. I liked the way the rules challenged and stretched my abilities, driving me to write stories I’d have never otherwise attempted. They made me more flexible as a writer, and while I don’t follow the rules anymore (I LOVE me some fantasy), I’ll always be thankful for how they shaped my writing.

My recommendation to you?

Give some of these rules a shot! Follow them temporarily while writing 2-4 short stories — but remember to always keep their purpose in mind, because the rules themselves will only help if you understand what they’re trying to achieve.

Write with purpose, and you’ll always be growing.

— — —

For more tips on how to craft meaning, build character-driven plots, and grow as a writer, follow my blog.

[isthsnametakenyet]

50,000 FOLLOWER GIVE AWAY!

I recently reached 50,000 followers on my blog, (which is an insane milestone I never could have imagined possible)! As a thank you to all the people who (for some strange reason) follow me, and to the studyblr community (which has been a major motivating force for the past few years), I thought I’d host a give-away!

SOME INFO:

- The give-away is international!

- The winner will be selected at random

- The give-away is not sponsored by any brand

- You must be alright with giving me your address if you win (so that I can mail  you the prizes.) (Parental/Adult permission if you are under the age of 18.)

- The give-away closes on the 30th of April 2020

- I will Tumblr-message the winner of the give-away once it has closed (and if the winner does not respond within two days, I will draw another winner.)

THE PRIZES:

- Stabilo pastel highlighters (6 pack)

- Faber Castell tri-colour pencils (12 pack)

- Muji 0.5 ballpoint pens with grip (1x red, 1x black) 

- Muji tape glue

- Muji sticky notes

- Kikki K slim ballpoint pens (4 pack)

- Rilakkuma sticky notes 

- Subikiawa note pads x2 

- Typo A4 lined notebook

- Harry Potter colouring-in book

HOW TO ENTER:

- You must follow my Instagram @ isthisnametakenyet (I’ll be checking 👀)

- You must follow my YouTube channel @ isthsnametakenyet  (I’ll be checking 👀) 

- You must follow my blog @isthsnametakenyet​ (I’ll be checking 👀)

- Like this post = 1 entry,  Reblog this post = an extra entry 

YAY I’m so excited! Thank you guys again - I hope you like this giveaway!

[thesleepiesthufflepuff]

I’ve gotten really into listening to background/ASMR/ambience stuff on YouTube while writing, and I thought I’d compile a list of all things HP that I could find

With music:

Dumbledore’s office

Hogsmeade

Rainy night at Hogwarts

Hagrid’s hut

Diagon Alley

Knockturn Alley

Room of Requirement during Christmas

Yule Ball garden

The Great Hall

The wizarding world

Bill and Fleur’s seaside cottage

Hogwarts Express

Three Broomsticks Inn

The Burrow

Malfoy Manor

Morning in Hogsmeade

Camping in the Forest of Dean

Shrieking Shack

Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes

Hog’s Head Inn

The Leaky Cauldron

The Lovegood house

12 Grimmauld Place

The Knight Bus

Enchanted Tent

Gringotts Bank

Flying Ford Anglia

Bill and Fleur’s wedding

Hogwarts grounds:

Hogwarts library

The Great Lake

The Forbidden Forest

Hagrid’s hut

Studying

Quidditch pitch

1st year boat ride

The whomping willow

Room of Requirement

Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom

Sunset at Hogwarts

Common rooms:

Hufflepuff common room

Ravenclaw common room

Gryffindor common room

Slytherin common room

Classrooms:

The astronomy tower

The herbology greenhouses

The potions classroom

The divination classroom

[historic-studies]

I used these videos a lot when i was studying and stuff in college, I love that there's a master list for them now!

[historic-studies]

Good luck on your midterms!

I’m not in college at the moment but I know midterms are happening right now and wanted to give you luck and well wishes! 

[dagna]

You imagine a world where the two of you can go out to dinner on a Saturday night, and no one thinks twice about it. It makes you want to cry, the simplicity of it. The smallness of it. You have worked so hard for a life so grand. And now all you want are the smallest freedoms. The daily peace of loving plainly.

THE SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO - Taylor Jenkins Reid

[parisgellerstudy]

MASSIVE list of book recs

plays

death of a salesman, arthur miller

macbeth, shakespeare

a streetcar named desire, tennessee williams

hamlet, shakespeare

a raisin in the sun, lorraine hansberry

a midsummer night’s dream, shakespeare

antigone, sophocles

king lear, shakespeare

the glass menagerie, tennessee williams

othello, shakespeare

pygmalion, george bernard shaw

the tempest, shakespeare,

much ado about nothing, shakespeare

as you like it, shakespeare

the taming of the shrew, shakespeare

the merry wives of windsor, shakespeare

the merchant of venice, shakespeare

oedipus rex, sophocles

an ideal husband, oscar wilde

who’s afraid of virginia wolf, edward albee

our town, thornton wilder

waiting for godot, samuel beckett

fantasy/fairy tales

the ranger’s apprentice, john flanagan

harry potter series, j.k. rowling

inkheart by cornelia funke

throne of glass, sarah j. maas

the chronicles of narnia, c.s. louis

the lord of the rings, j.r.r. tolkien

the hobbit, j.r.r. tolkien

percy jackson and the olympions, rick riordan

eragon by christopher paolini

the bartimaeus trilogy, jonathan stroud

howl’s moving castle, dianna wynne jones

the wonderful wizard of oz, lyman frank baum

the books of bayern, shannon hale

ella enchanted, gail carson levine

the princess bride, william goldman

the raven cycle, maggie stiefvater

the sisters grimm, michael buckley

the spiderwick chronicles, tony diterlizzi and holly black

the alchemist, paulo coelho

forgive my fins, tera lynn childs

alice in wonderland, lewis carroll

the faerie path, allan jones frewin

the school for good and evil, soman chainani

the grimm legacy, polly shulman

the sweetest spell, suzanne selfors

the tales of the frog princess, e.d. baker

the wide-awake princess, e.d. baker

once a witch, carolyn maccullough

the silver bowl series, diane stanley

the emily windsnap series, liz kessler

fairest, gail carson levine

the fairy realm series, emily rodda

the water mirror, kai meyer

the two princesses of bamarre, gail carson levine

non-fiction

the seven habits of highly effective people, stephen covey

the seven habits of highly effective teens, sean covey

mencken’s chrestomathy, h.l. mencken

yes please, amy poehler

is everyone hanging out without me? (and other concerns), mindy kaling

audrey hepburn: an elegant spirit, sean hepburn ferrer

how to be lovely: the audrey hepburn way of life, melissa hellstern

how to win friends and influence people, dale carnegie

how to win friends and influence people for teen girls, donna dale carnegie

#girlboss by sophia amuroso

14,000 things to be happy about, barbara ann kipfer

choose to matter, julie foudy

the little book of skin care: korean beauty secrets for healthy, glowing skin, charlotte cho

where stylists shop: the fashion insider’s ultimate guide, booth moore

the girls’ book of glamour: a guide to being a goddess, jeffrie sally

the girls’ book: how to be the best at everything, juliana foster

the girls’ book of excellence: even more ways to be the best at everything, sally norton

the life-changing magic of not giving a f*ck: how to stop spending time you don’t have with people you don’t like doing things you don’t want to do (a no f*cks given guide), sarah knight

bossypants, tina fey

we should all be feminists by chimamanda ngozi adichie

behind the scenes: or, thirty years a slave, and four years in the white house, elizabeth keckley

the pillow book, sei shōnagon

eat pretty: nutrition for beauty, inside and out, jolene hart

eat pretty every day: 365 daily inspirations for nourishing beauty, inside and out, jolene hart

narrative of the life of frederick douglass, frederick douglass

narrative of sojourner truth, sojourner truth

12 years a slave, solomon northup

night, elie wiesel

poetry

the flowers of evil, charles baudelaire

a season in hell, arthur rimbaud

she walks in beauty, lord byron

shakespeare’s sonnets, shakespeare

we real cool, gwendolyn brooks

poems of emily dickinson

poems of robert frost

leaves of grass, walt whitman

the raven, edgar allen poe

poems of edgar allen poe

milk and honey by rupi kaur

the sun and her flowers, rupi kaur

the princess saves herself in this one, amanda lovelace

romance

romeo and juliet, shakespeare

emma, jane austen

ever, gail carson levine

pride and prejudice, jane austen

eleanor and park, rainbow rowell

sense and sensibility, jane austen

jane eyre, charlotte brontë

landline, rainbow rowell

madame bovary, gustave flaubert

to all the boys i’ve loved before, jenny han

love in the time of cholera, gabriel garcía márquez

the sun is also a star, nicola yoon

young adult

fangirl, rainbow rowell

great expectations, charles dickens

aristotle and dante discover the secrets of the universe, benjamin alire sáenz

when the moon was ours, anna-marie mclemore

the goldfinch, donna tartt

looking for alaska, john green

we were liars, e. lockhart

the wrath and the dawn, renée ahdieh

little women, louisa may alcott

palace of spies, sarah zettel

the clique series, lisi harrison

the finishing school series, gail carriger

eyes like stars, lisa mantchev

the ever after high series, shannon hale

along for the ride, sarah dessen

girl online, zoe sugg

keeping the castle, patrice kindl

stargirl, jerry spinelli

stir it up, ramin ganeshram

prom and prejudice, elizabeth eulberg

the summer i saved the world…in 65 days, michele weber hurwitz

pink and green series by lisa greenwald

six of crows, leigh bardugo

the catcher in the rye, j.d. salinger

the house on mango street, sandra cisneros

turtles all the way down, john green

under the lights, dahlia adler

geekerella, ashley poston

simon vs. the homo sapiens agenda, becky albertalli

it’s not like it’s a secret, misa sugiura

the idiot, elif batuman

the outsiders, s.e. hinton

everything leads to you, nina lacour

a wrinkle in time, madeleine l’engle

dumplin’, julie murphy

historical fiction

the great gatsby, f. scott fitzgerald

the scarlet letter, nathaniel hawthorne

a tale of two cities, charles dickens

the song of achilles, madeline miller

the last of the mohicans, james fenimore cooper

the constant princess, philippa gregory

the count of monte cristo, alexandre dumas

les misérables, victor hugo

war and peace, leo tolstoy

a mad, wicked folly, sharon biggs waller

manor of secrets, katherine longshore

to kill a mockingbird, harper lee

uncle tom’s cabin, harriet beecher stowe

atonement ian mcewan

the unbearable lightness of being, milan kundera

things fall apart, chinua achebe

ophelia, lisa m. klein

the god of small things, arundhati roy

gothic fiction

frankenstein, mary shelley

dracula, bram stoker

the picture of dorian gray, oscar wilde

wuthering heights, emily brontë

parody/satire

catch-22, joseph heller 

candide, voltaire

don quixote, miguel de cervantes

animal farm, george orwell

the importance of being earnest, oscar wilde

science fiction

the city of ember, jeanne duprau

1984, george orwell

the handmaid’s tale, margaret atwood

brave new world, aldous huxley

the lunar chronicles, marissa meyer

the time machine, h.g. wells

the fourteenth goldfish, jennifer l. holm

fahrenheit 451, ray bradbury

twenty thousand leagues under the sea, jules verne

the extraordinary voyages series, jules verne

epics

beowulf, author unknow

the odyssey, homer

the iliad, homer

the bhagavad gita, vyasa

the mahabharata, vyasa

inferno, dante alighieri

miscellaneous

the bell jar, sylvia plath

the secret history, donna tartt

swann’s way, marcel proust

the art of war, sun tzu

the awakening, kate chopin

moby dick, herman melville

anna karenina, leo tolstoy

the canterbury tales, geoffrey chaucer

the crucible, arthur miller

one flew over the cuckoo’s nest, ken kesey

the antichrist, friedrich nietzsche

sew zoey, nancy taylor and chloe zhang

the candymakers, wendy mass

my sister the vampire series, sienna mercer

eight hundred grapes, laura dave

their eyes were watching god, zora neale hurston

the adventures of huckleberry finn, mark twain

the adventures of tom sawyer, mark twain

a christmas carol, charles dickens

the old man and the sea, ernest hemingway

to the lighthouse, virginia woolf

utopia, thomas more

a spy in the house of love, anaïs nin

crime and punishment, fyodor dostoyevsky

the assistants, camille perri

a room of one’s own, virginia woolf

the joy luck club, amy tan

sputnik sweetheart, haruki murakami

the namesake, jhumpa lahiri

a thousand splendid suns, khaled hosseini

crazy rich asians, kevin kwan

save the date, morgan matson

neuromancer, william gibson

thanks for reading! i hope this helped some of you out. hugs, mel ✨✨✨

[historic-studies]

I'm going to the library today and wanted to get some book recs down so I'll let you guys know what I end up coming home with!!

[fiveheaded-drunk-god-deactivate]

The biggest RSD moment I ever had was when I wanted to hug my boyfriend at the time but he didn't want to (he had a reason I didn't know because we had shitty communication) so I hid somewhere and cried uncontrollably for like 30 minutes

[officialskylerwhitestan-deactiv]

me after three (3) days without having an rsd breakdown: if I was in a social situation I would simply not experience excruciating pain at any slight rejection. rip to past me but I'm different

[intellectys]

Being a studyblr is of course far more about the mindset and our shared passion for learning than the stationery, but in this digital world that revolves around photos, it doesn’t always feel that way. However, me that just saying “it’s who you are, not what you have!!” seems quite preachy and condescending, and I know from my own experience how not feeling the same can still hurt your confidence and make you feel like you don’t fit in- even if in reality, that’s completely untrue.

While I can’t solve all the underlying issues with the way this community often (unintentionally!!) functions, what I can do is share advice from my own experience- so here’s a few things I do as a studyblr on a budget to make my money go further.

Try using a makeup bag as a pencil case. So long as you’re not someone who likes lots of compartments, they’re often cheaper than bags specifically marketed as pencil cases (especially on sale). Plus, they’re waterproof and come in so many cute patterns!

Hold off on buying a planner or calendar until a couple of weeks into the year. If you can make do with a notebook for a while, you’ll save a tonne! Demand drops off massively after school starts so you can find some huge discounts on really nice quality planners. 

Use AliExpress to buy cute stationery, especially sticky notes. As long as you’re willing to wait a bit longer, it’s usually pretty reliable and always super cheap. Plus, you can avoid dropshipping scams and save money to support your favourite creators & artists!

Don’t be put off by places like Walmart! Even though they’re not the first places that spring to mind when you think of stationery, supermarkets often stock some good, cheap, and reliable supplies. And they can still be super pretty- look at this adorable notebook! 

Keep an eye on sales. If you’re after a specific brand, waiting for a sale or finding a coupon code can be a lifesaver. If it’s a specific product, try watching supermarket flyers until somewhere like the middle of Lidl or Aldi starts stocking it for cheap!

Become friends with DIY. One thing so many studyblrs are talented at is making things look pretty- make the most of that!! Decorate your notebooks! Embroider your bags! Use the skills you have to make the most of what you’ve got, and it’ll often look even better than something fancy and ridiculously expensive. 

Try some thrift stores. While this isn’t directly related to stationery, if you’re after homewares for your photos or even a nice background, thrift stores can be a solution. Don’t have a glam white desk? Lay out a big white shirt from the thrift store! Plus, sustainability is always a plus. 

Buy books secondhand or get them from the library. This isn’t just true for things like textbooks, but for things you want to read as well. Things like pretty bookshelves are definitely idealized but also very expensive. Secondhand books from places like Alibris, or my fave, AbeBooks, are not only cheaper but come with that vintage vibe that’s really in at the moment!

Save things like jam jars to use as stationery organizers. Who needs acrylic storage when we have glass? If you’re after the aesthetics, reused containers can look great for your desk (and photograph really well!) while things you use less often can be hidden away in shoeboxes elsewhere. 

Make use of freebies!! Studyblr is great for providing free resources, from gorgeous free printables to free extensions to make your computer look prettier. This sort of thing can be a fab way to customize your setup without spending a tonne, plus you can change the vibe whenever!

Enter all the giveways you can. So long as you’re old enough to give away your mailing address (or have permission from your parents!) and check that’s it’s a legit giveaway, you have literally nothing to lose. Especially on Instagram, brands frequently offer giveaways of their products, and it can be an amazing way to cop some name brand bits and bobs completely for free.

Realize that a lot of the “studyblr aesthetic” is nothing more than framing. I once used a Starbucks doubleshot can in photos across three whole weeks just to make my photos look pretty- no lie. This is quite deceptive but I think everyone, myself included wants to put their best self forward. You, too, are in control of what people see, and there’s so many free resources available online! Take a peek at @studyquill’s guide to photography  or some tips from @studypetals and make the most of free apps to edit your photos. Half the time, it’s not about the products, but rather what people perceive.

Please do remember, though, that your hard work, effort, and dedication are infinitely more valuable than the things you own. You don’t need a Mac or a Kanken or Tombows to be an incredible studyblr to motivate yourself and inspire others, even if it often seems that way. 

If that sort of thing ever affects your confidence, you’re more than welcome to drop me a message for reassurance, or to suggest more tips, or even just to chat!! I’ll also reblog anything you tag me in (#intellectys)- regardless of how “””pretty””” it is. 

This is just my (pretty small) effort to support everyone and make them feel welcome, since this community is filled with amazing people, all of whom deserve admiration and appreciation for the fantastic things they do <3

[eleanorsvances-deactivated20211]

these are actually nice ASKs

[romanticdykee]

1. selfie

2. what would you name your future kids?

3. do you miss anyone?

4. what are you looking forward to?

5. is there anyone who can always make you smile?

6. is it hard for you to get over someone?

7. what was your life like last year?

8. have you ever cried because you were so annoyed?

9. who did you last see in person?

10. are you good at hiding your feelings?

11. are you listening to music right now?

12. what is something you want right now?

13. how do you feel right now?

14. when was the last time someone of the opposite sex hugged you?

15. personality description

16. have you ever wanted to tell someone something but you didn’t?

17. opinion on insecurities.

18. do you miss how thing were a year ago?

19. have you ever been to New York?

20. what is your favourite song at the moment?

21. age and birthday?

22. description of crush.

23. fear(s)

24. height

25. role model

26. idol(s)

27. things i hate

28. i’ll love you if…

29. favourite film(s)

30. favourite tv show(s)

31. 3 random facts

32. are your friends mainly girls or guys?

33. something you want to learn

34. most embarrassing moment

35. favourite subject

36. 3 dreams you want to fulfill?

37. favourite actor/actress

38. favourite comedian(s)

39. favourite sport(s)

40. favourite memory

41. relationship status

42. favourite book(s)

43. favourite song ever

44. age you get mistaken for

45. how you found out about your idol

46. what my last text message says

47. turn ons

48. turn offs

49. where i want to be right now

50. favourite picture of your idol

51. starsign

52. something i’m talented at

53. 5 things that make me happy

54. something thats worrying me at the moment

55. tumblr friends

56. favourite food(s)

57. favourite animal(s)

58. description of my best friend

59. why i joined tumblr

60. ask me anything you want

[avicecaro]

I know I post aesthetic study pics and quotes and keep this blog positive or whatever, but that doesn't mean im actually perfect. i love studyblr and it's very inspiring, but there's also this idea that our lives must be always aesthetic and we all spend days on end studying and only get exhausted enough to be aesthetically sleepy. I study when I can, but a lot of the time i can't. personally I'm organized because I get stressed otherwise, but I still stuff things in my bag, my desk is covered in shit, sometimes I'm too tired to do assignments, sometimes (a lot) I'd much rather see my friends than work, sometimes I have commitments I prioritize, sometimes I say ykno what fuck it i need sleep more than i need five extra points on this test. and that's just as and even more important than studying aesthetically. study how it helps you, and prioritize your health. there's no wrong way to be alive

[historic-studies]

December Studyblr Challenge

Day 9 - What projects would you like to do?

I've been wanting to work on my story, and I think that is something I'm going to focus on while I am out of school this next semester.

As well as, this isn't really a project but I'm trying to find some book recs that I feel like I can focus on and enjoy. So if anyone has any book recommendations please let me know!