OK SO someone asked about Annora actually being a genshin oc and I awsnered but Tumblr was weird so it deleted the post 💀 anyways, was Annora a genshin oc???
The awsner is yes and no!
TW for old art and beuh info dump 💀
Annora was my first ever oc, and she's been with me for about 8 years now, which is crazy to think its been that long 🤯.
Anyways, back in the day when I liked a story (and even now tbh) I would always design and create a narrative within that world to fit her into (so there are like, hundreds of different versions of Annora). One of my biggest hyperfixations was genshin impact! So I drew and wrote a lot of Annora being involved with the characters of genshin. I even made multiple aus 💀
It was only about three years ago that I started to develop a stand alone story for Annora, and it took me a looong time before I was happy with it.
Anyways, she's always been my own original oc! Shes just been inserted into every fandom I've ever been in LMAO
Hi! I just wanted to say the game is wonderful. There are so many ideas that I end loving and so many questions about the world building.
I've a few questions about the Crown Heir.
Is there a difference between SR!Trysten/Trysta and HR!Trysten/Trysta? From what I've seen in other posts the character seems to be different, as if they were two different person. SR! It is that sick person who considers themself the center of the world. However, I don't know what to think of HR! Seeing they reactions towards MC, such as regret and how they heart warms happily when they are with MC, along with some things like in an old post mentioning that they would marry MC and his sister, it makes me think that those are Trysten/Trysta's true feelings. In the post telling Yesenia's past, it is said that OH was originally meant to be with Trysten/Trysta, which would be the same as the bond that T has with Yesenia. But even when T was bonded, they still had strong feelings for OH, something that Yesenia tried to erase, even so, as it happened with the kiss that T gave OH at the party, it seems that those feelings are still there.
I would summarize T Hardcore Route in "there are things that are beautiful for the simple fact of not being able to possess them". They had OH's love for a while, but now they lost it, and now Trysten/Trysta is slowly falling for the MC, feeling things from someone who is in love.
T is still a piece of trash who deserves to rot in the depths of the abyss, but HR! it seems that something of the original Trysten/Trysta still exists, which could make them even a little more decent. It doesn't mean that they deserves to be with MC after what they did to OH, only the other RO have that right. They are cinnamon rolls.
What would the RO think when they see the events of the Original Timeline and how Yesenia ruined everything? Especially T seeing that Yesenia mentally manipulated them and Cadmus preparing all kinds of torture.
Anon, this took extra time, so I apologize! I felt like I needed to revisit a lot of plot points before attempting to answer your question properly. This will be a long one.
♡♡♡♡
Before we get into the nitty-gritty, let me point out that in the past, Lady Anaya had a habit of sealing away the OH’s memories.
There’s a distinction between the Soft-Core Revenge (SCR) and Hard-Core Revenge (HCR) versions of T.
SCR T leans toward believing that the MC is playing hard to get, especially when they "coincidentally" bump into or try to avoid them—whether at school, in the cafeteria, or simply existing in Nasmar. This route is a mix of the Good Life and Hardcore Revenge paths—while T is just as insufferable as in the Good Life route, there's an added layer of obsession.
HCR, on the other hand, is about making T suffer. The MC keeps them at arm’s length, refusing to take any crap from anyone. Because of this distance, T starts noticing small details about the MC—along with memories buried deep in their mind. Ultimately, the readers will decide what these details are, but let’s use a simple example:
Say the MC is allergic to cucumbers. During a dinner before the big competition, T will notice that the MC has the exact same allergy as Yesenia. This realization will unsettle them, making them question things they never have before.(I use "MC" because the body now belongs to the PC.)
When the OH was younger, they noticed gaps in their memories—for instance, they might remember going flower picking one day, but not who they met or what happened afterward.
Even though this route is hardcore, T is still genuine toward the MC. However, expressing those emotions is difficult for them. And when they do manage to show vulnerability, they’re quickly reminded of their position in the relationship—that what exists between them is just a casual hookup.
By using sex as a guise, T gets to spend extra time with the MC. However, this only makes things worse—memories and flashbacks of their past with Yesenia begin resurfacing, but oddly, as these memories emerge, the face of Yesenia blurs and is replaced by the MC's face.
T carries deep regret and guilt. They’ve harmed the OH in many ways, yet, despite everything, they did their best to protect them. But someone is always interfering—T feels like a puppet, their strings pulled by others.
In the updated plotline, T and Yesenia are ill-fated, which is why, at the Ritual Union, [REDACTED].
What Yesenia doesn’t realize is that even if she strips away someone’s memories, the emotions tied to those moments never truly disappear. They linger, buried beneath the surface, waiting for the slightest tug or push to piece themselves back together.
No matter how much is erased or tampered with, T’s feelings for the MC will always remain. That is the root of their growing obsession—one that grows with every passing second.
And that kiss? It wasn’t child’s play. In the updated plot, T despises the idea of swapping spit with others—but with the PC, everything feels different.
And it’s because of this love that T will be driven down a path of no return, uncovering secrets about their family they were never meant to know.
♡♡♡♡
Honestly, Anon, I’m conflicted about a lot of things. The changes surrounding this RO are ones I believe will leave my readers completely shaken. But beneath it all, the only thing I can say for sure is that T is innocent in all of this.
…But still, I refuse to bend. I hate this character.
As for your final question—yes, something like this will happen at the end of Arc 1. Yesenia will cross an unforgivable line, realizing that everything she once held in her grasp is slipping away—T, the wealth of the ${surname2} household—and that realization will make her snap.
History will repeat itself. But this time, the hunter won’t stop at just 2,000 souls.
Everyone’s reaction falls into spoiler territory, but one thing is certain—Artilius knows everything. He even helped Yesenia orchestrate it.
......
Anyways… I can’t spill any more.
That should tie everything up for this ask. 🥴❤️
Once again, I do apologize for the long wait on this one. Thank you for your patience and the ask! I do hope you're doing well, and that this helps tie up some of your curiosity.
Short Answer: "The Lonely Jewel" is the prequel to my original story "The Loyal Jester" that I've been working on for the past year. (yes, the naming conventions are on purpose, I know some book circles rag on authors for naming conventions).
So, sorry, not a cool or secret fanfic I'm working on 😅😅😅
Long Answer:
"The Lonely Jewel" is a prequel to my original story "The Loyal Jester".
If you were to read the books in order of release, it would be 2, 3, 1.
The trilogy focuses on things like: political manipulation, magic, power imbalances, and soul bonds. gee, I wonder why I enjoy CRK and FountRecluse so much
The trilogy focuses on 3 main characters
(Left to right): The Lonely Jewel, The Mad King, The Loyal Jester
But there's a smattering of other characters as well, but most are just there to haunt the narrative.
"The Lonely Jewel", specifically, is about The Lonely Jewel debuting to her kingdom after a childhood illness kept her isolated for the first 18 years of her life.
The Loyal Jester is appointed to her court and works as her eyes and ears in a kingdom that has put up with royal turmoil for the past 50 years.
Unfortunately, her loyal jester has agendas of his own, which involve being forced into working with an underground cult whose whole goal is to put The Mad King back on the throne based on the belief that the current royals are false royals and will drive their great kingdom to ruin.
"The Loyal Jester" picks up right where "The Lonely Jewel" ends, and "The Mad King" is separated into two acts and wraps up the trilogy on a bittersweet note.
👉👈🥺 I'm...I'm gonna share just the first page of "The Loyal Jester"...just because...but I'm changing the names because my family is delusional and thinks I'll eventually publish this...
Macio was shocked to find the couch empty. “Alice?” He’d barely whispered her name when he spotted her sitting in the window seat. Even without all her frills and layers of lace, she was regal. Her back was straight, head held high, eyes half-lidded — as if she had all the leisure time in the world. One ankle was crossed around the other, and her hands rested on her lap. Her deep violet curls hung around her shoulders like a curtain, hiding the bandages that wrapped around her shoulders like a vice.
She didn't react to his presence, which was to be expected at this point, even if that hurt. Still, he felt relief upon seeing she was there and awake.
“Darling,” he noticed how her eyes twitched tightly for a second before returning to a neutral position. He swallowed. “How is your shoulder?” He expected a sharp quip.
Something along the lines of ‘shouldn't you know? You're the one that ruined it!’
But nothing came.
He wasn't sure which drove him madder; the sarcastic barbs, or the silent treatment. He supposed they both drove him mad in their own separate ways.
Macio carefully dropped his sack of food on the table before he made his way over to her. He was thankful she’d chosen a window seat that didn't face the main road. Instead, her view was of the open forest and the small pool that sat just inside the tree line. It hurt to see her turn herself further away from him as he took a seat beside her.
Well, if she wasn't going to acknowledge him, then he would waste no time in eyeing her wound. For a fool with no formal training, he’d gotten too good a hit on her. The sword had dug into her chest just above her heart and carved a line up over her collarbone, around the curve of her neck, and off her shoulder.
Hey! How's you? So sorry I'm being a nuisance again. But do you think that they're trying to somehow minimize the bond between Pike and Una just to drag us into Pike and Batel thing (whatever that is atp)?
I don't understand why they're trying to make it happen when it's not happening? They're good actors but the chemistry is off, there is no organic growth, no bond, no depth of connection, no nothing. I'm not invested in their relationship.
And it's increasingly feels like they're downplaying Una and even other Starfleet character arcs to somehow prop up a pseudo romance which was not even needed? Why?
Unless there's a big twist with Batel, I don't get it.
Like I want to see more of Una and also about others. Does Una miss Illyria, her parents? Does she feels like she's standing between two lands: Illyria and Starfleet and Pike is the only anchor keeping her steady and grounded?
Like Una becomes an anchor for Pike as well, pushing him to at least try to attempt at a different future? But I don't know what the writers are trying to do!
Even with Pike there's already so much history and struggle and conflict within his own self and his timeline and the peace and resolution that needs to happen and the character growth but all we are getting is Batel?
I don't even know honestly what is up with Gorn and Batel. And with how Anson says that he wishes the relationship continuous because he likes working with Melanie. I'm losing hope about Pike/Una.
Hi, @acuriousmindsblog! ❤️ No nuisance at all. I’m not sure if you’re going to like all of my answers, though.
To start, I love a lot about how SNW has built the canon friendship between Pike and Una. However, I think the show doesn’t value friendship the way it should, as evidenced by Yellow’s conversation with Christine about Spock in Charades:
Yellow: What is your relationship to this being?
Christine: Oh. Um … he's my friend.
Yellow: Friends are not allowed complaints outside of the response period.
Christine: What? Why not?
Yellow: Because they do not have sufficient connection to the being in question.
Christine: Uh, but … friends are different in our world. We ... we care about them.
Yellow: You are each other's ... caregivers?
Christine: No. Well, sort of.
Yellow: This would answer a question we had. During the accident, the other being diverted the shields away from himself to protect you.
Christine: He what?
Yellow: He chose to protect you at the risk of his own life. So... can you explain? What is your relationship to this being?
Christine: I don’t know.
Christine said friendship is different, but the episode then torpedoes that idea and proves friendship isn’t enough because it took Christine (eventually) admitting her feelings for Spock to get Yellow’s help … as opposed to actually proving the power of friendship. (Plus Spock and Christine getting together in that episode.) This is the same kind of writerly thinking, imo, that completed Seven of Nine’s Voyager arc to regain her humanity by giving her a romantic relationship. And, hey, lots of people like romance — me included. But romance isn’t necessary to “prove” a character’s care for another (which is among my many, many issues with Among the Lotus Eaters because requiring romance to be the bond to memory wasn’t necessary; the bond to memory could have been anything else, including Pike’s delta as a talisman to remember his duty to his ship and crew).
So, I do think the show elevates romance above other bonds, but I don’t know if this is specifically done in Batel/Pike to minimize Pike’s bond with Una. It could be argued that Pike chose Una’s side over Batel’s side each time he had that choice (the arrest and the trial), so there’s that.
It’s possible that all of this gets to why the show is trying to make Batel/Pike happen — the idea that romance is somehow needed for a character arc. I agree with everything you said about why you’re not invested in Batel/Pike, and that the time spent on the relationship isn’t needed. I want to get to know Erica. I want more time with Pelia. (Honestly, even as a Pikeuna shipper, the ship possibility of Pelia/Pike is fascinating to me — the guy frightened of what he perceives as his impending death and the woman who lives practically forever.) I want stories about our crew as a crew on adventures.
But I think the writers don’t know what else to do with Pike.
Maybe Batel will die and show him a “good death.”
Maybe she’ll become a Gorn somehow, showing him the monsters he believes in aren’t so monstrous after all.
Maybe she’ll just come to her senses and dump him.
I don’t know. Like you, I want more Una. Una is my favorite character and I hope her belief in another way for Pike comes true in a way that brings both of them happiness. As for what you said about not knowing what the writers are trying to do:
I agree but, believe it or not, will give them some grace on that since we left on a cliffhanger.
I agree and also think they don’t know what they’re doing is proven by the hair and makeup changes when Batel went from season one fuckbuddy to season two romantic interest.
As for what Anson said, I could easily believe it would suit him to have a continuing love interest for Pike, thus avoiding the awkward actor moments of, “Hi, I’m Anson, nice to meet you. So, uh, for this stage kiss we’re about to do … anything I should know?” Plus, her character doesn’t have prosthetics (yet), which has got to be a plus in terms of stage kissing. (Watching Trek actors avoid prosthetics during staged intimacy should be a bingo game — though I guess Marina Sirtis wins that one by refusing to kiss Michael Dorn with his false teeth in.)
In terms of hope for Pike/Una — honestly, if those two had gotten together early in the show’s run, I would worry more that it would be just to blow the whole thing up. There are so few canon Trek relationships, after all, that break the rule of thumb that canon Trek relationships aren’t as good as the non-canon ones.
I think the key to sanity in all this (✨manifesting✨) is to keep the multiverse in mind. In the reality we’re seeing, Batel/Pike is a thing. In forty-seven other realities, Pike and Una are already married. Canon can be cruel, but it’s only one version of the fictional truth(s) you can hold in your heart.
If people aren't comfortable reblogging fics to their blog (which I am not, due to a personal history of being doxxed and humiliated to my irl friends and family), are comments sufficient enough engagement or would you rather that reader not engage with your work at all?
I feel like that came out sounding passive aggressive but I truly mean it as a genuine question and am just not sure how to rework it to sound less snarky! I see this discourse on and off from different fic writers and respect both opinions and think everyone should be able to curate interaction with their fics as they see fit.
Hi, anon.
I've been thinking carefully on how to respond to this. I can tell you're not trying to come off as snarky– which i say as someone who can't read tone for shit most of the time and whose own tone can come off aggressive or bitchy when I don't mean it to be.
I'm gonna address your ask as thoroughly as I can, if that's cool. Sorry if it's a long response. I'll put a cut in so I don't interrupt feeds ✂️
First, I want to pose a question to your question, which I mean genuinely with no spite whatsoever: why are you on Tumblr if you're not reblogging or don't even reblog?
As I've stated in other replies to the post I made a few weeks back, from the way I see it, Tumblr is literally built upon the foundation of sharing creations and content. There is no dead-set algorithm here like there is for Instagram or TikTok. Sharing is, quite fucking literally, caring here. We are able to form communities of all sizes because we share things. Reblogging is essential to the upkeep, and quite frankly the existence, of fandom and communities. Without sharing, our communities crumble and become ruins. We are actively seeing this as we speak: many mutuals and authors I follow are starting to quit writing due to passive, demanding consumption patterns and 0 engagement.
I know you probably know this, but I thought I'd restate it for answer's sake.
To answer the meat of your ask, I will pull from both personal experience and mutuals' experiences and input.
In my own personal opinion, if you are solely commenting on fics and are not engaging in anything else (no likes, no reblogs, etc.) then I personally think that Tumblr is not the site you should be on and, frankly, you should go sign up for AO3 if that's all you're going to do.
And I mean this earnestly. If all you want to do for engagement is commenting, then AO3 needs you because sharing does NOT affect authors nearly as much over there as it does here. In fact comments on AO3 are the literal equivalent to reblog on Tumblr: we don't get any and when we do it's like finding an oasis in a never ending desert.
Now in terms of what mutuals and other authors have said on the matter, it seems the consensus is that commenting without reblogging is a case-by-case basis. I'm going to quote a mutual of mine here:
"...if someone is commenting on my work but not reblogging… I'd say it's case by case. If it's just MY fics they aren’t reblogging, then it'd be a problem, but if they don’t reblog ANY [fics] I'd be more okay."
Another mutuals also put it this way:
"... I feel like there *is* both sides in this sense; yes comments are nice and engaging even though they aren't the preferred and most helpful way to boost writers..."
I feel like both of them put it into words where I struggled to. I will also say that I do agree with the point being that if you're not gonna reblog ANYTHING– no art, no content, no photos, no other fics, nothing– AND your profile adheres to the guidelines set forth in basic Tumblr etiquette (not looking like a bot and not a minor) then sure, comment away.
The verdict, in summary with my opinion and mutuals': it depends on your behavior and your interactions with other works and content.
I hate the word content but I couldn't think of another one.
But, my question still stands: why are you on Tumblr when you don't even participate in the basic fundamental function of this site?
I also wanted to take the time to address the other part of your ask regarding the doxxing and people finding out your identity.
It has been very widely known for (close to) two decades now that Tumblr is the place where you can have an anonymous identity. Truly. I've been on here for the collective half of the last decade and have been on the Internet for a little more than half my life, now, and Tumblr and fandom are literally the biggest and best places where you can be someone else. You can be completely anonymous.
The common denominator, however, is you.
The amount of information you have on your blog is what you choose to put on it. If you state your real name, your state and city, have one of those (imo stupid) carrd things or whatever, then honey– and I mean this in the nicest way possible, truly– that is on you. I know for a fact (from good and bad experiences) that you have all of the power in the world to annonymize yourself while still maintaining yourself on the Internet. That make sense?
A couple of mutuals made very excellent points regarding this:
"...I have a best friend irl who has Tumblr and is so close to the fandoms I'm in, and she doesn't know I write here. I am anonymous on here. I'm suprised she hasnt connected the dots because my aesthetics are the same in real life..."
"...I personally think its pretty easy to be anonymous on tumblr. Especially since usually all we ask is you have that you aren’t a minor at the top of your blog..."
"...it's really easy to be anonymous on the internet [...] you can be an ENTIRELY different person on the internet..."
From that last mutual, I'll paraphrase and go off of another point they made: the fact that you do want to participate and comment negates your ENTIRE arguement because someone– anyone– can find you and your blog through said comment(s).
Your digital footprint is what you leave behind. So if you have your city and state and grade and real name and all this other shit in your blog or carrd or whatever, then you are the only one who is responsible for having put said information out there.
Hell, I've been mutuals with some people going on 2-3 YEARS at this point and the only other things they know about me is my state, general city vicinity, my cat, and what I do for a living. That's it. And we span from early twenties to married with a kid or two.
We are in charge of what we share and I implore you– as someone with a certification in legal information technology– to please educate yourself on your Internet privacy and digital footprint. Please take the time to think about your actions and the information you have online. I STILL do this to this day, even after getting certified and being on the Internet for half my life.
I am sorry that you've gotten doxxed in the past. Truly, I am. It's a horrible act and I hope you never have to experience that again. Please know I am not being dismissive of that nor trying to blame you for said acts.
But it all comes down to you at the end of the day. In general, it's you, your actions, and the consequences of your actions. And if you happen to be a minor, then I strongly urge you to rethink your decisions and maybe step away from social media and utilize critical thinking in order to asses your situation and who you surround yourself with, both online and offline. I wish I had someone to tell me that when I was 14– fuck, even when I was 18.
And I mean it when I say AO3 might suit you more than Tumblr. If any fandom site has more capabilities to be anonymous than Tumblr itself, it's AO3.
Anyways, I think that's all I have to say for you. My DMs and ask box are always open and I am open to more commentary on the matter and related ones so long as it is civil and respectful. I refuse to stop having this conversation.
how many wips do you have going at any given time? i work full time, and i only get weekends to do fan art.. so i told myself that no matter how many idea sketches i had, i would only work on one piece of art at a time and not start another until its done! this means i don't put out work too regularly lol.. so just curious as to how other artists that do art full time work! :D
Hi Anon!
Thank you so much for your question, I’m more than happy to share my experiences with WIPs!
First I organize my sketches and WIPs into folders based on what they’re for: zines, personal work, commissions, etc
Some of these canvases are just sketches that *may* turn into full illustrations but most of them are WIPs. I didn’t include my commission or other zine folders, which brings the number up a lil’ more!
I tend to bounce around WIPs based on when they’re due. First I’d warm up with a limited palette challenge, then I’d work on some line art, followed by adding flats to another piece. Then I’d sketch out some more ideas and add on to the ever-growing WIP pile.
During Linktober, or when it’s close to a certain deadline, that’s when I’ll focus on one piece until it’s finished. Like I said before, usually I’d bounce around and take breaks in between stages. That helps me take a step back and see the piece with fresh eyes at a later time.
One piece took me a whole year to complete! Thankfully it was a personal, original illustration so I was my own client 🫣 During that long break I learned a lot more about color, painting techniques, etc, so I was pretty happy with how it turned out even though it took a while!
That being said, this is how I approach full illustrations with background, lighting, rendering, the whole pie. If you notice painting is taking a while, then try including some shortcuts in your process! For example, using the lasso tool to color wider spaces, coloring in grayscale, and then using Gradient map on top help loads with digital art. With traditional art, blocking in colors and focusing on values help bring a piece to life quickly!
Also if you’re interested in posting more frequently, feel free to share your sketches and WIPs along the way! Please don’t feel pressured to meet a certain metric, your art making process should reflect what you want to get out of it - are you studying certain techniques? Or vibing and going with the flow?
However you go about it, don’t sweat over the number of WIPs you have. When you feel like going back to a certain WIP then that’s the perfect time to work on it!
I love how Silas is just this sweet, eccentric little darling who loves to act and is flirty, and he's just the cutest little guy... but he manages to have the BIGGEST red flag imaginable. Like, how??? How is he both a serial killer and a sweet little bean at the same time??
despite all of that I just wanna hold the little guy and give him a kiss on the forehead. He's bad...but he's adorable. (side note: i do not condone his behavior!! he is still a bad person and i will not shy away from the fact that he has indeed killed people before. he may be sweet but he's def a red flag as you stated....and there goes the red flags song playing in my head lol)
Alsoooooo I have an answer to that question! Actually, two of them! One silly, one more tying into the lore of his character.
Short and silly answer: this image below (the surface):
Long and lore answer: surprisingly, despite past trauma that he has gone through, and how he evolved to be such a killer, that sweet little guy is still there. He's sometimes positive, but at the same time he isn't overtly positive. He knows how awful the world can be, and he is one of those awful things. While it does plague him at night, there is no undoing of what is done. Yet after thinking and thinking and guess what, more thinking, he succumbed to his fate and damnation. The innocence he had a long time ago was shattered, but not half of his true nature.
One half is purely sadistic, angry, vengeful, longing for those who wronged him to pay...but the other half cancels it out. Said other half is his sweet natured, caring and excited self. He sometimes splits between those two halves, before eventually breaking down and losing his cool after so much pressure built up. I am unsure whether or not he has a mental disorder or not, considering the time period Lackadaisy takes place in. But one thing IS for certain, and that is he isn't in a good mental space.
Other than that, if he finds someone that isn't a target of his, and it's someone who he really likes and is comfortable with, then he's just...himself. No flirting, just bursts of energy and bubbles of kindness.
hi! how do you recommend i should prepare myself for college? im currently in the final year of high school. in what capacity would i need to change myself for college? i plan on developing habits this year which can help me in college. your suggestions will be helpful.
Hi, sorry for taking a while to respond, I've been ill all week and wasn't sure what I wanted to say. I was partly uncertain because I think you are from the US? (Correct me if I'm wrong!) And your college experience is very different from university here in the UK. However, there are a few universal tips I can give for anyone leaving compulsory education and entering into higher education for the first time.
Firstly, don't think about this as changing yourself! It's just another step and you will naturally fall into it. Everything I THOUGHT university would be like ended up being a lot of nonsense. You'll naturally fall into your working rhythm and find your place wherever you end up going! Be your authentic self and you'll have a blast. Seriously, going to university should be the best thing you do for yourself, otherwise it's not worth it!
Secondly, habits/learning tips. This is an easier one to give advice for, but it will probably feel incredibly vague right now:
Learn to how to skim and scan texts when reading (they are different!). Start practicing now and you'll thank yourself during your first term! You rarely need to read a whole text, so learn how to quickly and efficiently find what you need by learning how to find key words and arguments. Make skimming and scanning your first instinct when reading academically. It's hard and you'll find yourself slipping into reading the whole book/article a lot to start with, but I promise you it will save you A LOT of time and frustration.
Start developing a good routine for you to study. Learn when, where, and how you're most productive and make this a routine. I've learnt that I CAN'T concentrate properly in the afternoon, my brain gives up! But it took me YEARS to internalise this and I wasted so many hours trying to work in the early afternoon. Now I structure my study days around when I work best (seriously I get up at 5:30 so I can be working between 6:00 and 11:30, then have the afternoon off before doing a couple of hours around 8:30 at night) it can be irritating but I have a good study/life balance now AND I'm more productive!
Experiment with note taking styles. I've gone through SO many different systems, platforms, and techniques for note taking. It took me a while to work out that I need to take linear, bullet pointed notes BY HAND to remember information. I used to type everything and it went in one ear and out the other. Now I take notes by hand and it's been revolutionary.
Start everything EARLY. Don't let yourself be that person pulling an all nighter to get an assignment in on time. Start early, give yourself time to reflect on what you're doing, and finish a couple of days before the deadline. This way you have a buffer in case something goes wrong. I was never the person working up until the last minute (I'm too anxious to do that to myself) but I watched friends have breakdowns because they didn't start early enough.
Learn to draft anything you'll submit for formal assessment. Don't be the idiot who writes an essay and submits it without checking it... It makes you look stupid and you'll lose marks. Take the time to do a second and third draft, your grades will thank you. And proofread (I say having not proofread ANYTHING on this blog...)
Get out of the habit of thinking I don't want to go to X lesson/class. You might think it's harmless now, but as soon as you leave compulsory education and don't HAVE to go to that dreaded class you won't. Then you start skipping lectures, fall behind, and risk failing. Again, I watched too many people do this...
Practice self-discipline and motivation. Right now you HAVE to work on things, so you do. When the external motivators go away all you're left with is your own drive. For some people (me) this was GREAT because I hated performing to school systems. However, for others they can crumble without a teacher encouraging you to work... Learn to motivate yourself. If you take ANYTHING from this list then work on this one, seriously it'll be a life saver!
Honestly, the rest will come with time. The biggest thing you can do is work out what kind of learner you are, how do you LIKE to learn when away from the routines of school. When, where, and how do you like to learn? Practice notetaking and reading skills. Otherwise, the rest will depend on what sort of college/uni you end up at and what course you're taking.
The final thing I want to say is not really a tip, but something I think EVERYONE on the cusp of going into higher education should hear. Find out why you want to learn. Higher education is a big investment. It's years of your life and A LOT of money (especially in the UK and US with tuition fees and living expenses!) It's a lot of time, energy, and resources to throw into something if you're only doing it because it's expected of you or you don't know what else to do with your life.
So take some time to think about WHY you want to learn. What is it about your specialism that makes you love it? Why is it your passion?
I live and breathe history because I can't face living without it. For me it's the discipline where I really get to understand humanity, explore what makes us "tick". I feel connected with people through history. I'm fascinated by, and a little bit in love with, humans. I don't necessarily like speaking to people! But I love trying to find out who we are through what our history says about us. Fundamentally, humanity is both terrible and beautiful! And through history I get to see the best, worst, and crucially the most mundane of human existence... And it's in that mundane space where I find myself happiest because that's who we are. It's why I study popular religion, not high Church movements... But it is the curiosity about people that drives me to learn more. THAT'S why I study, THAT is why I bothered to drag myself out of bed a half 5 on a freezing January morning in 2018 to get to an 8:30 lecture and listen to a truly MAD man tell me about 17th century English preaching styles (real story, I loved that lecturer deeply... I was the only person at that lecture and it is the reason I am the historian I am today, I have so much respect for him and I am STILL inspired by what I heard that morning!)
Anyway... Find your reason to keep going with your studies, even when it seems pointless and you'd much rather give up. I'm not saying it has to be a grand, abstract desire to understand humanity - I'm a pretentious humanities student who is far too fond of religion. Your reason could be anything, a dream job, a desire to "get out" of a situation, academic brilliance, spite! Seriously, it doesn't matter! As long as it gives you a purpose and drive to learn. Without that reason you'll be wasting your time.
So, before you go, have a think about why you're going to university at all and make sure it's strong enough to get you out of bed ridiculously early on a freezing January morning. That way you won't miss the most inspiring moment of your life. Or you'll get a fantastic degree. That's also nice 😉
