feel the vellichor

WRITING FROM WHAT YOU KNOW

The more you know about a subject, the more you will be able to write about it and create a fictional world around it. This is likely the most comfortable place to begin.

WRITING FROM THE UNKNOWN On the other hand, you can start from the completely unknown. This way, you can imagine and invent a world as well as the rules and not be bothered by the laws of your reality.

  Marrying WHAT YOU KNOW with WHAT YOU DON’T This is probably the most effective method of writing. Memory is fragile and influenced by mood, emotion, and others. The successful way seems to be writing an experience and add a measure of exploration of the unknown. Don’t just write what is true to you and don’t be scared to exaggerate – dare to take on themes larger than yourself.

  PLOT 1. What happened to the characters in the story 2. How it happened 3. Why it happened

The answers to these questions can be simple or complex, depending on your preferences. Adding human emotion makes the plot richer.

  Josip Novakovich explains it well in the book Fiction Writer’s Workshop: “Plot clearly depends on basic values. What do your characters treasure most? Put it at stake. Let them fight for it. Let them fight for life, love, money, jobs. If your characters care about nothing, the actions around them might become random. Without passion, forget about plot.

  ELEMENTS OF A PLOT

1. Exposition – The backstory of the background that gives the reasons for the character’s driving forces.

2. Complications – they are introduced to add tension and to build the way to the climax.

3. Climax – the point of the most intense conflict, often marked by a moment of discovery, realization or change in the character (‘plot twist’).

4. Resolution – the final moments of a story, where the problems are wrapped up and normality is restored.

Not every writer follows this format, nor applies all of the elements. To deviate from the traditional structure, it’s important to understand how it works.

  CHARACTER

Characters are what often stay with the people. They add voice, purpose, and meaning to a story. The plot unfolds as a consequence of their actions.

There are two types of characters:

• Major – the figure at the center of the action, dynamic, changes throughout the course of the story.

• Minor – they support the major characters by highlighting, aggravating or accentuating the conflict. They’re almost always static and change little.

  CREATING CHARACTERS

Fictional characters should be complex, round, crossing various planes, which is very human. A character can be deepened in many ways. Some effective methods are to add elements of interest:

1. Physical Traits – Small physical characteristics can help establish personality and motivation. Helps distinguish characters from one another and turn your story more realistic.

2. World View – the writer needs to understand the character’s worldview in other to create adversity and know how they will react. The ideas that influence their decisions.

3. Internal Conflict – the culmination of passion, flaws, worldview and external influences. The struggle between need/want. They will decide in order to resolve the internal conflict.

4. Flaws – a flawless character is not believable. Flaws add a tragic element to the character, which enhances the dimension and the probability of sympathy.

5. Passions – without passion, a character becomes flat. The character must want something out of his reach and must fight to achieve it.

6. Mannerisms – a nervous twitch, repetitive fidget, knuckle crack. These recurring elements add reliability.

  POINT OF VIEW

FIRST PERSON The narrator is a character in the story (“I”, “me”, “we”). Personalizes the story and provides sympathy more easily, for all readers to have a focused viewpoint and may connect with the character in that way.

Meanwhile, in a first person POV, the writer can’t know what other characters think or do. Secondary characters must be characterized through impressions of the main character.

  THIRD PERSON In this POV, the narrator is uninvolved in the story (“she”, “he”, “they”). By nature, this type of narrator is omniscient, unlike the previous one. However, the writer can choose what to say and what to omit. They can have limited omniscience – about the past, the future, the characters.

The narrator can be more reliable. Gives a broader perspective and several stories can be told. However, it can be difficult to develop an inner monologue.

  INSPIRATION It can come from a passion and be driven by encouragement from others, small sparks, other literary works. Most writers have reading as one of their main inspirations, for it feeds the imagination.

  CHALLENGES Rejection, misfortune, discouragement – how can one overcome them? Time can also be a challenge. The idea of failure seems to inspire some authors’ projects. Being a young writer means being a bird in a tree, observing life without being noticed. Dealing with critics can be a challenge as well, but it helps a writer to harden up and keep perspective.

The realization that life isn’t always happy and quiet can be painful. The main challenge is to understand that it all belongs in the process of experience and life. Times of crisis can be defining for some and a good way to surpass the expectation of failure is to train oneself to not think what will happen in the future, and just write. Relying on your family, friends, significant other or people you trust can help one find balance and perspective.

  METHOD Setting a Routine – it can help you create habits and structure your life. Most writers’ lives have no structure, so implementing one can be decisive to develop your work.

Making Room for a New Plan – be flexible and try to find harmony between the conscious and unconscious mind; plans can evolve into something else, as well as creative processes. Accept change.

Doing the research – it doesn’t matter when you do your research (if before, during or after writing), as long as you do it. It adds validity to a story and can help it come to life.

Plotting and Structuring the Novel – it can be an arduous process. A story may take time to plan and pile up and it can be incredibly challenging to manage all of it.

  ADVICE FROM AUTHORS

1. You have to read in order to be a writer.

2. People will love or hate your story more than you expect. Accept criticism.

3. Live life – travel, meet people, talk to people, listen without interrupting, listen to your grandparents speak of their families. Be curious in a neutral way, be open and look at what’s in the world.

4. Value the comments of your loved ones.

5. Read everything you can.

6. Life changes faster than you think. Embrace change.

29.02.2020 // happy leap day! i‘m reading romeo and juliet for my literature class and last night i got so frustrated with shakespearean english that i started rewriting it in my own words, and now i would like to present to you some excerpts:

- montague and lady montague show up too because #fomo

- romeo is all like “oh fuck i want to pork my enemy”

- the nurse tells juliet to stfu and let her catch her breath but juliet says “that’s what you get for skipping cardio”

- romeo refuses to 1v1 tybalt without a save point

- tybalt saunters back on over with real biff tannen energy

hi all! i hope everyone’s been well and healthy. if you’re like me, switching to online classes & working from home is not always easy – here are some tips to still be productive while working from home!

1. do your best to stick to your normal routine. this includes eating normally, sleeping normally, etc. - do your best to do what you have been doing before isolating. there are already enough changes in your life with school or work… you don’t need to stress your mind & body out more by changing your sleeping and eating habits!

2. don’t work in your bed. i know it’s tempting… but don’t do it. even if you go to your living room or desk, you are more likely to feel like you are in your normal routine. working in bed was never a good idea before, and it still isn’t. don’t. do. it.

3. attend all lectures - even if they are optional. on zoom (or on most other video chat sites that your professor/teacher may use) you can literally turn off your video – this way, even if you have bedhead and are looking a bit rough you can still go to class. but seriously - going to class is 10x easier now. get the most out of your classes and education and attend your lectures.

4. PRIORITIZE. YOUR. HEALTH. the whole reason we are not in school/at work right now is to stay healthy!! pay extra attention to your hygeine and don’t leave your house. if you feel sick, email your professors and ask for extensions. just be extra conscious of your health needs during the pandemic. 

5. get dressed! even if you are changing from pajamas into leggings and a tshirt, try to get dressed in the morning. studies have shown that putting on regular pants before working from home increases productivity. at the very least, change into different pajamas (for hygeine purposes).

6. take advantage of your new routine! a lot of professors are doing pre-recorded lectures, meaning you can watch them any time you want. do this and your work whenever you are most productive… do you work best in the morning? grind out your lectures then. can you focus more in the afternoon? perfect.. do your work then! either way, see this as an opportunity to work when you want & at your own pace.

7. take walks & spend time outside. please remember to social distance, but spending time in your backyard or on a walk (especially if you live in a more isolated area) is crucial. your body is probably used to getting a certain amount of steps & sunlight every day, so do your best to give it the nutrients and exercise it needs. 

8. keep daily lists. with such an unstructured environment, it can be hard to remember done everything you need to do. every day, make a list of things you hope to accomplish (don’t make it too long) and make sure everything is checked off by the end of the day.

9. don’t be upset with yourself if you struggle. this is a difficult time for all of us, for many different reasons. we will all experience some sort of disruption in our work. just pick yourself back up and keep going.

10. don’t be afraid to reach out to your professors. they are just an email away, and more often than not, are happy to help you in whatever you need. if you’re having trouble with the new structure of the class, or are confused about the class in general, they are more often than not happy to help.

chem notes!

notes from when i actually used highlighter

Day 14 of 100 Days of Productivity

Society, Culture and Politics notes. I’m still experimenting with note taking styles. This time, I tried doing two columns.

06.06.2019 - my reading list and japanese basics are definitely going to keep me busy while waiting for classes to start!

guess who’s back with her (sometimes) overexposed photos, now with faux fur 🙈

Finally I finished the first part of my list of french slang. I never tought it would be that hard because, as you can imagine, it’s really not that easy to try to explain to foreigners words that you use everyday without realasing it. Some expression are so often say that everybody know what it means but can’t explain exacty the signification. Anyway if there is some words or sentence that you don’t understand because I am not clear enought you can tell me and I will try to be more understandable. Next time I will try to explain “Verlan” language and how to use it.  

Slang words

Ouais : (Translation : Oui) Most of young french people use « Ouais » instead of « Oui »

Example : Person 1: Tu viens chez Sophie ? Person 2: Ouais !(Do you come at Sophie's place? Yes !)

Trop : (Translation : Very) Use to emphasis something you really like

Example : J'aime trop sa veste (I really like his jacket) or Tu as aimé la fête ? Trop !(Did you liked the party ? Very!)

Vas-y (Translation : Come on !) in that case it is use often  at the beggining of a sentence to show your frustration.

Example : Vas-y fait pas ton radin ! (Come on don’t be such a miser!)

Il m'a soulé/Souler quelqu'un (Translation : Getting on my/someone nerves) When someone really irritate you

Example : Il m'a trop soulé avec son travail (He really was getting on my nerves when he was talking about his job)

Kiffer (Translation : To like) You can replace the word « aimer, adorer» in a phrase by « kiffer »

Example : Je kiffe son sac (I love her bag) or Il l'a kiffe (He likes her)

Genre (Translation : like) Same as in english

Example : Il était genre très grand (He was like really tall) or Genre il est venu seul au mariage(Like he came alone at the wedding)

Grave (Translation : Very) Same as « trop » see above

Example : Il est grave sympa (He is a really nice guy) or Il est grave beau ce pantalon (This pants is really beautiful)

or can be use to confirm something what someone sayed

Example : Tu as vu comment il était habillé aujourd'hui ?! Grave ! (Did you see how he was dress today ?! Yeah I saw that !)

C'est clair (Translation : Yeah I know) Can be use like « grave » when you want to corroborate what someone just sayed

Example : Ce test d'anglais était très dur ! C'est clair ! (This english test was really hard ! Yeah tell me about it!)

Flipper (Translation : To be afraid) Is use to say that you were scared, that you freaked out

Example : Cette voiture est arrivé de nul part et j'ai flippé (This car came out of knowhere and I freaked out) or J'ai flippé quand il m'a pas dit qu'il avait une nouvelle à m'annoncer (I freak out when he sayed he had something new to tell me)

Pas de soucis (Translation : No worries) When you want to say that there is no problem

Example : Tu peux m'aider avec cet exercice de maths ? Pas de soucis ! (Can you help me with this mathematic exercise ? Of course !) or Pas de soucis je serais là 18h (No problem I will be there at 6pm)

Avoir le seum (Translation : To be angry) Use to signify that you are angry, annoyed

Example : J'ai le seum j'ai raté mon bus (I am angry i missed my bus) or Il a le seum il a eu une mauvaise note (He is annoyed because he got a bad grade)

Laisse tomber (Translation : To let go something) Often use to say that you are annoyed by something so you prefered to let it go

Example : Laisse tomber je préfère m'en aller (I give up, I am going to leave) or Laisse tomber c'est plus mon amie (Let it go she is not my friend anymore)

Mec (Translation : A guy) Can refered to just some random guy or someone boyfriend

Exemple : Ce mec là bas(This guy over there) or Mon mec est venu me voir (My boyfriend came to see me)

Mytho (Translation : A liar) Use to say that someone is a liar or he tells lies

Example : Ce mec c'est un mytho (This guy is a liar) or C'est juste des mythos tout sa (It’s just a bunch of lies)

Bagnole/Caisse (Translation : A car) To refered to a car

Example : Il vient de s'acheter une nouvelle bagnole (He just bought a new car) or Elle a une magnifique caisse (She has a splendid car)

Se barrer/Se casser/Se tirer (Translation : To leave) When someone leave a place but show his/her frustration or worries

Example : Je me tire de cette endroit (I am leaving this damn place) or Cette endroit n'est pas sûr je me casse (This place is not safe I prefer to leave)

Un pote (Translation : A friend) You can replace the word « ami » (friend) by « pote »

Example : C'est mon meilleur pote (He is my best friend)

Se marrer (Translation : To have a laught) When you had a big laught with someone

Exemple : On est allé voir une comédie et on s'est bien marrer !(We went to see a comedy and we had such a laught!)  

C'est hallucinant/J'hallucine (Translation : It’s unbelievable) When something is incredible in a good or a bad way

Example : C'est hallucinant de voir le nombre de vélos qu'il y a dans Paris (It’s amazing to see how much there is bikes in Paris) or J'hallucine elle sort avec mon ex ! (I can’t believe it she is going out with my ex!)

You can also hear : « C'est l'hallu » It’s the contraction of « C'est hallucinant »

C'est mortel (Translation : It’s rad) When something is really good, really fun

Example : Ce grand huit était mortel, on y retourne (This rollercoster was rad we have to do it again) or Cette voiture est mortel (This car is rad)

Le taff/Le boulot (Translation : Job) You can change the word « travail » (job, work) by « boulot » or « taff »

Example : Je dois aller au taff (I have to go to work) or Je l'ai rencontré au boulot (I met him at work)

C'est la loose (Translation : Bad luck, misfortune) I am pretty sure it came from the english verb « to loose ». It can be use when someone had a bad day or he try to do things but it led to misfortune after misfortune.

Example : C'est la loose on m'a volé mon scooter (I really have no chance, someone stole my scooter) or C'est la loose je voulais réviser mon examen mais il n'y a plus électricité chez moi (I can’t believe it I wanted to study for my exam but there no more electricity at my home)

Je m'en fiche/Je m'en fout (Translation : I don’t care) Means that you don’t give a heck. These phrases can’t be use with anybody. You can say it with your friends but not with your boss or someone important to you (« Je m'en fout » can be translate by « I don’t give a f**k)

Example : Je m'en fiche j'ai autre chose à faire (I don’t care I have something else to do)

Faire style (Translation : To pretend) When you talk about someone who pretend to do something

Exemple : Il fait style qu'il c'est faire du skate mais c'est des conneries (He pretends that he can do skate but it’s total bulls***e) or J'ai fait style que j'avais appris m'a leçon par cœur (I pretend I knew my lesson buy heart)

Contracted Sentences

French people tend to speak really fast. To adapted our phrases to the way we speak we like to « contracted » words together. For exemple If you are an advanced french speaker, you know that for the negation we use « ne » and « pas ». “Je ne peux pas venir” ( I can’t come). Well, when we speak, and only when we speak, most of the time we don’t say the word « ne ». So in the previous example we tend to say « Je peux pas venir ». It’s still mean the same thing. A bit like in english with « He does not know » and « He doesn’t know ».

Further more as we speak more and more faster we « eat » most of the words (I don’t know how to say it) in the phrase « Je ne peux pas » become « J'peux pas »

Some examples :

Je ne sais pas (I don’t know) =>Je sais pas => J'sais pas (Prononce it like «ché pa »

Je m'en fout (I don’t care, see above) => J'men fout => M'en fout (Prononce it like « cheu men fout »

Je me barrer/Je me casser/Je me tirer (I leave, see above) => J'me barre/J'me casse/J'me tire

Je vais voir (I will see) => J'vais voir

Je ne suis pas sur (I am not sure) => Je suis pas sur => J'suis pas sur (Prononce it like « chui pas sur)

I don’t know if I am clear ?  :/

« Tic de langage »

French people tend to start there sentences with filler words which are not important or change anything about the sentence but that you can hear often. We call it « tic de language »

Du coup,… : Corresponding to « So what » or « And so,… »

Example : Du coup j'ai oubliée mes clés chez moi « And so, I forgot my keys at my home »

En fait,…  Corresponding to « let me explain » or « in fact » if you translate litteraly

Example : En fait, je ne l'ai jamais rencontré (In fact, I never met him)

Bref :  Corresponding to « Anyway »

Example : Bref, c'était l'enfer cette journée (Anyway, this day was just like hell)

Bah… : Like the « Hum » in English when you hesitate before saying what you have in mind

Example : Bah…j'ai toujours été seul à cette table (Hum…I always have been alone at this table)

Non, mais…One of the mystery of modern french. You can use this sentence simply when you want to contradict what someone just sayed

Example : Non mais je t'arrête tout de suite tu as totalement tord (Sorry, I stop you right now you are completely wrong)

Or you can use it to confirm someone’s argument

Example : Person 1: Paul et Aline ne sont plus ensemble, je pense que c'est pour le mieux. Person 2: Non mais ils on eut raison (Person 1: Paul and Aline are not a couple anymore, I think it is for the best. Person 2: I totally agree, they were right)

I know crazy !

🌙 night vocab 

la nuit: the night

la lune: the moon

les étoiles: the stars (f)

nocturne: nocturnal 

🛏️ bedroom vocab

la chambre à coucher: bedroom

la chambre: bedroom

la grande chambre: the master bedroom

un lit: a bed

l'oreiller: a pillow

un animal en peluche: a stuffed animal

une couverture: a blanket

la literie: bedding

la table de chevet: bedside table

le dessus-de-lit: bedspread

la taie d'oreiller: pillow case

douillet: cozy

la couette: comforter

faire le lit: make the bed

le lit est défait: the bed is unmade

un grand lit: a king sized bed

un lit à deux places: a bed for two people

un lit à une place: a bed for one person

un cadre d'un lit: bed frame

les draps: bed sheets (m)

un lit superposé: bunk bed 

  😴 sleep vocab 

un somme: a nap

un petit somme: a quick nap

la sieste: a siesta (nap in the afternoon)

le sommeil: sleep

la somnolence: sleepiness

un rêve: a dream

un cauchemar: a nightmare

une rêverie: a daydream

l'insomnie: insomnia (f)

le somnambule: sleepwalker

un noctambule: a night owl 

matinal: early riser

un réveil: an alarm clock

🌌 verbs

se lever: to wake up (literally to rise)

se coucher: to go to bed

se recoucher: to go back to bed

s'assoupir: to doze off

dormir: to sleep

rêver: to dream

rêvasser: to daydream 

pioncer: to sleep (informal)

🌃 phrases

bonne nuit: good night 

passer une nuit blanche: to pull an all nighter

être un lève-tôt: to be an early bird 

être un lève-tard: a late riser

sortir du lit: get out of bed 

dormir à poings fermés: sleep like a log

⭐️ (for beginners) ⭐️

When talking to french people, focus on innocuous topics like the weather, current events (“avez-vous lu à propos de..?” Have you read about…?), and cultural topics like food, movies, art, music, and so on. And remember to use vous instead of tu!

I only speak a little French. Je ne parle qu'un peu le français.

I am learning French, but I am only a beginner. J'apprends le français mais je ne suis qu'un débutant.

I have been learning french for 2 days / 2 weeks / 2 months / 1 year / 2 years. J'apprends le français depuis deux jours / deux semaines / deux mois / un an / deux ans.

Will you please correct me? Peux-tu me corriger, s'il te plaît?

What does ___ mean? Que veut dire ___?

What does that mean? Qu'est-ce que ça veut dire?

Can you explain in French/English to me? Peux-tu m'expliquer en français / anglais?

What does that mean in this context? Qu'est-ce que ça veut dire dans ce contexte?

What is the French word for ___? Quel est le mot français pour ___?

Is this/that correct? C'est juste?

Am I wrong? Je me trompe?/Est-ce que j'ai tort?

Am I correct? Est-ce que j'ai raison?

Do you understand? Est-ce que tu me comprends?

I do not understand. Je ne comprends pas.

I want to improve my level in French. Je veux améliorer mon niveau de français.

I need to practice French. J'ai besoin de pratiquer le français.

Do you have time to speak with me? As-tu le temps de parler avec moi ?

Can you help me to learn French? Peux-tu m'aider à apprendre le français?

Do you mind if we speak in French? Ça te dérange si nous parlons en français?

Can you please speak in French? it helps me to learn. Peux-tu me parler en français s'il te plaît? Ça m'aide à apprendre.

How do you say ’___’ in French? Comment dit-on ’___’ en français ?

I struggle with spelling / reading / writing / listening / pronunciation. J'ai du mal avec l'orthographe / la lecture / l'écriture / la compréhension orale / la prononciation.

Can you please repeat? I did not understand. Pouvez-vous répéter s'il vous plaît ? Je n'ai pas compris.

I don’t speak French fluently. Je ne parle pas couramment le français.

I am confused. Je suis perdu(e).

I don’t know how to say it in French. Je ne sais pas comment le dire en Français,

Sorry (or ‘pardon’), what did you say? Pardon, qu'est-ce que tu as dit?

I’ve never heard of that. Je n'ai jamais entendu ça.

That makes sense. Ça se tient.

That does not make sense. Ça n'a aucun sens.

What’s happening? / What’s going on? Qu'est-ce qui se passe?

What do you mean by ’___’ ? Qu'est-ce que tu entends par ’___’? / Qu'est-ce que tu veux dire par ’___’?

⭐️ Personal Stuff ⭐️

Here is a list of phrases you can use and practice when giving and asking for personal information. Take note that the list makes use of the formal “vous”.

Comment vous appelez-vous? What is your name?

Je m'appelle Christine. My name is Christine.

Quel est votre nom? What is your name?

Comment allez-vous? How are you?

Je vais bien, merci. I am doing well, thank you.

Très bien, merci. Very well, thank you.

Quel âge avez-vous? How old are you?

J'ai # ans. I am # years old.

J'ai trente ans. I am thirty years old.

J'ai quarante-deux ans. I am forty two old.

Quelle est votre nationalité? What is your Nationality?

Je suis canadien(ne). I am Canadian.

Je suis américain(e). I am American.

Je suis chinois(e). I am Chinese.

Je suis coréen(ne). I am Korean.

Où habitez-vous? Where do you live?

J'habite en Californie. I live in California.

Quel est votre numéro de téléphone? What is your phone number?

Mon numéro de téléphone est le … My phone number is …

Où êtes-vous né(e)? Where were you born?

Je suis né(e) à… I was born in…

Êtes-vous marié(e)? Are you married?

Oui, je suis marié. Yes, I am married

Non, je ne suis pas marié. No, I am not married

Je suis célibataire. I am single

Est-ce que vous avez des frères et soeurs? Do you have any brothers and sisters?

Je suis fille unique. I am an only child/daughter

Je suis fils unique. I am an only child/son

J'ai - frère(s). I have - brother(s).

J'ai - soeur(s).  I have - sisters(s).

Je n'ai pas de frères. I don’t have any brothers.

Je n'ai pas de soeurs. I don’t have any sisters.

Quel est votre métier? What is your job?

Quelle est votre profession? What is your profession?

Que faites-vous dans la vie? What do you do for a living?

Je suis ingénieur. I am an engineer.

Je suis boulanger/boulangère. I am a baker.

Je suis médecin. I am a doctor.

Je suis infirmier/infirmière. I am a nurse.

⭐️ Interests ⭐️

Quel est votre sport préféré? What is your favorite sport? (formal)

Quel est ton sport préféré? 

What is your favorite sport? (informal)

Mon sport préféré est… My favorite sport is….

J'aime faire du sport et garder la forme. I like to do sports to keep fit.

Quelle saison préférez-vous? What season do you prefer? (formal

Quelle saison préfères-tu? What season do you prefer? (What season is your favorite?) (informal)

Quels sont vos passe-temps préférés? What are your favorite pastimes? (formal)

Quels sont tes passe-temps préférés? What are your favorite pastimes? (informal)

Mes passe-temps préférés sont… My favorite pastimes are…

Qu'est-ce que vous faites dans votre temps libre? What do you do in your free time? (formal)

Qu'est-ce que tu fais dans ton temps libre? What do you do in your free time? (informal)

Est-ce que vous avez un animal de compagnie? Do you have a pet?(formal)

Est-ce que tu as un animal de compagnie? Do you have a pet? (informal)

Non, Je n'ai pas un animal de compagnie. No, I don’t have a pet.

Oui, J'ai un chat. Yes, I have a cat.

Oui, J'ai un chien.Yes, I have a dog.

Qu'est-ce que vous aimez? What do you like?

J'aime le jazz. I like jazz.

J'aime le rock. I like rock.

J'aime le hip-hop. I like hip-hop.

Je n'aime pas le rap. I don’t like rap.

Je n'écoute pas de la musique très souvent. I don’t listen to music very often.

J'aime les films d'amour. I like romance films.

J'aime les films d'aventures. I like adventure films.

Je n’aime pas faire du ski. I don’t like skiing.

Qu'est-ce que vous aimeriez faire dans la vie? What would you like to do in life ?

J'aimerais être chef. I would like to be a chef.

For if you want to make hip young friends.

Disclaimer: French people complain a lot. A lot. Don’t be surprised if 90% of these expressions are complaining.

Non mais oh - say this if someone does something mildly annoying and you want to express your shock and distaste.

Tu me fais chier - (alt. tu me fais chier, là.) literally ‘you make me shit’. means you’re pissing me off.

Carrément - translates to ‘squarely’. Means ‘literally’. If someone tells you something surprising or annoying, you can answer simply “ah carrément.” see: tu me fais carrément chier.

J’hallucine / je rêve - are you annoyed by something? say these.

C’est pas possible - a classic. anything bad happens - c’est pas possible. There is no cheese left? It’s not possible. I’m hallucinating. This is a burden on me that solely I can bear I cannot believe this is happening.

Ça commence à me gaver - I’m starting to get real sick of this. see: Ça commence carrément a me gaver là, putain.

T’es relou - verlan slang for ‘lourd’ meaning someone’s heavy, personality-wise. They’re tedious.

Ça me saoûle / ça me gonfle - similar to gaver, means something’s pissing you off, you’re sick of it.

Grave - totally.

C’est clair - totally/that’s clear. Like ‘claro’ in spanish. “Justine elle est trop relou” “C’est clair. Elle me fait chier.”

J’en ai marre - I’m sick of this.

J’en ai ras le bol - I’m sick of this.

J’en ai ras le cul - I’m sick of this (vulgar).

(J’en ai) Rien à battre - I don’t give a damn.

(J’en ai) Rien à foutre - I don’t give a fuck.

C’est bon, là. -  That’s enough.

Perso, euh, - “Personally,” generally used at the start of a complaining sentence, to express how personal the matter is to you. Perso, euh, c’est bon là. J’en ai ras le cul.

Rôh là - general expression of distaste. Le longer the rôh, the more annoyed you are. Rôôôôôôôôôôôôôôôôôôôôôôôôôôôôh, c’est quoi ce bordel.

C’est quoi ce bordel ? - translates to “what’s this brothel”, means “what’s this shit?!”

C’est de la merde - It’s shit.

C’est une blague ? - Is this a joke?

Idem - ditto

J’ai la dalle - I’m hungry

Ça caille - It’s freezing

Ouf - two meanings 1. phew or 2. verlan for “fou”, meaning crazy (as a noun or adjective). “Kévin, c’est un ouf! Il fait du vélo sans casque!” “Ouais carrément, c’était un truc de ouf!”

Kévin - there’s a running joke that all the young delinquents seem to be called Kévin.

Crever - slang for “to die”. Va crever, connard!

Connard/Connasse - c*nt, but a lot less vulgar in french peoples eyes

And finally,

Guide on How to Catch Up in Your Classes

I often see master posts and tips about how to become organized and have better study habits but not about what to do when you have essentially messed up. I just wanted to share some of the things I do when I fall behind and how I recover. Unfortunately, this is an experience I am very familiar with but I am actively working on changing.

Please do NOT use this guide as a justification to fall behind. This is a guide for those who for whatever reason are already in this predicament and need help ASAP!

1) List everything you have to get done. Absolutely everything, down to the smallest detail.

For example, do not write down “readings for class X” but rather list out every chapter, and if you want every subsection of that chapter. This makes it easier to gauge how much time you need for every assignment and will motivate you when you check them off!

I like using apps like OneNote and Momentum to make my to do lists or just standard sheets of paper.

2) Calm down.

If you are anything like me, after you have made your long to do list you will start to panic. (I do, every single time!) Do your best to calm down, a calm mind is a sharper and smarter mind!

Personally, I like taking a moment outside to just concentrate on taking deep breaths of fresh air. This helps bring my heart rate down. (It’s something a bit similar to meditating)

For meditation, stretching, yoga, exercise, and power-naps you can use the app Fabulous (I use it often during the day for these purposes.)

Do not use this time to procrastinate! Try to find a relaxing activity that is not time consuming (i.e, DO NOT watch an episode on Netflix, play a video game, or anything that can easily feed into your procrastination) Although, these can all be relaxing activities, you will unconsciously negatively reinforce your habit of procrastinating to relieve anxiety and, thus, will consistently want to procrastinate when you are distressed or overwhelmed by your classes. Essentially, creating a cycle of procrastination. 

Ex: I am behind and am experience a lot of distress and anxiety. Watching Netflix (i.e. procrastinating) gives me temporary relief by distracting me from my responsibilities. Once my episode finishes, however, I feel the anxiety from my workload again and will decide to watch another episode etc. etc. It’s an endless cycle.

3) Plan out your week and dedicate each day predominantly to one class.

Now we have all the assignments and studying you have to do for every class and you are calm. Make sure to pay extra attention to due dates and plan which days you will be dedicating to each class. Plan a whole week and remember to plan wisely!

Prioritize by amount of weekly workload and proximity of due dates.

Does a class have assignments due every week? That class is most important since small assignments can eventually add up to a big portion of your grade. These assignments are due the soonest and, therefore, need to be done ASAP. Dedicate the whole day to just that class.

For example, for my Life Science course I have weekly quizzes and clicker points during class. If I am behind, I will dedicate a whole day to doing readings for that class first.

Have two different assignments for different classes due on the same day? Plan in advance so that you will still dedicate a whole day to each class rather than working on both assignments the same day (which would most likely be the day before, am i rite? ;) -> No, seriously don’t do this.)

If it is utterly necessary to do both assignments on the same day, then do split up your day.

4) Plan out your day. Every single hour. Seriously.

I literally will make a list of available times for each day and will schedule in assignments, meals, breaks, interviews, everything.

Try to be realistic! (I struggle with this a lot.)

Estimate the amount of time for an activity and then add a few more minutes to that.

Do not forget to schedule in essential personal care time. You need to eat, you need to take breaks, you need to shower, and you need to sleep. By doing this, you will be able to curve fatigue and to overall be in a better mental and physical health which is important for productivity.

Interweave your studies/assignments for a class.

What I mean by this is that you are behind and need to not only do the assignments but most likely need to learn it QUICKLY for the upcoming exam.

So an example of interweaving would be actively going back and forth b/w reading a chapter and your lecture notes. When I am behind I will take notes on the chapter I am currently reading and add those notes to what was said in lecture. Therefore, I am catching up but also making sure I am understanding the readings in terms of what is being taught in class. This saves time and you are learning!

Re-plan.

Some assignments will take longer than expected or a day will simply not be as productive as you thought it would be. It’s okay. Do not get discouraged. Simply, re-plan, adjust your days and continue moving forward! In order for this to work, you need to be flexible and learn what are the most important assignments you should be spending your time on.

5) Do not procrastinate!

I know this is easier said than done, but you (and I) are behind so we really have to stick to this one. Procrastinating may feel good at the moment but you will feel terrible about it later.

Here are some tools to help: Self-control (for macs), and Forest (for phones and computers.)

6) Go to the library or a quite isolated space.

Go. Go now.

Studying in your dorm room or at home gives you too many opportunities to be distracted and you simply do not have the time to take the risk. Food and people are my main distractions!

Also, being in a space where others are working will motivate you to do the same.

Get hungry while on campus? Pack your lunch AND dinner when you go to class and just spend the rest of your day in the library.

If you are starting to feel mentally fatigued, go somewhere else, take a small break, and continue. Go to a cafe, a computer lab, a grass field, anywhere. A change of scenery while studying can help you feel refreshed!

7) Give yourself rewards for accomplishments

I prefer to keep my rewards small. They tend to be having a small talk with my roommate, experimenting while making coffee, making myself a really nice dinner, or pressing flowers.

Do not over extend or continually take breaks. Again, do not reward yourself with something that you associate with procrastination or could procrastinate with!

8) SLEEP!

Last one! I know everyone and their moms say this, but sleep is very important for learning and (if your cramming) retention. After a certain point your brain will be too fatigued and will not retain anything you try to cram into it, so why not spend that time doing something better? Like sleeping!

Before I even start studying, I give myself a cut-off time. This is a time when I will stop, no matter how much work I have gotten done, and will prepare to go to sleep.

I wake up at 8am, so mine tends to be around 12:00am.

Your cut-off time should be strict and should give you at least 6-8 hours of sleep, so plan wisely!

Consistency is the key to success.

Studies have shown that inconsistent sleep affects your learning retention and academic abilities the next day. So, really try to stick to this one, if anything!

Again, the Fabulous app can help you stick to your cut-off time and maintain a regular sleep pattern.

I could go on and on about this but this post has already become more lengthy than I had anticipated!

Remember these are the things I do when I am behind (usually severely), this does not consist of my daily study habits when I am caught up. Therefore, some of these tips aren’t efficient for long-term learning but are definitely better than cramming (in my opinion and experience.) Catching up is by no means fun, therefore, once you are caught up, please try to implement better time management and daily study habits. (If anyone is interested in tips for those, let me know and I can make a post about it!)

Lastly, you can do this! I mean it. I do not know you personally but I have seen people do the most astonishing things in the face of adversity. So please trust me when I say, I believe in you wholeheartedly!

Good luck!

Jessica

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