popcornstudies

S.T., 19, he/they, American Currently a freshman at a small liberal arts college Studying for my bachelor's degrees in music and economics Doing my best to romanticize my education ❤

[popcornstudies]

The #1 thing I learned in my first year of college was that I need to stop waiting for opportunities. Instead of wondering if I'm ready, if I'm qualified, if I'm good enough, I've decided to put myself out there.

My new friends taught me that, especially as a neurodivergent person, I cannot accept the narrative I've been told: that I am not too much or too little, but exactly who I need to be.

They helped me realize that my passion for everything I do is what sets me apart and that there are opportunities waiting for me, not the other way around.

[popcornstudies]

Just a reminder as many of us start approaching finals:

Finals are a final exam, a test. Not a final verdict on knowledge or talent or promise or worth.

Study hard, do your best. But also congratulate yourself for getting this far, for all the hard work you have done to get to this point.

There is nothing to prove. You are already good enough, and there's nothing that can change that ❤️

[popcornstudies]

Occasionally I turn on my classical music while studying in undergrad to be met with Pomp and Circumstance.

Suddenly, I will be transported away from my textbooks and laptop, my ratty sweatshirt and crooked glasses, and I will be back in my home town, standing among those five hundred and sixty teenagers dressed in purple gowns and honor chords and metals. Five hundred and sixty purple mortarboards with five hundred sixty gold tassels, five hundred and sixty students turned towards thousands of cheering faces.

Pomp and Circumstance stretching on and on and on until every one of us stood looking at the crowd before turning as one to face the future.

It's always a good reminder of why I am here. Because of every moment that led up to that one perfect moment. Because of the amazing opportunity I have been given in life. Because of my dream to one day wear a navy blue gown, standing once again among five hundred-something odd people and to know that it was, in fact, worth it.

[popcornstudies]

I don't know who needs to hear this but:

Before you give up, break down, or do anything drastic, please consider doing something unexpected in a positive way.

Go on that day trip, say yes to something you've been putting off, make that phone call to the person you haven't talked to in a while, jump into a new hobby, go to that new place for dinner.

Do anything you can to give yourself a moment to be somewhere else, feel something else. Give yourself a new chance.

[popcornstudies]

It's week five of the semester and let's just say that things aren't going exactly to plan.

I knew that I had set myself up for a challenging couple of months, balancing twenty credits, an internship, and both my school and home lives. I had hoped, however, that I would be able to settle down and focus on school.

Of course, when you need some calm, you're never going to get it. Within the first two weeks of the semester, I had a friend experience some violent homophobia near campus and received the news that my grandmother had entered hospice care. On top of that, I have been struggling with my mental health, trying to manage my ADHD, OCD, and depression in the face of many responsibilities and little sleep.

I have already exhausted my excused absences for the semester and received two reports of academic concern.

However, I am determined not to give up on myself.

I have wonderful friends and family who have been supporting me, reminding me why I do this. I have professors who are genuinely worried about me and advisors to help me reorganize my life. I have a purpose and a dream and a reason for what I do.

I have been seeking support from the different resources around campus to try and address my attendance and poor performance. I reached out to a helpline when the grief and anxiety became too much and I didn't know a way forward. I spend time doing ridiculous things with my friends and just doing nothing. Today I made a move for my health and cleaned the trash out of my room.

As study blog, I often post about academics, but we all know there is so much more going on in our lives than notes and readings and class. I need to show up for myself in other areas of my life so that I can achieve those sorts of things, and accomplish what I am here to do.

[popcornstudies]

This post is your permission to admit that you're not okay.

It's also your reminder that you are not alone.

[popcornstudies]

Sorry I'm not focusing on my calculus...

But...

My mental health is poor and I'm just sad because my grandma is going on hospice care and I'm relearning grief without my support system in a town where people beat my friend up for being queer just last week and I'm trying not to crumble under the weight of my responsibilities as a student, an employee, a friend, and a family member.

And I'm just so tired...

[popcornstudies]

I thought that I distributed my schedule better this semester... And then today I was in class for 4.5 hours straight

[liones-s]

one of the most boring lessons I’ve learned is that when a task feels overwhelming, you just have to start doing it. Even if you’re not sure how to do 90% of it, look for one small component that seems close and start there. Sometimes it’s reading one article on the topic, or searching one related term, or literally just googling how to do the task. Do anything other than thinking about it. The process of working on a thing inherently makes it less scary.

[popcornstudies]

Back at school! Second semester starts tomorrow and the pressure is already building 😅

Wish me luck!

[popcornstudies]

Does anyone have any advice about interning? It's my second semester of college and I have been very lucky to have been selected for an internship working at a local theatre.

I'm just wondering if there are any tips or tricks on how to balance that, my twenty credit school schedule, and my general wellbeing?

[popcornstudies]

Having to review pre-calc before next semester bc I took that shit in the eleventh grade and now I'm a college freshman. My brain works primarily in statistics now and I'm scared to go back to calc and algebra 😭

[popcornstudies]

My Schedule for Semester II of My Freshman Year:

Starting in late January, I am going to be taking 20 credits of classes at my small liberal arts college. I'm hoping to post more about my experience with academics this semester.

Here's the classes I'm taking as a music, economics, and potentially English major:

Calculus I (mandatory to take intermediate econ classes, the only time it was offered was 8 am so I'm going to die)

Principles of Music (mandatory for music majors)

Principles of Macroeconomics (just finished principles of microeconomics)

Choir

Approaches to Study of Literature (mandatory for English majors)

General Education Course- Economics-themed section (mandatory for freshmen, offered in a bunch of disciplines, got my wish of being in the economics version of the class)

Voice Lessons

Chamber Choir

I'm also doing an internship, volunteering, and not killing myself, so I have a pretty busy semester coming up. I've gotta rest well this holiday season!

[popcornstudies]

Maybe I should revive my study blog next semester...

I'm actually in college now! I am working for my bachelor's degrees in music and economics (and maybe English if I can get the credit distribution right).

I just finished my first semester at a small liberal arts school across the state from the place I was born and raised until age 19. I won't lie and say it's been an easy start to the year, but I am doing well overall.

Though I've had a lot of issues with depression and mental health, I'm passing my classes and even doing quite well in some. I have a really great group of friends who support me and my goals and I am involved on campus. I have been working for the school paper, I've had some of my poems accepted at literary magazines, and I got a local internship in my dream field that starts when I return from winter break in January.

Last time I posted on this blog, I was staring down my final year of high school, a year that dragged on and brought a lot of pain an uncertainty, especially when it came to finding a college. A year later and I'm surviving (and maybe doing more than just surviving) at a good college that, while not my dream school, has given me a financial opportunity that will eliminate most of my family's concerns about student loans and taking on debt.

It does get better. It gets worse. It gets harder. You get tired. But it does get better and you can find a way to make yourself proud.

[popcornstudies]

I start my senior year of high school tomorrow! I'm going to try and revive this blog because I need my academics to pull through this year!

I'm coming into this year with a 3.7, my AP Capstone diploma, and 7 AP credits. I am taking 3 AP classes this year and 4 tests (I am self-studying AP Lang) and doing too many extracurriculars.

My schedule for this semester:

Select Jazz Choir

AP Stats

AP Lit

Concert Choir

Newspaper/Yearbook Productions

Weight Training (I have finally been forced to take PE)

AP Gov

Anyways, I will hopefully survive :) Follow along if you want!

[your-tires-are-too-cold]

are you a high school student about to take the apush exam? boy do i have some good news for you

for some reason when i took the apush test in 2018 i decided to make my study guide in the form of a shitpost. im talking bullet points. pop culture references. gen z lingo. its 102 pages long. i ended up getting a 5 on the test and this is literally all the studying i did. i am also now a history major.

but since i remember things better in shitpost form, it worked really well then memorizing dense text. and i know the test hasn't changed that much, so, i thought i would offer it to anyone who needs it.

ap us history shitpost study guide

Hello friends Welcome to my study guide This was made for the 2018 APUSH test And i got a 5 so, maybe there’s something to it? Everything i

it spans everything i learned in US 1 and US 2 and goes in chronological order. i haven't read through it in a hot minute but i think that everything in there should make sense. i essentially clown on the us for 100 pages in shitpost form.

so for all of you stressing about the exam on thursday, don't. read a shitpost instead. it will help you.

[dear-ao3]

ITS THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN

[dear-ao3]

back at it again with this gem, again i deeply apologize for my 17 year old humor i promise i’m funnier now. good luck everyone!!

[popcornoncemore]

Went to go do homework, accidentally did in-depth research about 9/11 for 2 hours