❤︎

aquiver (quivering, trembling): headphones on full volume, cold winter breeze, nervous glances, desperately trying to live life to the fullest, to-do lists and journals, daydreaming, missed opportunities and wanting to prove onself

mellifluous (sweet, smooth, pleasing to hear sound): dried flowers, morning rays of sunshine, eloquent sentences, waiting for a sign, mythology and fairytales, sucker for aesthetics, Polaroid pictures and old architecture

hiraeth (a homesickness for a home you can’t return to, or that never was): neon lights, airports and gas stations at night, either being extremely private or always oversharing, the adrenaline of winning arguments, marble and ice

limerence (the state of being infatuated with another person): long eye contact, staying up until 3 am, wanting to pick a random train and get away, being described as “out of it”, sitting in a car just to finish listening to that song, fatalist humour

syzygy (an alignment of celestial bodies): never being fully satisfied, inferiority superiority complex, overthinking, reading 5 books at once, dark academia, late night conversations, “is this all there is?”

ephemeral (lasting a very short time): chasing the feeling of being alive, laughing and crying at once, wishing to be a mermaid, saying “I don’t care” very caringly, either writing really long answers or just “ok”

♡  Quiescent - a quiet, soft-spoken soul.

♡  Chimerical - merely imaginary; fanciful.

♡  Susurrus - a whispering or rustling sound.

♡  Raconteur - one who excels in story-telling.

♡  Clinquant - glittering; tinsel-like.

♡  Aubade - a song greeting the dawn.

♡  Ephemeral - lasting a very short time.

♡  Sempiternal - everlasting; eternal.

♡  Euphonious - pleasing; sweet in sound.

♡  Billet-doux - a love letter.

clean your room.  clean space, uncluttered space, space that doesn’t have miasma clinging to it can work wonders.  clean the dishes.  sweep.  take out the trash.  peel the clothes off the floor and wash them, and then actually fold/hang them.  take a long shower.  scrub behind your knees.  brush your teeth.  (this can be utterly exhausting, but try to get it done in a day, if you can.  the end result is worth it.)

pull out your notebook.  it doesn’t need to be a new notebook, but preferably one that you don’t usually write in, or that you haven’t touched in a while.  fuck moleskins.  the yellow legal pad will work fine.  sit in your room, or in the park, or in the library, and write a list.  count clouds.  describe all the colors that you see, and note patterns that arise.  sketch the cracks in the walls.  note the shape light makes when it enters a space.  talk about what the air tastes like, smells like.  what sounds are there?  even the white nose, break that down: air planes, fans, cicadas, anything.  remind yourself that you are sitting in the middle of a space brimming with detail.  remind yourself that you are not in nothingness and emptiness.  your world is fathomless.  it has potential.

drink cold water and try to eat something that isn’t processed.  it does not need to be fancy.  buy yourself an apple with the change between your couch cushions.  eat it outside.  if you’re someone who walks, walk somewhere afterwards, just to stretch your legs.  take your fucking meds.  remember that its a good thing that you are inside your body.  your body is a fantastic and endlessly intricate machine, and even though society has smacked a bunch of poisonous ideas on it, that doesn’t change its inherent worth and splendor.  take care of it.

read a novel.  underline your favorite lines, and write phrases that twist your heart inside your chest on the back of your hand with an ink pen.  read a novel like it’s poetry.  read poetry, something decadent but unpretentious.  watch a movie you haven’t seen before.  if there are free art galleries near you, walk through one.  take your time.  let yourself bask.  if there are patterns in what makes your soul ache, write those patterns down – marbles arches or soot crumbling bricks or dandelions or descriptions of dresses or whatever it is, write them down.

your chosen family is important.  remember, they picked you as much as you picked them.  the love has no obligation.  it is given freely and it is given from a place of compassion.  you are not a burden.  if you need to breathe, take a minute by yourself and just exist, but remember to go back to your people.  when they need you, listen and be gracious.  always be gracious.  the universe sometimes remembers things like that.

listen to new music.  link jump on youtube or related artist jump on spotify or ask the chap beside you in the cafe what their favorite band is, and listen to that.  listen to something that you don’t usually listen to.  we tend to tie up a lot of memory with music.  we are falling in love again.  the soundtrack needs to be specific to that.  

THE UPLIFT SERIES

A positive playlist series curated for whichever phase in your self-love journey you might be going through.

The Uplift I: Loneliness Let these songs be your reminder that even times of loneliness don’t last forever.

The Uplift II: Insecurity When you’re feeling a little insecure and could use some reassurance that everything will, as a matter of fact, be okay.

The Uplift III: Perseverance You might be facing some difficulties, but does that mean you’ll throw in the towel and give up?

The Uplift IV: Growth That feeling when you realise that you’ve come out stronger after a difficult and challenging situation.

Aries: the land of eternal sunset

brilliant skies of shooting stars

Taurus: the land of abundant bliss

rare orchards within a sea of fields

Gemini: the land of silver minds

hi speed cyber eco-metropolis

Cancer: the land of hi tides

neon ocean skies above coral floors

Leo: the land of rubied hearts

magnificent volcanic island

Virgo: the land of altars

jungle rich in medicinal plant life

Libra: the land of mirrors

decadent floating ice sculpture garden

Scorpio: the land of answers

crystallized libraries of future truth

Sagittarius: the land of jumps

ever winding paths of golden clouds

Capricorn: the land of stone

hidden cavern made of riches

Aquarius: the land of eyes

observatory enclosed by ice mountains

Pisces: the land of haze

If you goal is to love yourself, then your focus is directed inward toward yourself, and you end up constantly watching yourself from the outside, disconnected, trying to summon the “correct” feelings towards yourself or fashion yourself into something you can approve of.

If your goal is to love being yourself, then your focus is directed outward towards life, on living and making decisions based on what brings you pleasure and fulfillment.

1. start studying a week before every quiz/test. seriously.

2. watch youtube videos/ted talks on the topics you are learning about.

3. get lots of sleep! sleep helps you process the day’s events, including what you learned.

4. write out your notes. it’s proven that handwritten notes help you learn better than typed out notes.

5. don’t just read what your professor gives you. find academic journals, books, etc. that correspond with your subjects.

6. read the news! especially in the social sciences/humanities, connecting concepts with current events helps you understand and process more easily.

7. exercise! this doesn’t have to be going on runs or lifting weights, it could even just be going for a 20 minute walk. just get your blood pumping, it’ll help you focus.

8. study at your desk. it may be tempting to study in bed, but your brain connects your bed with sleep, so you’ll get tired more quickly.

9. reviewing notes doesn’t have to be something you sit down and do for an hour. skim through them and test your memory while eating breakfast!

10. expand your study time throughout the day to avoid burnout. for example, rather than studying for 5 hours straight, study for an hour here and there in between your activities.

11. make your notes organized and easy to read, but not distracting. bright colors and flashy notes may seem better, but can sometimes distract from the purpose of the notes.

12. use apps such as quizlet. this way, you can go through definitions while waiting in lines or walking to class.

13. it’s more important to know concepts rather than facts. for example, you should be able to take what you know and apply it to different situations, not just the situation the textbook gives you.

14. just because the professor doesn’t require you to read textbook, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. it helps explain concepts in a different way than your professor, and a lot of times hearing two different explanations for the same concept helps you understand it.

15. read in advance. read the textbook before your professor begins going over the chapter, so when he/she does, you can easily follow what they are saying.

16. do any extra credit work that comes your way. even if you don’t need the extra boost now, you might later.

17. go to class!! if you always skip class and show up at office hours completely lost on the concepts, they’ll laugh in your face. they’ll take you 100x more seriously if you show up.

18. however, if you are sick, take a day off. it’s more beneficial to you in the long run. 

19. learn how to say “no”. if you have an 8 am the next day, don’t stay out until midnight with your friends. 

How to study like a straight A student

I did really well during my first year of college, and aside from a B+ in statistics (which was really good for me, haha! I’m not good at math), I had A’s in all of my classes. I’m certain that the reason I did so well was due to the way that I figured out how to study, so here are some tips I have based on what I did to study this past year!

1. Sit in the front row.

This isn’t high school anymore, it’s not embarrassing or nerdy to sit in the front row. By sitting in the front row, you won’t be tempted to check your phone and you won’t be distracted by looking at the people around you. I focus best in the front row. This also gives you a chance to easily ask any questions you have.

2. Show up to class a little early.

Show up to class about five minutes early every day, if possible. During the time it takes your professor to get set up, read through your previous notes. If you do this every day, you’ll begin to memorize info that you certainly wouldn’t have learned if you spent those five minutes before class just scrolling through tumblr. 

3. Type your notes and print them out.

If you prefer to spend a lot of time on hand written notes, then go crazy. However, I don’t really have time to make aesthetic notes, so I prefer to just write my notes by hand during class, then copy them into microsoft word so I can organize and print them out. This makes the notes much easier to read, and it’s much easier on the eyes. 

4. Do every assignment. Yes, EVERY assignment.

I don’t know why there’s advice floating around on tumblr telling people that it’s okay to skip a ton of homework assignments, because I definitely wouldn’t recommend it at all. Of course some assignments might be stupid or seem too small to matter, but if you’re being graded on them, you need all the points you can get. Trust me, just because homework assignments only account for 10-15% of your final grade, that doesn’t mean that they won’t be the difference between a B+ and an A-. Think about it: if your homework is 10% of your grade and you didn’t do it, you would literally have to get NOTHING wrong on your exams just to get the lowest A- possible. 

5. Don’t skip. Don’t skip. Don’t skip. 

Don’t skip if you can help it. If there is a serious emergency and you really can’t make it, try your hardest to get the best notes you can from someone who was in class. There’s nothing worse than sitting down for a test and realizing that a ton of the questions are about content you missed when you were absent. 

6. Go over material in your head when you’re not busy. 

If you’re in the shower or waiting in line at the cafe, go over class material in your head. Think about what you learned that day. If you do this often, this will help significantly with retention. 

7. Make flashcards throughout the semester, not the night before the final.

Don’t be one of those students who has to relearn an entire textbook the week before finals. If you’re studying right, studying for finals should be relatively painless. Throughout the semester, make flashcards of class content and regularly go over them. The easiest way to do this is to use quizlet.com and fill in definitions and other things you need to know, and use their helpful games and quizzes to memorize the info. It even keeps track of the definitions you rarely get wrong, so you know what you don’t need to study as much. 

8. Makes specific agendas for what you need to study and get done. 

When I study, I need to have a very specific to-do list detailing exactly what I want to get done. This will motivate you to keep going because you’re able to check off what you’ve already done. 

9. Don’t get discouraged by a bad grade- take it as motivation.

Hello Kitty: Lots of bows, always happy and cheerful, friendly to everyone, just wants to help, loves apples, always singing/dancing, will befriend everyone, rock the primary colors pallette, bakes cookies for all of her friends, super supportive and caring, takes lots of naps.

My Melody: Crybaby but tries their best, loves everything pink and cute, gets scared easily but still watches horror movies, loves to party, eats a lot of sweets, soft but bratty, has the prettiest handwriting.

Kuromi: edgy, probably still on their emo/scene phase, everyday is halloween, pranks everyone, actually really sweet if you get to know them, in love with the moon, reads creepypastas at 3am, 10/10 tsundere.

Pompompurin: the softest of all, loves cocoa, pudding and bread, takes lots of pictures, likes to get cozy and comfy on rainy afternoons, really smart, super talented but wont admit it, full of love, takes their friends on dates at coffee shops.

Cinnamoroll: Very neat and clean, always have what you need (e.x: umbrellas, chapstick, handkierchiefs…), won’t admit they’re wrong, have a bullet journal, loves ice cream, pastel colors + white, have a very organized schedule, never forgets their lunchbox.

Gudetama: Lazy is their middle name, lone wolf, can’t cook, have lots of internet friends, drinks iced tea, loves breakfast, collects stickers, wont admit it but they love hugs, probably needs glasses but wont get them, loves selfcare and skincare.

Aggretsuko: Looks innocent but could demolish you, not very good at emotions, great self control, very professional, sings really well, loves winter, overwork a lot, very competitive (in a good way), daydreams a lot, the adult of their group.

Keroppi: Always outside, loves to swim, was probably a scout, travels a lot, extroverted much, knows species of animals and plants just by looking at them, forgets to eat sometimes, doens’t wear shoes, walks in the rain without their umbrella, drinks a lot of juice.

Badtzmaru: Quiet and reserved, says they don’t have friends but really cherishes the ones they have, tries to look harsh and actually accomplishes it, will call you a pain but will never stop helping you (even if you don’t ask), sighs a lot.

spring: bright smiles, poetry, festivals, keeping a journal, gentle touches, taking polaroid pictures, smiling at strangers

summer: loud music, roadtrips, making friends, sun-kissed skin, trying to make everyone happy, sunrises, one night stands

autumn: moonlight, pale skin, messy hair, rosy cheeks, piercing gaze, ocean waves, rainy days, oversized shirts

dragons: tanned skin, sunsets, loud music, old cars, summer nights, wants to travel the world, bruised knees, untied shoelaces, denim jackets

faeries: soft features, the smell of lavender, daydreaming, poetry, gardening, mom jeans, freckles, daydreaming in class, photography

mermaids: wavy hair, bright eyes, graceful movements, deep thinker, dimples, good singer, vintage outfits, notebooks, ocean waves, small handwriting

elves: pale skin, autumn leaves, getting lost in the woods, indie music, sweaters, sarcasm, too many emotions, old libraries, moonlight

Water - the best skin ever, how is it that clear, the healthy friend, salads, denim shorts, reusable straws, tumbler cups, lotsa blush, post-it note reminders, houseplants, soft lips, organised notebooks, the smell of clean laundry

Coffee - sleepy days, mood swings, oversized hoodies, snuggling your face into everything soft, cats, laughing at nothing, cringe-filled smiles, mindless scrolling, worn in t-shirts, making plans you won’t do, checking your phone

Milkshake - cutesy, smiles with their tongue, freckles, pastel aesthetic, stuffed toys, fancy hand cream,hugsss, sends ‘xox’, writes letters, actually bothers with their family, sticking your pinky out, bubbly, knowing proper etiquette

aeonian (everlasting): childhood friendships, tire swings, easily excited, listening to classical music, crowded ice rinks, inside jokes, watching old shows, nostalgia

ephemeral (lasting for a very short time): high school crushes, doubt, fake smiles and laughter, heartache, rush of cold air, overthinking

dulcet (sweet, sugary): the feeling of wanting more, insercuity, soft smiles, eye contact, talks at 12 am, heartfelt kisses, holding hands, sleepiness, bright eyes

opulent (lush): meeting someone new, comfortable silence, saying things in unison, light through the trees, birds chirping, staring at the clouds

zephyr (a gentle breeze): early morning road trips, sitting outside in the evening, compromise, long hugs, stargazing, giggling, making a pillow fort, relaxing