Unwritten

hi bb!!

no.

That is--I’m not afraid that I will fail my life. Am I fearful of failures along the way? Yes, absolument! I’m scared that I won’t graduate with the honors that I want, that my grades won’t be what they want them to be. I’m scared that I may not get the jobs I am hoping for for next summer and post-grad. I’m scared that I won’t make it onto the journal that I want to be on. I’m scared that I took on too much and may lose sight of my vision for each of the organizations that I’m a part of leading and, as a result, not making the changes that I want to make for the incoming classes at my law school. I’m scared that I’ll find myself stuck in a set career path one day, with difficulties figuring out what to do next. 

But not once have I ever feared that I will fail my whole life, because I know that my life won’t be failure if I don’t let it. As in, I will never choose not to get back up again. 

As much as I joke about being the appblr poster girl for rejection, I think about just how many times I’ve personally failed myself. I didn’t get into my dream school for undergrad; I didn’t get into my dream school for law school; I didn’t get my first-choice internship for junior year summer; I didn’t get the grades I wanted last semester; I am nowhere near the level of accomplished I’d aspired to be, when I dreamt about what being 23 years old (almost 24! in exactly a month!) would be like. Does that frustrate me more often than I would like to admit? So much. Constantly. I lose sleep quite frequently over it. But! Am I afraid that it will always be this way? 

No.

I think about all of those personal failures that I’d just listed. I didn’t get into my dream college (the OGs who’d stuck around with me since the very beginning of this blog probably remember just how insufferable I had been about loving Yale......memorizing all 16 minutes of “That’s Why I Chose Yale” and knowing all the res colleges in alphabetical order? Who was I???? Why didn’t y’all tell me to shut up more?! I’m so sorry!), but I ended up a) meeting some lifelong friends at C0lby and b) getting exactly the college experience I never knew I needed, at C0rnell. I didn’t get into HLS, but that turned out to be a blessing in disguise, having been able to stay in my home city, close to my family and SO, and just a 15-minute car ride away (and thus coming home often, whenever I needed the emotional support/time with my maman and papa). I didn’t get my first-choice internship for my junior year summer during undergrad, but that turned out to be the biggest blessing in the world, because I worked at a place where I didn’t have to split my time among studying for Series 6, 7/CFA Level I, retaking the LSAT, and applying to law school. Even despite having accomplished none of my personal goals, everything turned out.......more than just fine. With each punch in the gut that I’d felt in those moments, of being told no, your specific vision is not coming to fruition, I got back up again. And I’ve done it enough times to the point where that knowledge empowers me, more than anything.

I have been through it before, and I will go through it again. 

Failure makes it sound like there are these XYZ criteria of things that you need to accomplish in your life, or else it’s a failure--but that’s just the thing. It’s absolument not true. Your life is what you make of it; your failures are what you make of them; your successes, your joy, your happiness are what you make of them. I’ve “failed,” time and time again. But for someone who’s failed her way to where she is today, I’m pretty damn happy with where those closed doors have led me, via the rerouted route that I was directed toward. 

The going gets rough, for sure, but I don’t think that any of it will ever be a waste. Just because of how much of these experiences have strengthened me, made me kinder, more patient, more resilient. It terrifies me to say this, but! If I die ordinary, then so be it--I am happy with that, as long as I did my absolute best to get to where I want to be. (If the crash is referring to a recession, I still stand by my point; what’s important is that I will have my J.D., and I will figure out the rest, as they come). For what it’s worth, I don’t think that there will ever be a point where I look at myself and say, “wow, I’ve done it. I’m extraordinary.” I think that the persistent need to constantly be better, do more, will always be there... and you know what? I hope that it never goes away. Life, for me, is about constantly working towards the next thing while actively taking the time to appreciate life for where it is, in that very moment. 

Feel like absolute shit just want Dave & Buster’s back 😪

here’s a list of my favourite playlists that i listen to when studying. only one playlist has lyrics so if you find that distracting you can skip it!

1 am study session - lofi hip hop/chill beats (1 hour)

a rainy town - animal crossing ost + thunderstorm ambiance (1 hour)

breath of the wild relaxing music with rain (1 hour)

lofi hip hop radio - beats to relax/study to (live radio)

relaxing life is strange music (1 hour) *has lyrics

relaxing music from uncharted series (45 mins)

skyrim music & ambiance - night (1 hour)

skyrim music & ambiance - rainy day (10 hours)

studio ghibli summer night piano collection with nature sounds (7 hours)

the last of us - relaxing music compilation (30 mins)

the legend of zelda - calming & relaxing music compilation (1 hour)

the witcher 3 - peaceful music & nature ambiance (1 hour)

the witcher 3 toussaint - relaxing music for sleep and study (1 hour)

uncharted - ambient music & ambience (1 hour)

Tips to Study for the LSATs

Start untimed: I can’t stress this enough! Its such a huge mistake to start out timed. Take one exam timed to see where you’re at and then do individual sessions untimed. The worst thing you can do at the beginning of a long journey is to oversaturate yourself and in the end not learn from your mistakes. The LSAT is a thinking game in which you need to analyze what the best answer is and they WILL try to trick you. Take it slow and answer every question, as you keep on doing sessions you’ll see improvement.

Study for at least an hour daily: This might seem like an obvious one but make sure to study daily. Like everything practice makes perfect, and studying daily will help you see an improvement in your score. Even if its just a session or two per day and you increase as the test approaches, consistency is key.

Go over the questions you got wrong: As you start practicing more and more you’ll begin to identify that there are specific question types that will seem very similar from previous tests. If you see that you’re struggling in a specific type of question, become aware of it and pay extra attention when you come across it on an exam. Especially during those untimed sessions this is an absolutely crucial aspect of your learning process. Not all questions take the same amount of time, every test taker is different; know your strengths and weaknesses.

Don't be disappointed over a low score!: This is one of the most debilitating factors when attempting to study for such a mentally challenging exam as the LSAT. There is a lot of pressure on your shoulders to succeed and even though your initial score might be low, there is a lot of room for improvement. As long as you stay consistent and analyze your mistakes there will be improvement.

Don't worry about plateaus: Like in everything in life, you are likely to plateau in spite of constant work and effort. This is absolutely normal. If you see you are stuck in a particular score range for a section, try to do it more slowly and see WHY you’re getting them wrong. Don’t just go into it thinking, damn, its the logic games section, I’m going to get ten wrong. Analyze what you’re doing and stay away from autopilot. You’ll see eventually you’ll shift away and really make way toward progress.

DONT! RUSH!: TjEven if you’re doing timed sessions, never rush to try and race the clock. This makes you be more aware of the time than of the questions. More often, you’ll be better off by paying attention to every question and doing it more slowly, than rushing and not paying attention. With such a mentally tough exam, its important to pay attention to every single question.

And last but obviously not least, keep a positive mentality: Remember its a marathon, not a sprint! Keep your head up high and remember why you’re doing this! This is only the beginning of the journey, and from what I hear from the lawblr community its not about to get any easier. Enjoy your pre-law school life and always go into practicing thinking you’re going to improve. Its important to realize that this is still just a test. Perseverance and passion can take you farther than you’ve ever imagined.

camscanner: will scan your notes beautifully for you to save and convert them to PDF! includes adjustable settings and filters.

adobe acrobat reader: pdf reader that i personally really love, has a night mode and works offline perfectly.

school (yes that is what it is called): planner app that comes with a timetable and will inform you of when your next class ends/begins, and has a homework section. on top of having a lovely theme, this app also includes a handbook that includes what are essentially “cheats” to your schoolwork & they are immensely helpful! a very multifaceted planner.

minimalist: another planner app! this one is solely a planner app and is really nice and minimalistic. i personally use it for school projects that have a lot of steps, as well as at home things

ike: this one is really clever! it organizes your tasks by “important & urgent, important but not urgent, urgent but not important” and “not important or urgent”. it also will remind you of tasks at the date you assign them with a notification.

goodtime: this app times both your work sessions and your break times. it’s really good for managing time and ensuring that you don’t overwork yourself!

sleepytime: sleepytime has you select an option for whether you want to find when you should wake up, when you should sleep, or when you should wake up if you sleep right then. from there, it’ll tell you what time to sleep/wake up for the best amount of sleep! i find it endlessly helpful, especially during the school year. avoid all nighters, kids.

quizlet: MY FAVORITE SCHOOL APP!! you’ve probably heard of it. access your flashcards for easy studying on the go, quizlet will actually save your life.

duolingo: i know you’ve probably heard of this one, & as annoying as the notifications can be, it’s actually pretty helpful for language learning. check the community comments as well for tips written by natives or those fluent!

soundcloud/spotify: these aren’t really school apps per say, but they both have tons of study playlists that will make studying that much easier! spotify also has podcasts you can listen to if you’d like.

I’m having next Wednesday my first professional interview (eeeeek) so I decided to share the research I’m doing. I googled all of this and chose the information I found most important, and organized it. I truly hope it’s helpful for someone out there :)

PLAN AND PRACTICE:

always do your homework: learn about the organization, its ideas and story 

don’t necessarily memorize responses, but try to have a planned general strategy for answering common interview questions

practice in front of the mirror

be ready to briefly describe related experience

compare your qualifications to what the organization wants from you

COMMON INTERVIEW QUESTIONS:

“What’s your biggest weakness?” Think of a genuine issue you have as well as ways you have managed to work with/around it.

“What’s your biggest strengths?” Stand out from the crowd and don’t be afraid to speak about your strengths in an authentic and compelling way. See if your strengths align with the company’s needs.

“ Why do you want this job?”/ “Why should we hire you?” Stay focused on why your background makes you an ideal candidate and tell them how you are going to contribute to that department and that company. 

“Tell me about yourself.” Don’t tell them your life story, instead discuss what your interests are relating to the job and why your background makes you a great candidate.

“Why did you leave your last job/position/school?” Do not go into details about your dissatisfaction, tell them that while you valued the experience and education you received, you felt that the time had come to seek outo a new opportunity, expand your skills and knowledge, and to find a company with wich you could grow. Try to put a positive spin on things. Be honest if you were fired but don’t trash your previous boss.

“Where do you see yourself in five years?”  Be honest about what your greater aspirations are.

And much much much more (from your behaviour to work experiences, education, interests and motivation or problems and challeges you’ve faced previously), I would encourage you to try to write down some topics for each questions that work for you. Being prepared is everything.

THE DAY OF THE INTERVIEW:

sleep and eat well so you look rested and healthy on the big day

give yourself time to calm down/meditate/relax

don’t noodle around on your phone or electronic device while waiting - it may communicate boredom and frivolousness, maybe stick your notebook/notes

What to wear: normally it’s best to dress neutral, professionally/formal, not overly fashionable or trendy, and brightly colored clothing is bad. Make sure your clothes are neat and wrinkle free, and make sure your image is very clean and neat.

What to bring: if revelant, extra copies of your resume on quality paper, a notepad or professional binder and pen, information you might need to complete an application.

IMPORTANT TIPS:

make eye contact

show courtesy to everyone during the interview, this means everyone from the reception staff to the interviewer herself

smile

have good posture

avoid fidgeting too much or playing with your hair/touching face

have a good handshake

don’t cross your arms over your chest

walk, act, talk with confidence

be comfortable and relaxed

choose the words you say

don’t place stuff on their desk

manage your reactions - facial and body expressions give clues on how you feel: project a positive image

show interest and enthusiasm

show warmth and personality - being personable is about getting the interviewer’s emotional side to like you and believe in you

don’t lie to make it seem like you know something you don’t. You probably won’t fool your interviewer, and admitting to not know something is much more impressive than lying

be honest

keep things simple and short, talk in 30-90 second chunks. Any less and you’re likely to seem unqualified; any more and your interviewer is likely to lose interest in what you’re saying

THINK OF QUESTIONS TO ASK: participating actively during the interview gives a good impression of your level of interest in the job. Most of times it is more adequeate to ask in the end of the interview.  But I feel like you really need to make sure your questions are adequate. Examples:

“What types of training opportunities do you offer?”

“What are the chances for professional growth in this job opportunity?”

“Is there anything else I can provide you with that would be helpful?”

ALWAYS ask the “ When can I expect to hear back from you about the position?” question if  the interviewer does not tell you. 

Good questions are open-ended, and thus cannot be answered with a “yes” or “no.” Better questions are behavioral: they ask how things are done or have happened in the past, because current and past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior.

AFTER THE INTERVIEW:

shake hands with the interviewer - try to invest some feeling into the handshake and pleasantries, even if you think you bombed the interview

hold your head high and keep your cool

your emotions are probably teetering at the highest of highs or the lowest of lows, but try to stay measured

project a cool confidence, not cockiness, and walk out of the interview with your head held high

SOMETHING TO ALWAYS KEEP IN MIND:

when you know in your heart and your gut that you bring to the table something just as valuable as a paycheck and maybe much more – your tremendous experience, intellect and instinct – you’ll carry yourself differently. You won’t trip over your words in an effort to please His Majesty or Her Highness, because you’ll see yourself and the interviewer as equals on a level playing field. 

16.5.2017 // 12oC 🌥

36/100 Days of Productivity

Two essays to do in three weeks. Send help. And caffeine. 

2.27.18  ♡  56/100 days of productivity

Flew to Chicago for the weekend then got back home yesterday at 1 am. Studied for my bio exam on the plane and also finished a book during the flight. When I got home I had to finish some homework so I didn’t get to sleep much and had class the whole entire day but surprisingly I didn’t fall asleep in any of my classes because that happens way more than it should rip.

☆ + * 02・11・18 * + ☆

first two weeks of february! still (mostly) keeping up with everything that’s going on. just finished a long group study session that lasted like 6 and a half hours… I’m so ready for that midterm  (○｀･Д･´)9