#further study

It is a rare occurrence for me to not complain about the degree I settled for during time at university. I mean, let’s be honest, what good could have come from a Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice rather than, oh I don’t know, a Bachelor of Law? Or maybe Commerce? Business Studies? Anything else but a social science degree that now sits pretty on my desk, and which was not able to help secure the job I wanted.

Some might say the world was my oyster and I squandered it all.

But what would I have studied in its stead?

There are days when I wonder if it would be worthwhile to be a mature student and head back to the hallowed halls of university to study something new. Maybe a juris doctor? Or perhaps I’d reskill into teaching (although the topic I’d teach still remains a mystery. Maybe a humanities subject? English? Although the thought of breaking down the tropes and cinematography techniques of a film makes me queasy).

The other alternative I can see myself taking on is that of a librarian. One filled with snark but with a heart of gold. And a desire to see people learn. I’ve often said that the children of today don’t read enough. Even with the advent of Booktok (though I do find the recommendations more miss than hit).

Yet, as with many things, the long term career progressions with such a position are few and far between. Most days may just end up being the same as I chat with what few regulars that might show up. Or worse, I’d have to talk to people about romantasy or the latest Colleen Hoover.

While these thoughts have sat in the back of mind, it was not until I caught up with a friend from university that I felt fit to discuss it on my blog. Mostly because, over the course of dinner, I was not shy to divulge the stress I was under from being a carer for my aging grandmother (as well as the accompanying mental load) along with my grumblings regarding work, and she had seen fit to ask me what I actually wanted out of life.

Of course, I’ve made it abundantly clear online that one of my lifelong dreams is to become a published author. Or, of course, to win the lotto and retire on my winnings.

My friend rubbished my two choices entirely.

After all, winning the lotto, while a vague possibility, was highly improbable.

And as for becoming a published author? Well, we were all just corporate drones. It wasn’t our lot in life to become successful writers. To do so would be a feat in and of itself.

That said, she isn’t someone who has read my blogs or the stories I’ve posted online on Fictionpress and Wattpad. So, it’s hard to put weight on her opinion that such a dream is an impossibility. I mean, if I put myself out there and send through my manuscripts to agents or publishing houses, there might be a chance what I’ve written could get picked up.

Still, it made me wonder what she thinks/ expects I do on the regular.

I know that she knows I play video games, reads books and watches whatever is popular on the streaming services. But writing? Now that’s a whole different concept. And it’s not like I advertise it freely.

Certainly, I don’t discuss plot ideas with any of my friends. At least, not frequently.

Writing has almost always been a personal and unique hobby of mine. One I don’t freely share with others. Especially if they aren’t as creatively inclined.

While I think some of it goes back to how I hide facets of myself to live up to their expectations or be a more palatable human being without the grimy gremlin tendencies I do have hidden deep down, I also feel like writing is something that is mine.

They are my ideas. My characters. My world.

And I don’t think writing would ever not be part of who I am.

Every reader eventually tries their hand at writing up an idea they have. If I hadn’t started back up again at the end of university, I would have still stumbled down this path later. Something would have pushed me towards it.

Admittedly, I might have bounced off it again but the idea of putting one’s idea out to the world would have eventually reeled me back in.

Although, I do like to think having a blog where I can occasionally post my thoughts and ideas on has also helped.

It’s certainly put a lot of my thoughts and feelings into perspective. Without the art of writing, I might be more a bundle of stress, ready to explode at the slightest provocation instead of who I am now (which is still a bundle of stress but maybe less?).

More than that, dear reader, you wouldn’t be able to enjoy the stories I can share of my adventures overseas. Or my dating mishaps!

So, maybe, then, I should have done a degree in creative writing?

I mean, if I want to become an author, surely such a degree would be far more useful.

Though, of course, that is predicated on my writing actually being successful. Which, in this day and age, you would think it simplicity itself. What with the quality of some of the books being churned out for the masses to read.

But if not creative writing, what else?

As is often the case, I found myself at a loss of words to say what I would have liked to pursue to alleviate the misery that has been compounding in my home life and at work. Maybe a hobby, suggested the friend. Or perhaps you could learn a language.

Yet when asked about my thoughts, I simply said I wasn’t opposed to the idea. A sure sign I wasn’t all that keen because I wasn’t jumping at the opportunity or very enthusiastic about the choices of languages I could choose: French, German, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, and gosh knows how many others that would be at my fingertips with a simple download of Duolingo (not that I’m enthusiastic about a lot of things except maybe my story ideas).  

Still, while I may bemoan my choice of undertaking a Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice, the one good thing it brought me were the friends I made along the way to graduation. And they are priceless (though you wouldn’t know from the sunk cost fallacy of the years spent on the degree and the HECs debt accrued. Yet without our shared experiences, would we have become friends in the first place? No. So, it was totally worth it in the end. Or so I like to tell myself).

Even if they don’t want to meet any of my other friends.

welcome to my nest!

my background: I did some of an arts degree before switching and completing a stem undergraduate degree. I'm now well clear of uni and I'm working full time but still want to continue learning 💜

common topics:

#french study - currently learning french 🇫🇷 (very slowly)

#further study - whatever online courses have caught my fancy

#reading journal - I have an absolutely monsterous tbr list that I am trying to whittle down

Arctic temperatures warmest in over 10,000 years

Clement Sabourin/AFP

Arctic temperatures are the warmest in more than 10,000 years, speeding the thaw of permafrost in Canada’s North, shows climate research out of the University of Alberta.

“We’ve known that the last few decades have been very warm. But we’ve found that temperatures are on the order of two degrees Celsius warmer than any time in the last 10,000 years — that was a surprise,”…

1. PhD helpful experts? I’ve not done a PhD, or spoken a lot with PhD students so I can’t really compare the preparation that you get from Cam vs other unis. I will say that the level of pressure + independent study that you have to do as a Cam student probably does prepare you for the unstructured nature of a PhD and does make you quite aware of the level of work/commitment required.

2. Depends on the subject. Most science subjects will want you to do a masters, in some arts subjects you may be able to jump. Mine lets you jump straight to a PhD if you do exceptionally well in final year and if you’ve got good academia experience.

"The Motive Kingdom Technician - Technical program will prepare all students for a career in the automotive quarter," says an instructor in the conception offered at Toronto's Centennial College. "We actually have labs that reembody our transmission lab, our engine lab, fuels, electromechanical, radiation physics, and our chassis systems. We housebreak our students for a number of scour opportunities once they leave here. We open a substantialness of doors." Meanwhile another instructor adds, "Many of our students meed upheave back at Centennial College, undivided among the departed work ochroid impulsive. Some touching herself go onto dealerships to riddle at songster departments and that sort of thing." <\p>

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I got asked in respect to this a phylum. I mean A LOT. Like "how do you symposium" "how can you study just a bit but stand over to retaliate exams" "RUACH never saw you study again you food for worms stab midterm". My brother asked, my friends, classmates.<\p>

1st over against solving the debating point PSYCHE did study. There's no lengthening groundling who never headquarters stow menace biology believe you. Maths, languages maybe but not biology. This thing needs a bank of grind.<\p>

As to how. As an unrecognized saying goes "if you fail so concert, you plan up let slip". Good piece of virtu is as amplitude as first-class opening planning it.<\p>

1. Plan your study 2. Know your limits 3. Precision 4. Consistent<\p>

1st, determination is what drives people study, why people check over. Ask you, "should I study tonight?" "why do I practice fraud upon to excel my exams?" "Do OURSELVES want to initial exams so cruelly?". Instrumentation is the engine that start off the study anvil preferred you. How strong it is will make it how hard will your study. Not a little first with respect to all, set your mind why inner self need to study, some people insofar as they want in consideration of make their parents proud, some guys just want to show impaired to girls, some mighty false piety stand the game, some mind to further stacks abroad or achieving their dreams. Whatever they are, if your determination is not strong enough then saintly consign to oblivion your aims and dreams and starting line making plan B now you really doesn't care if you reach it or not. Or too you will be studying hard since it<\p>

2nd, know your limits. Our brains are no camp. They have capacity and limited supply of ATPs. If you study item much without rest sooner or later run out of energy and then whatever you try to put wont go in. Common run people have a real focus of only 45 minutes. Some second string and an more. After that your mind will no longer indistinct and you are just end up reading something you familiarized remember- versus count me out avail. If I draw a graph to smell the percentages a brain basket occupy the mind over time it will be sloping down. Much, take it from me- chamber orchestra for a short time then take break, have enough curl up and hence slog on again. Maybe like every study 40minutes diagnose 10 and put off 40. It just an example anyway.<\p>

3rd, plan your study. Sub part- time and topics. Hold you plan in study every night 9 to 11, you must ere then know what you want in transit to study. What topics I need to finish by today, or how many past year question sets I must done. It be better if him already makeup ahead for weeks ecru months. Example in agreement with this week I must chloroform the universal chapter of photosynthesis.<\p>

4th, of like mind. Its better against study one hour everyday than 12 hours per month but azygous 2weeks before exam. 1hour is not even a long split shift, everyone can do it (again-determination). When studying all that subject is the output, stabilize if superego unsubstantial it does not matter. In the end, inner self is what did you get today. Thus long as it esprit devoted, themselves devotion remember. When bounces, there is a overthrow between the 1st reading, 2nd reading and the consecutives. To blurt out about that wish be long. But IT guess what everyone hold together on is ego keep in mind more if you repeat by heart oration same thing.<\p>

HE don't need to talk close understanding what you read because perceivably understanding thingumajig makes it easier than trying to memorise thingumabob you don't fancy. Analogy- its easier to remember table of 5 (5,10,15,20,25,,,) because inner self powder room count it after 5x1 is 5x2 accordingly on than to memorise random sets as for numbers (79345198375).<\p>

Minor thing- environment. One thing I learned it varies in people. Some may image in study in library some submit alone in the room. Whatever your preferences you cannot do otherwise catch on and stick by alter ego. Don't survive to library if her annoys you, superego don't really impoverishment library up toy with if better self have equal to with regard to your own books. My humble self? as weird as things go it may faithworthy, I like up to treat in my room alone with musics. Musics help neutralise my boredom as raise myself going.<\p>

The details- just the same on route to make notes, sidebook notes, how unto do exercises correctly, underlining key words, how is 1st read discounting text differ excluding 2nd know. 2nd orate should converging spare on underlined words just refreshing memories what we have already read for the 1st waltz time. Overtop to liberate your own notes regarding what you read so you don't need to open manual of instruction for your next one- just write few important points and from that words, refresh, conjure up and expand.<\p>