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» UC Berkeley, Class of 2018 » Political Science Major » Education Minor » Public Policy Minor » main blog: smolphin punc·til·i·ous /ˌpəNG(k)ˈtilēəs / adjective showing great attention to detail or correct behavior. » this is a sideblog – I do not follow back w/ this account » all asks will be published unless otherwise noted

[geminisee]

via 2rawtooreal2

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NEVER THROW YOUR VOTE AWAY!

(captions added by me)

[atlinmerrick]

Listen to this person for three minutes and then tell me why you're not going to vote.

Listen to this man tell you what YOU NOT VOTING means. Please.

Because you not voting will kill more people than voting for Biden. You not voting is you killing more people.

[2bpoliticallycurious]

[smolphin]

as 2019 is winding down and i’m gearing up for the new decade:

a look back at my goals last year and objectives for next year

[punctilious]

anyone doing masters degrees/grad school apps out there?

[punctilious]

what comes after appblrs and studyblrs?? are there jobblrs out there for people who are applying for new jobs???

[surviveschool]

good emotional skills to know 4 college but also in general

this is stuff that i’ve found helpful and am in the process of working on. they may not be achievable for you without help and may not work for your specific circumstance, but this is a list of suggestions that you might be able to think about. i am also not a mental health professional so please do feel free to contradict me!!

self soothing.  having a toolbox to take care of yourself by yourself. bc sometimes nobody else is available and you just gotta put some lotion on, listen to a tune, and go to bed early. 

checking in. checking in with yourself to see if you’re okay. knowing how to alter your strategies when your strategies aren’t working. knowing when your strategies aren’t working. this is just taking some time every day to reflect on what goals you didn’t meet and why and what you can do to fix that.

there’s nothing you “should” be doing. if you get caught up thinking “i should be doing x” that’s false! stop that! “should” be doing better implies that you have some obligation to do whatever it is that you “should” be doing. you don’t owe anybody except yourself. analyze why you think you should be doing that thing and change that into…. “i want to be doing x because…” or “doing x will make me happier, because…”. overall, more productive and less self-shamey. 

disconnecting from the crowd. eating in a crowded dining hall can be stressful! knowing how to be alone in a crowd and stay calm is helpful

being okay with being alone.  tbh college is kind of… being alone a lot, in my experience. even though you’re surrounded by people, a lot of time is spent alone. making friends is hard. your friends have different schedules. you’re busy. shit sucks. we make the best of it.

knowing yourself. this relates to a lot of what i’ve already said but like. knowing your emotional state and knowing what helps trick the monkey brain is helpful. stop repressing your feelings, friends.

talking to strangers. ordering from a menu! paying library fines. going to office hours. asking for a cashier at the register if there isn’t one. ya this is hard. ya you gotta expose yourself. sometimes i just try playing a persona. like this isn’t me ordering a sandwich. this is a cool me who knows how to talk to people who is ordering a sandwich.

you don’t have to be friends with your roommates. you just have to live together in a way that doesn’t make you two hate each other. ideally, you two will coexist in a way that doesn’t interfere with the other’s daily life.

give and taking. on the topic of roommates, sometimes your roommate can be a shitty person, but sometimes you are the shitty person! give a little but if they’re negatively impacting your life, communicate.

communicating during disagreements. explain what your emotions are instead of blaming them. “i feel hurt when you…” or “i feel frustrated when” or “i feel unappreciated when.” if things get heated, ask if you both can take a ten minute break and then come back. and don’t bring up disagreements when the other party is preoccupied or going somewhere. you can legitimately schedule a discussion.

it’s okay to apologize. learning to swallow your pride gets easier each time.

knowing that people work differently than you. some people are not gonna click with you and it’s gonna seem like they have this whole brain process up there that is totally unlike yours. and yeah! that’s how it is. and that’s chill if they aren’t hurting anyone else. work with them and be flexible!! 

comforting people. you will probably/definitely see someone cry! hell if i know how to comfort people. someone please help. but some things i’ve learned are: 1) different people need different things. different people need different things! 2) people need different things at different times. 3) you can ask them what they want and it won’t be weird. 4) apparently a lot of people like hugs? but ask. and it’s okay to not want a hug. 5) just show that you care in some way if you don’t know what they need. i used to think that if somebody needed to tell me what they needed it was a sign that i just didn’t know them well enough and we weren’t compatible or i wasn’t being a good friend. that’s fake! friendship isn’t based off of fitting naturally in every way and making an effort to be good for them is important.

knowing it’s okay to not be liked by everyone. it’s okay if strangers think you’re dumb because you said something dumb in public. you know you’re not dumb. it’s okay if not everybody you meet likes you. it’s okay if you do something cringey. everybody has their own shit to deal with and you will not shatter their world.  grow and move on!

forgiving yourself. i’m trying this new thing where when i feel embarrassed about something i say. out loud. “i forgive myself.” and then i just try to grow from that and move on without getting caught in a spiral of shame.

knowing what you need vs what you want and what is better at the time. what you need: a shower. what you want: to not do that. solution: take a shower! or maybe what you actually need is to go to sleep? but guess what. you probably know what is good for you. the hard part is actually doing it.

realize that building habits is less work than discipline. emotional effort is expended every time you have to make yourself do something. just make it part of your routine and you’ll just think it’s normal to do all the good things! like, for example, i’m trying to make it a habit to eat structured meals instead of a “eat when i’m hungry” thing because i know that makes me skip meals, which is bad!

you won’t be able to do everything. forgive yourself for that. write down  things that are top priority and focus on them. everything else is not important right now and you shouldn’t beat yourself up for not being able to do them.

your health is important. i’m not saying health will solve all your problems. it won’t! but health will cause a lot of your problems to go away. because let’s face it. not sleeping causes a lot of problems. 

it’s okay to ask for help. we say this a lot but it’s hard to internalize it. here’s a thought: there’s so much shame and hesitation about asking for help so by doing that you’re actually being proactive (which is respectable) and mature, and therefore… not weak or stupid. ask for help even before you need it! most people love to help others. and especially take advantage of people who are OFFERING help. for example: counselors at school or TAs. it’s literally their job. they want to do it. and if you don’t want to talk to anybody in real life, my inbox is always open.

[punctilious]

it’s been a hot second since i’ve touched this blog

an update:

i am moved in to my own apartment now, in sacramento, where the rent is a bit cheaper and the neighborhoods are a little quieter. i sometimes have to pause to absorb the accomplishment of it all. i’m twenty one years old, graduated a year early from berkeley with a major and two minors (and a 3.7 gpa for those of you who are wondering — this is was a studyblr after all); i have my own apartment (no roommates! except my wonderful kitty who is still settling in); and im working in exactly the type of job i had hoped i would be (education policy at the state/county level, my special project being mental health in schools). it almost feels... too perfect. especially in this day and age, when people struggle to get by and the days are fraught with political anxiety. i feel very privileged to be so independent, but it didn’t happen without a lot of hard work and hustle. there’s still plenty to work on, new things to learn and do. but finally, finally i can let myself feel at ease at the end of a day; to feel like the best way to spend time is to do nothing and enjoy it.

my blogspot url expired so i’ll probably put my ramblings here for a while until i feel motivated enough to start blogging properly again. no matter what i still fully intend to leave this blog up as a resource, since a few older posts get reblogged occasionally when people are looking for move in checklists and whatnot. in the meantime feel free to ask me about new apartment things, how to budget on an entry level salary, etc, etc.

[punctilious]

How are things going with school? I really miss your posts!

Hey! Thanks for the question! Funny thing is, I just graduated this year! Finishing college a year early had always been my plan since freshman year. It was a lot easier having known what I wanted to major and minor in — Political Science with a specialization in American politics and Education and Public Policy minors — as soon as I decided to go to Berkeley. I’ve moved to Sacramento for an eight-week internship at the CA Dept of Education, Superintendent’s Initiatives Office, and I plan to stay here and find a permanent job. It’s all a bit terrifying and it hasn’t quite hit me that I’m done with school for the foreseeable future, but here I am! Wish me luck!

[punctilious]

networking 101

Through a series of miscommunications, I had come to DC with an internship that didn’t fit my scholarship requirements, and found myself in quite a conundrum as I struggled to find a new placement. Last week, I landed an internship at the National Education Association. How did I do this? Networking!

Admittedly, as an introvert, the thought of networking was quite terrifying, and I knew nothing about it. However, faced with this situation, it was trial by fire, and I learned quickly. To make it easier for you than it was for me, here are a few email templates you can use to reach out to people (a friend asked me for some help and I think this could be useful to a lot more people, too). Feel free to tweak these however you see fit; the basic gist of it is to state how you met the person, recap something you talked about, and then ask about setting up a meeting. Hope this helps, good luck!

-- I'm so glad for our call last week! Thank you for your great advice, and I'm definitely going to try your suggestions for things to do around DC. Just wanted to follow up to see when you would be available to meet in person. My current internship has just started its two week break, so for this week and the next I'm pretty much free all day. Could we grab coffee or brunch? Let me know, thanks! -- I'm so excited to be here in D.C. even though I have yet to fully acclimate to the environment. I would definitely be interested in meeting for coffee. If you have time this week for an introductory phone call to set up a meeting, please let me know! I end at 6PM every day except Friday, when I finish at 2PM. Looking forward to meeting you soon! -- Thank you so much for your advice last week at the UCDC Alumni Mixer regarding internships in education policy. I would be very interested in interning in your office if the opportunity is still available. Please let me know if I could set up a time to speak with you over the phone, or if there are any further steps I should take. --

[punctilious]

Hi im interested in UC Berkeley and i was wondering if you did any extracurriculars in high school that shadowed what your major was going to be in college and if so what type because im also interested in political science.

Hi! I don’t think I did anything in high school directly relating to my major. I didn’t even decide my major until the semester I was applying. In high school I did art club, swimming, and speech and debate; my advice is not to worry about what the extracurriculars are, but if you do pick something, commit to it and try to take leadership roles. Hope this helps!

[punctilious]

hi! i'm a rising sophomore at cal and wanted to ask what the application process was like for cal in the capitol? also more generally for at berkeley, my parents r really pushing me to graduate in 3 years which is totally doable but it makes me feel stressed about enjoying my time at berkeley to the fullest. any advice on things you wish you did earlier (extracurricular wise, school wise, preparing for career)? thanks!!

hey anon! these are all really good questions!

first, the application process for cal in the capitol. as I recall, there is a fairly generic application process with basic facts like GPA, major, short answers etc. pretty early in the fall. no tests or letters of rec as far as I remember. if you get past the application, there is a group interview (not as scary as it sounds! just be prepared to talk about your experiences. shoot me another ask and i’ll go more in depth on the group interview process). if you get past the group interview, congrats! you’re in the program. however, that does not guarantee you an internship. getting into the program means you’re allowed to take a decal in the spring before your interning summer, which teaches you about life in DC and provides support in your internship search. i did find it quite helpful to have that program support as opposed to figuring out the process on my own. however, it comes with its own limitations (esp regarding housing), but again, ask about that separately if you’d like to know.

as for graduating in three years, this one I’m very excited to answer because I’m graduating in three years myself! even though im a rising senior, i’m only starting my third year next fall. it is indeed a little bit scary, but i’m confident that it is the right decision for me even while i share your anxiety about "enjoying my time at berkeley to the fullest.” to that i will say, your time in college is what you make of it — it is a time when you are free to do pretty much anything and everything you want with little to no fear of long term repercussions. however, because it is less time than a four year plan, accept that there might indeed be some things that you will not be able to experience. personally, i haven’t been able to go to as many parties because i have a stricter courseload. luckily, that hasn’t been a problem because im not a party person. that said, things I wish I did earlier include just going for the things that interested me. i didn’t join archery until my second year because i felt intimidated, but now that ive joined i really wish i had started a year earlier! even if you don’t know if you’d be interested in the long term, join and try everything that interests you, even a little bit, at least once. i also wish i had taken it upon myself to explore the resources available to me a lot earlier. not doing so led me to take a lot of bad advice from college counselors, when really, i knew what was best for me. feel free to message me personally on this because i have a lot of advice regarding a three year plan, and i feel like this response is already getting a little long.

hope that answers your questions!

[punctilious]

summer dorm // washi tape wall decor // washington, d.c.

[punctilious]

A Semester (kind of) Abroad (kind of)

hello friends! for those of you who don’t know, I’m a rising senior at UC Berkeley, studying political science and minoring in education and public policy. This summer I’m currently in Washington D.C. doing an internship at an education nonprofit. I’m participating as part of the Cal in the Capital program. If you are a current student, aspiring student, or incoming student at Cal, feel free to ask me anything about the program, being in DC, being a Berkeley student, etc. This is primarily an advice blog and I have some time on my hands right now, so i’ll answer everything! and if I don’t know the answer, I’ll do my best to find out! ask away!

[punctilious]

Hello! I'm actually a college freshman in another school (thats miserably far from Berkeley :( ) but I wanted to apply as a transfer student. How is it like going to school there in the political science program??? Thank you 🖤

Hi! I really like the political science department here at Berkeley. There is an amazing range of interesting courses, and the advisors are super helpful. Even though some of the larger classes are easy to get lost in, there are also classes called junior seminars that are available to juniors with a qualifying GPA, that are small classes that you can get to know the professor very well in. Let me know if you have more specific questions!

[punctilious]

How do you take good notes ? I'm a political science major and they assign lots of readings. I try taking notes but end up getting overwhelmed with the amount to read and I end up not taking them anymore. I just read through it but I always have to read again anyway for finals.what's an effective way to take notes?

why don’t i ever get notifications for asks

Hi! I don’t really take notes on the readings D: If I can, I might highlight the main points. Honestly, it’s not important to read every little detail and get all of the notes down, as long as you understand the overarching argument. Especially when you’re taking multiple upper division courses (I’m taking four this semester at Berkeley) there’s no realistic way to do every single reading in depth. However, rereading is definitely a good way to understand what’s going on! I even have a professor who recommends doing just that, instead of only reading everything once in depth. But I don’t really take reading notes, and at this point, I wouldn’t even recommend doing so. Hope that helps!

[punctilious]

hi hello to anyone who still pays attention to this blog at all thank u for sticking around ur hella rad :) i know i haven't posted much new content here recently but just a reminder that i also have a ~real~ blogspot blog that i update more frequently, if you're interested in the day to day life of a berkeley student. this post is a short update on my semester so far but mostly the fact that lorde has released new music which has given me enough life to motivate me again. also for some reason i don't receive notifications when i get asks anymore so if i missed your question i'll update soon (or feel free to message me on chat!) hope you all have been having a great semester so far and if not chin up i believe in you go forth and conquer!

[punctilious]

about me

I was tagged by @tarostudyblr :) ty! Rules: Answer the questions in a new post and tag 20 blogs you would like to get to know better. - Nickname: smolphin i guess? some friends call me caru - Starsign: Cancer - Height: 5'3" - Last thing I googled: it's not a woman's job to be consumed and invaded (a quote that caught my eye) - Fav music artist: lorde - Song stuck in my head: Rewind (ft. Sophie Strauss) — Wingtip - Last movie I watched: The Notebook  - What are you wearing right now: grey roundneck, thermal leggings - When did you create your blog: August 2015 - What kind of stuff do I post?: studyblr here, everything p much on my main - Do you have any other blogs: too many. see “blogs” in sidebar of @smolphin - Do you get asks regularly?: fairly regularly, considering this is mainly an advice blog. i should post more other content - Why did you choose your URL?: i wanted a one word URL, so I pulled out my SAT vocab study guide and this was the first one available that also fits a studyblr theme really well lol - Gender: female, but gender is a human construct lol - Hogwarts House: HUFFLEPUFF  - Pokemon Team: INSTINCT (but I deleted Pokémon go) - Fave colour: purple - Average hours of sleep: 7.5 - Lucky number: 7 - Fave characters: p much everyone in PJO - How many blankets do you sleep with?: Two - Dream job: head of the department of education - Following: 64 - Follow tags: none

i never know who to tag in these so if you want to do it let me know and ill add you to this post :) @mbti-cinnamon-rolls

[punctilious]

Hey there fellow golden bear! I just got my grades back from this fall semester and they're totally not what I wanted. It was all my fault though, so I deserve them. However, I was wondering if you had any tips for managing school and friends, as well as how to stay organize and beat procrastination? Any help would be much appreciated :)

Hi there friend! First of all, how do you have your grades back already?? I haven’t gotten anything back yet :( Honestly, I’m not a particularly great student (I’m a chronic procrastinator as well), but my style of organization seems to help me retain information. I take handwritten, messy cursive notes during lecture, and then recopy them neatly into another notebook. Doing this immediately after lecture or up to a week or two later forces me to re-read and process my notes. Seeing and rewriting the information makes it stick in my brain better, so I’m understanding it throughout the semester instead of trying to cram at the end, if that makes sense. It might take a bit longer than taking notes once and leaving them as is, but it’s very effective. As for managing school and friends, I’d say that as someone who is very introverted, my social needs are very different from most other people. It might be weird to say, but I genuinely enjoy the physical act of writing out words for things like homework sets and finishing them more than going out? Accomplishments are addicting! Just remember to prioritize what’s important to you, and it’s ok to say no to going out once in a while. Hope that helps!