the struggle is real

Just Normal Academia*:

The taste of cheap vending machine coffee. The dusty smell of your library seat. Clothes that are not remarkable in any way, but hey, you are wearing actual pants. Trying to read books that are relavant for your essay but getting distracted by your friend who wants to chat. The feeling of being cramped into public transport with hundreds of other tired students in the morning.

I never thought I'd be the type of person to have an academia aesthetic but I'd do almost anything to live the Just Normal Academia life right now

Here are some shorthand abbreviations of common words in French that you might see or would like to use when texting:

Slt (salut) - Hi

Pk (pourquoi) - why

Bcp (beaucoup) - a lot

Stp (s’il te plâit) - please

Tkt (ne t'inquiète pas) - no worries

à tte (à toute) - see you, bye

Mdr (mort de rire) - lol

Ptdr (pété de rire) - lmao

- ̗̀ may ~ week 18  ̖́-

old school tattoos inspired spread

you have a place in my heart no one else ever could have 🍃

25.12.2020

I can’t believe december is coming to an end. Surprisingly it was a really calm month for me and helped me calm down after a rollercoaster of a semester. Also, merry Christmas everyone!!

Abbreviations 

Slt (Salut) = Hello Bcp (Beaucoup) = A lot Dsl (Désolé) = Sorry Stp (S’il te plait) = Please Dac (D’accord) = Okay Qd (Quand) = When  Qqch (Quelque chose) = Something Qqn (quelqu’un) = Somebody

Internet words 

Mdr (Mort de rire) = Lol Ptdr (Pété de rire) = Lmao Vdm (Vie de merde) = Fuck my life Tg (T’as gueule) = Shut up BG (Beau gosse) = Hot guy  Tkt (T’inquiête) = Don’t worry

Common sayings 

Bref = In short Ouais = Yeah Putain, Merde = Shit C’est de la merde = It’s crap     Ça craint = It sucks         Ça me soûle = It’s annoying me  C’est relou (C’est lourd) = It sucks  C’est ouf (C’est fou) = It’s crazy C’est trop cool = It’s awesome C’est le bordel = It’s a mess Je suis claqué = I’m exhausted               Je me casse = I’m getting out of here   Je m’en fou = I don’t care         Tu rigoles = You’re jocking       Tu te fous de ma gueule = You’re kidding me  Tu fais quoi? = What’s up? Laisse tomber = Just forget it Fais gaffe = Be careful                 Péter un plomb = Going crazy                 Avoir la flemme de faire quelque chose = To be too lazy to do something

Unformal verbs

Bouffer = To eat Taffer = To work Roupiller, Pioncer = To sleep Kiffer = To have a crush on someone Etre vénère (Etre énervé) = To be annoyed Se marrer = To laugh

Unformal nouns

Un mec = A guy             Une meuf = A girl         Un pote = A friend       Une bagnole = A car                     Une baraque = A house             Un pieu = A bed             Un bouquin = A book Une clope = A cigarette                        Le fric, le blé, le thune, l’oseille, le pognon = Money   Un flic, un keuf = A cop               Un gosse, un gamin = A kid       Un boulot, un taf, un job = A job           La fac = University         Le bahut = High school

I know that starting bujo can be a daunting process, speaking from personal experience. As such, I have compiled a list of resources down below to help beginners to start bujo.

Introduction

Opinion on bullet journalling

Planner vs bullet journal: pros and cons

Guide 

Starting a bullet journal

A guide to bullet journal

Guide to bullet journal by @quadrtics

Starting a bullet journal

Bullet journal

How I bullet journal

A starting guide to bullet journalling

Setting up a onenote bullet journal by @studyblvsh

Weekly bullet journal spread

Monthly bullet journal spread

Tips

Tips for starting a new bullet journal

Bujo with depression by @littleninjastudies

Onenote journal spread by @collegegirlbyday

Notebooks brand 

Essentials A5 grid journal (example)

Rhodia webnotebook (example)

Scribbles that matter pro dotted a5 journal

Moleskine large hardcover journal (example) by @studyrose

Moleskine classic journal (example)

Moleskine large square ruled (example)

Leuchtturm1917 dotted a5

Bujo spread ideas

Bullet journal spread ideas

Bullet journal spread ideas

Bullet journal spread ideas

Bullet journal spread ideas

Bullet journal page ideas by @ohmystudies

Filling up blank space in spreads by @plantednotes

Ideas for bullet journal spreads by @storm-lesbian

Bullet journal ideas masterpost by @optomstudies

If you are not an artistic studyblr by @tiyastudies

Bullet journal ideas

Lifestyle journal ideas by @lifestylejournaling

Youtube videos 

How to bullet journal

Bullet journal setup 2018

Bullet journal tips for beginners

Bullet journal flip-through and tips and tricks

How I use bullet journal (updated version)

Plan with me 2018 setup

Hello, 2018!//january bullet journal pwm

My 2017 flip-through

My 2017 bullet journal flip-through

2017 bullet journal flip-through

Printables 

Space tapes

Fall stickers and vocabulary worksheets

Christmas tapes

Super random sticker sheet

Weekly planner

Inspirational spreads 

Overview

Daily spread

Weekly spread

Monthly spread

Yearly spread

Lentilstudies’ spread

Studyquill’s spread

Tbhstudying’s spread

Other spreads 

Favourite films

Moodboard

Clothing spread

Gratitude spread

School year checklist

Places to travel

1 sentence a day

Reflection and looking forward

Year in pixels

Doodle ideas

Highlights

Last replaced

Videos, habits and finance tracker

Things that make me happy and dreams

Room tidying

Movie journal

Lookbook page

Bucketlist

Travel journal spread

Summer daze (good things)

How to make your bujo aesthetic?

How to banner by @studypetals

Easy doodles

Header ideas

Gradient titles effect tutorial

Bullet journal decoration hacks

Resources

Bullet journal quotes part II by @marias-studyblr

Faves

@studyquill @stillstudies @tbhstudying @journalsanctuary @crescentwords @doestudies @soymilkstudie @kaylareads @studylustre @hannybstudies @lentilstudies @tomi-letters @emmastudies @focusign @mildlineurs @lycheestudy @hwangmyeons @studie-s @gloomstudy @piiess @pridebulletjournal @kuroristudies @lilacpancakejournal @obsidianstudy @alimastudies @eintsein

The amazon products links are affiliate links. That means I do earn a small commission. This does not influence my opinions of the products in any way. However, if you are strongly against affiliate links, feel free to search up the products yourself.

General:

The Five-Paragraph Essay

Using Punctuation Marks

Deadly Sins Checklist

Formatting Your Paper

Writing About Literature

Basic Essay

Revision Checklist

Planning and Organization

Editing and Proofreading

Latin Terms

Essay Structure

Tips on Introducing Quotes

Academic Writing Tips

Introductions:

Introductory Paragraphs

Introductions

Writing an Introduction

Preparing to Write an Introduction

Introduction Strategies

The Introductory Paragraph

Writing Effective Introductions

In The Beginning

Introductions and Conclusions

The Introductory Paragraph

Writing Introductory Paragraphs

How to Write an Intro

Body Paragraphs:

Paragraph Development and Topic Sentences

Transitions

Transitions

Transitions

Four Components of an Effective Body Paragraph

Writing Paragraphs

Paragraph Development

Body Paragraphs

Body Paragraphs

Strong Body Paragraphs

Body Paragraphs

Writing Body Paragraphs

How to Write Body Paragraphs

Writing the Body

Writing Body Paragraphs

Body Paragraphs

Body Paragraphs that Defend a Thesis

How to Write Body Paragraphs

The Perfect Paragraph

Topic Sentences:

Topic Sentences

Writing Topic Sentences

Topic Sentences

Topic Sentences

The Topic Sentence

Paragraphs and Topic Sentences

The Topic Sentence

Topics, Main Ideas, and Topic Sentences

Writing a Good Topic Sentence

Good Topic Sentences

Conclusions:

Writing Effective Conclusions

Introductions and Conclusions

Conclusion Paragraphs

Conclusion Strategies

Conclusions

Tips for a Strong Conclusion

The Concluding Paragraph

Ending the Essay

Types of Conclusions

Writing a Strong Conclusion

How to Write a Conclusion

Writing Conclusions

Guide to Conclusions

Thesis Statements:

The Thesis Statement

Thesis Statements

Writing a Thesis Statement

Thesis Statement

Tips and Examples

Writing a Thesis

Writing the Thesis

How to Write Your Thesis

The Thesis

Thesis Statements

Guidelines for Writing a Thesis

Thesis Statements

Thesis

Thesis Statements

The Thesis

Create a Strong Thesis

How to Write a Thesis

Developing a Thesis

Guide to Writing Thesis Statements

Thesis Statements

Citing:

When to Cite

APA Documentation

MLA Documentation

Suggestions for Citing Sources

Research and Citation Resources

Citation Information

MLA Guidelines for Citing Poetry

MLA Style for Poetry

How to Format Your Paper

Argumentative Essays:

Argumentative Essays

Argument

Argumentative Essays

Persuasive or Argumentative Essays

Argumentative Essay

Argument/Argumentative

Argumentative Essays

How to Write a Good Argument

How to Write an Argumentative Essay

Writing Conclusions to Argumentative Essays

Argumentative Essay

Persuasive Essay Writing

Writing Concluding Paragraphs

Constructing the Argumentative Essay

Writing About Poetry:

Writing About Poetry

Writing About Poetry

Writing About Poetry Q & A

Poetry Explications

Writing About Poetry

Writing About Poems

Explicating a Poem

Writing About Poetry

Writing a Thesis Paper About a Poem

How to Start a Poetry Introduction

Poetry Essay Structure

Poetry Explication

Expository Essays:

Structure of a General Expository Essay

Expository Essay Examples

Sample Expository Essay

Expository Writing

Expository Essay Model

Elements of Expository Essays

Expository Writing Information

Expository Essays

Writing Expository Essays

How to Write an Expository Essay

Tips on Writing an Expository Essay

Expository Essays

Essay Map

Writing Expository Essays

How to Create a Strong Expository Essay

Expository Essay Writing

The Expository Essay

Research Papers:

How to Write a Research Paper in Literature

Writing a Research Paper

The Research Paper

How to Write a Research Paper

Five Paragraph Research Paper

Sample Research Paper

Writing a Research Paper

Tips for a Research Paper

How to Write a Research Paper

Writing a Scientific Research Paper

Writing Research Papers

Research and Writing

Research Papers that Rock

How to Write an Effective Research Paper

College Application Essays:

Application Essay Tips

Application Essays

Tips

10 Tips

Application Essays

How to Write a College Application Essay

Tips for an Effective Essay

Do’s and Don’t’s

College Application Essay

How to Write a College Application Essay

Narrative Essays:

Narrative and Descriptive

Narrative Essay Writing

The Personal Essay

Narrative Essays

Narrative Essays

Writing Narrative Essays

Narrative/Descriptive

Narrative Essay

Writing a Narrative Essay

here are some book recommendations for (mostly) non white authors:

freshwater by akwaeke emezi: a young nigerian woman named ada battles lifelong with various iterations of her own self, these multiple personalities shaped by deities rooted in Igbo cosmology and myth. a difficult read; personalities/POVs bleed into each other, introspection precedes plot and there is a TON of trigger warnings (dm for info). nevertheless, harrowing, powerful study of the long-standing politics of trauma, faith and sexuality.

running in the family by michael ondaantje: after a bizarre dream leaves him shaken, ondaantje decides to journey home to sri lanka on a quest to piece together long-buried stories about his family, especially his deceased father. this book is a fictionalized memoir; history and folklore often overlap, but it's good throughout, rooted in the bittersweet warmth of lost culture and nostalgia in 1970s sri lanka. 100/100: made me ugly laugh and then reduced me to tears.

susanna's seven husbands by ruskin bond: one simply doesn't read only one ruskin bond book; I don't ideally recommend one specific story. yet this is probably one of his darkest novellas yet, narrated by a north indian boy who grows up next door to a beautiful, enigmatic biracial heiress with a long line of dead husbands and a property brimming with mysteries. it's chock full of deadpan humour and really wtf moments written in the classic bond vein. don't watch the trash movie, the novella is a gem!

kitchen by banana yoshimoto: following her grandma's death, a japanese woman moves in with two unlikely friends. I never thought potted plants, phone booths and refrigerator lights would make me want to scream into my pillow for 1 hour but oh, well. cooking!! kitchens!! bowls of katsudon to warm your soulmate's hands!!!! urban loneliness!!! poignant look into intimacy and grief!!! accidentally falling in love!!! murakami wishes he could write like this!!! (research triggers though!)

china dolls by lisa see: see's books are all beautifully atmospheric portraits of chinese women and their experiences in different points of history. I recommend china dolls, which is about three young asian american women navigating the world of nightclubs in 30s/40s San francisco. twisted and complex female relationships, a nuanced look at the exoticisation and perilous lives of asian americans during WW2, and of course, compelling storytelling.

the neapolitan novels by elena ferrante: charts the life of two intelligent young girls, best friends lenu and lila, from childhood to adolescence to maturity, starting from 50s Italy, against the backdrop of their violent, eventful neighbourhood in naples. equal parts chaotic academia + bildungsroman. mixed feelings about this one because while I liked the concept and characters, the translation felt pretty mediocre to me and many turns of phrase were lost. also someone lied to me and said it's sapphic goldfinch, which, no, it's not :(

reading lolita in tehran by azar nafisi: gorgeous memoir about the author's time as an academic woman in 70s Iran: her fight against the regime, her expulsion from the uni, creating a secret girls-only book club at the height of the leftists/student led 1978-81 Iranian revolution etc. The book is divided into phases like lolita, austen etc where parallels are drawn between the themes in the western texts and the lives of the Iranian girls in the book club. can't recommend it enough.

the interpreter of maladies by jhumpa lahiri: from a couple trying to rekindle their marriage through a storytelling game to a little american boy's affectionate bond with his bengali babysitter, this really cutting and impactful collection of short stories deal mainly about the expatriate indian experience in US. jhumpa lahiri can keyboard smash and it would still create pulitzer prize winning prose.

bunny by mona awad: a young woman pursuing an MFA in creative writing, is inducted into the unsettling, seemingly saccharine world of a sugary cliqué called the bunnies. it's like a cocktail blend of moral ambiguity and voyeuristic opulence (the secret history) meets absolute feral campy horror (ahs coven), bitchy bratzy vibes + dark academia (literally what's not to love) and it gets well.....unhinged. someone on this site compared it to donna tartt and stephen king getting hammered and punching out a collab novel and tbh I agree :D

the kite runner by khaled hosseini: pretty sure everyone has already read this but idc. it's a story about afghanistan, a story about family and friendship, a story about loving and creating stories and flying kites and how sometimes history crawls out of muddy empty alleys to stick a knife into your back. I know not many people like hosseini on tumblr but honestly this novel just made such an impact on teen mimi, I can't not recommend it. heavy trigger warnings, dm for info.

sister outsider by audre lorde: if you are looking to begin with reading on intersectionality audre lorde is always a great place to start. this is a collection of essays, speeches and vignettes about lorde navigating her multiple coexisting and inextricably bound identities as a lesbian, a Black woman, an activist, a cancer survivor and a poet. this is a masterpiece of a collection, and I particularly adore the sections on the uses of anger and an open letter to mary daly.

love in the time of cholera by gabriel garcia marquez: so many people walk into this book expecting a genuine tender romance or something and that's why they get disappointed. my dude, it's ggm. this book is about the lush world of colombia in the late 18th century, the perils and ridicule of obsessive love, it's infused with magical realism and fascinatingly grotesque imagery and a rich array of flawed characters, but,, it's not your average slowburn coffeeshop romcom so like.?? idk why people misread it so!