singingscarecrow

[singingscarecrow]

Some of yall will be like Omg I love this character <33 and then be talking about a bastardization of that character so extreme that is now just your oc with the same name

[singingscarecrow]

as a neurodivergent, i really love history class. like, yes, i would love to come listen to you infodump about your passion for an hour and a half

[singingscarecrow]

[singingscarecrow]

adhd academia

my experience with adhd and academia - also it has come to my attention (aka my therapist told me) that adderall or ritalin would probably be very helpful for me

forgetting to eat because what you’re working (hyperfixating) on is so much more interesting and taking up all the space in your brain

only being interested in studying and investing your energy into things that directly capture your interest

rereading your old/all-time favorite books more than you read new ones because a) they can be easier to focus on, b) hyperfixations come out of nowhere, and sometimes they hit you like a truck, and c) it’s fun to discover new details

lighting candles and cleaning your desk to create a calming, peaceful vibe while the rest of your room is a disaster space

either doing all your homework and studying at once in a burst of energy or dragging it out for as long as possible

simultaneously having a huge vocabulary to fall back on and swearing like a sailor

not really trusting your teachers because when you were younger they didn’t understand how your brain worked and you were either ignored or criticized 

dramatically reading and reenacting texts

“bold of you to assume my intellect extends to common sense”

projecting onto fictional characters

studying and messing around at the same time

excuse me, my good sir, my papers are an organized mess

listening to classical music, not for the aesthetic but because you need it to tune out the background noises and unnecessary external stimulation

caring soooooooo much more about the latest book you’re reading, documentary series you’re watching, or writing or art piece you’re working on, etc than your schoolwork

trying (and failing) to keep an organized planner

knitting during classes to keep your hands focused

fidgeting, so much fucking fidgeting

what are cornell notes? you only know scribbles and random notes

sometimes you have to fall back on ao3 for a bit because you need to read about characters, settings, and plotlines you’re already familiar with

test taking is so hard (thank G-d for the quiet rooms)

crying from relief when you finally get the 504/IEP/any other accomodotions you need

[singingscarecrow]

To everyone with an iep

That iep is your right by law

The teacher denying you access is breaking the law

Sometimes those teachers will exploit loopholes like pressuring you into choosing not to use it

If this happens, stand your ground, even if it’s near the end of the year and you’ve been giving into the pressure all year, stand your ground

I took this crap from a teacher until my mom learned about it and told me to stand up for myself and that it was never too late

It was June, the last month of the the school year, my teacher questioned it, it was hard, but I insisted and she didn’t want to lose her job over it

Your iep is your right, and sadly people, people who should be helping you, will fight you on that right

[singingscarecrow]

Me after a shower half-dressed, getting distracted and zoning out for half an hour:

Meditation on the History of Italy, by Italian painter Francesco Hayez (1851)

[singingscarecrow]

Sometimes I think about the fact that I went through five years of college, half of that undiagnosed, with no accommodations whatsoever. Didn’t even ask for extensions on assignments or extra time on tests or even an understanding ear from a professor.

And this is not an accomplishment. It’s not something I look back on with pride, but rather pain.

It hurt me so much. I could have received help, I could have probably avoided so many breakdowns and meltdowns and panic attacks, I could have felt at least somewhat like I wasn’t losing my mind and falling further and further behind, but I let my fear of being vulnerable hinder my own progress and path to healing.

Please, please use accommodations if you can. It doesn’t matter if you technically can get through college without them and still do relatively well like I did, the bottom line is that you shouldn’t have to. Don’t do what I did. In the immortal words of Carrie Fisher, “Be afraid but do it anyway”.

[singingscarecrow]

things i did as a neurodivergent person to get straight a’s for the third year in a row

hi hello hi how’s it going. welcome to the 3am-burst-of-motivation-tumblr-post-of-the-day, where i’m sharing all of my study tips that allowed my adhd/austism/ocd/bpd brain to somehow squeeze out straight a’s for the third year (sixth semester) in a row. 

1. study differently for different subjects. contrary to popular belief, flashcards and rewriting your notes does not work for every subject (unless it does for you, in which case ignore me and do what works for you). different subjects, at least for me, require different environments, techniques, and associations. 

2. association! sensory stuff works great for me because i tend to associate physical things with emotions and even personality types, so have something be constant every time you study. example: i have two tubes of chapstick, one peppermint and one pomegranate. i put on the peppermint one right before i go to bed and the pomegranate one after i eat breakfast - i associate the different scents with different activities (going to bed and starting my to-do list). 

3. to-do lists! mine are written on sticky notes and stuck to my mirror because i hate hate hate having the sticky glue stuff from sticky notes on my mirror and i’m not allowed to clean my mirror until all the sticky notes are off of it. when i can’t see my mirror, they’re on the outside of my backpack because they’re bright pink and the social anxiety makes me think people are staring at me if they are on my backpack. 

4. change your location often. specifically for my adhd peeps who have the attention span of an overexcited puppy, walk around. do things. go to a park or a coffee shop or a grocery store or a sidewalk or a bench somewhere or my personal favorite, the bank. when you’re understimulated go somewhere with lots of different noises and when you’re overstimulated so somewhere quiet or control noises (listen to music, noise-cancelling headphones, humming). 

5. keep a piece of paper next to you for the Random Thoughts That Come at Inconvenient Times and write down the stuff you want to look up/do/tell someone about and like… i don’t even know why that helps but it does. just having your thoughts out there i guess?

6. body doubling. find a person who will study with you. bonus points if it’s another neurodivergent person. they are depending on you to finish the studying and get the good grade. THEY ARE DEPENDING ON YOU. DON’T DISAPPOINT THEM. (side note anxiety people i would not recommend this for you)

7.  go to a place that will remind you to pee and eat and drink things. starbucks is great for this. so are most restaurants. 

8. get a new thing to study with every week. i like new things. if i have a new thing i am going to use it until it’s no longer exciting. i get a pencil, just a boring, manual pencil from the drugstore every monday afternoon for like sixty cents. it’s a fantastic method, at least for me. 

9. don’t drink something with caffeine in it while studying. you will either fall asleep or end up on a roof. it is not a good situation. caffeine for neurodivergents is like sleep pills, for me at least and most of the other ND’s i’ve met. if not for you, you’re lucky. 

10. spaced reps. in other words, find a big pair of dice and write vocab terms on each side, then hurl it at the ground and define each term. do this for like an hour. it’s fun and gets a lot of energy out. 

11. stim. vocal stims, physical stims, self-talk, fidget, yelp, squeal, tap your foot, walk around, shrug your shoulders, twitch your nose, jump up and down, ribbit like a frog. stim, stim, stim. it helps. 

anyways. it’s 3:17 am. happy studying!

[singingscarecrow]

9 ways to create hygge while studying

Hygge is the Danish concept of coziness, simplicity, happiness, and well-being. I like to think of it as the feeling of curling up with a good book by a fireplace with a big cup of your favorite hot tea.

I’ve recently been really fascinated by the concept of hygge, and I’ve been incorporating it more into my daily life. Since school is starting soon (and for many of you it already has started!), I wanted to make a nice list of some ways we can incorporate this wonderful concept of hygge into our lives as students!

Set the lighting. Candles and string lights are very hygge, but sometimes they aren’t enough light to study by. Dimmer and warmer lighting is best, but make sure it’s not so dim that it strains your eyes! Natural light can also be pretty good for hygge if you’re studying during the day!

Put a throw blanket on the back of your chair. If it’s chilly, you could also have an extra blanket on your lap to really add to the coziness

Have a warm drink close by. I really like un-caffeinated herbal tea! Hot cocoa is also a great choice!

Turn on some relaxing instrumental music (if you like to listen to music while studying). I really like the music by Paul Cardall in particular!

Wear comfortable clothes. Pajamas are not always the best for studying since they can subconsciously make you more tired, so wearing some more comfortable clothes that aren’t just your pajamas is the best choice!

Wear some cozy socks or slippers! I especially love wearing fuzzy socks while studying

Have some snacks ready. Baked goods are very hygge, but anything that you love eating can work just as well!

Use your favorite stationery! It can make such a difference to actually use your favorite things, and it can make studying a lot more enjoyable

Work alongside a friend or a pet, if possible. A major aspect of hygge is friendship and family, and studying feels way more fun if you’re sharing it with someone. Alternatively, cuddling with a pet can be very relaxing and cozy

[singingscarecrow]

An Inexhaustive List of Library Info College Students Should Know*

*AKA Seriously Just Ask Us, It Will Help You In The Long Run

What are the library hours, and where are they posted (so you can check without physically walking to the library)?

What and where are the different collections (main/general, reference, specific subject collections, etc)?

Where are databases located (for doing research)? How do you sort through them/decide which are best for your needs?

Where are study rooms, and how are they accessed (first-come, first-served? Check out keys)? Are different areas of the library set aside for different noise levels? Can you reserve any rooms?

How do you check things out (what ID, what desks)? Is there somewhere that lists what your checkout privileges are (types, amount of books/items, renewals allowed, fine amounts)?

Is there a way online you can see your record (what’s checked out, when due, online renewal)?

Who do you go to for library help (finding resources, citation help–and what else does “library help” cover?), or what ways can you talk to someone? Can you set up an appointment if you need a lot of help, and how?

Can you put books on hold? How?

What is interlibrary loan and how does it work? And how early should you be doing your research so you can get requested items in time so you’re not contemplating paying for access at the last minute?

Rules/acceptability of food and drink? Does location with the library matter? Is there anywhere within the building to buy food or drinks?

Can you make suggestions or give feedback? How?

What about library-adjacent services like tutoring, writing help, IT/computer help, etc? Part of the library, or separate?

Technology–how do you print? Does it cost? Can you check out any tech?

Are there any “library secrets” or under-utilized things that the library staff thinks more people should know about or use?

(E.g., my library has board games, audiobooks, a graphic novel collection, coloring pages, old yearbooks where you can look up your professors, and digitized school newspapers going back 80 years and are super cool)

[singingscarecrow]

a uni survival guide: tips from a phd

if there's one thing i know about, it's college. i've done it, i've taught it, i've lived and breathed it. these tips are for first years in particular, but honestly for everybody. i think it's so important for people to have balanced lives in these years -- academics are not everything. you know what didn't help me in the real world when i was afraid i wouldn't live through it? my fancy college note-taking format. you know what did help me? the friends i made there who i knew would get on a plane and fly across the country in a matter of hours if i told them i needed them.

academic

- figure out where class is held ahead of time: don't be that kid who's late on day one, i beg of you

- use the writing center: especially for basic grammatical editing, which a lot of professors don't have time to mark on papers

- speak up in class: talking through ideas helps you work through them, and asking questions about something you don't understand can open up great lines of conversation

- find a regular schedule that works for you and stick to it: my college schedule was morning free time, class, lunch, class, practice, homework. that consistency was a life-saver

- keep a planner: it's so important to have a central place to track deadlines, assignments, and engagements

- annotate your reading: when you're stressing about a paper topic, being able to go back to what you've highlighted and written in the margins is a life-saver

- color-code your coursework: i use the same color highlighter, pen, and notebook for any given class. it's super helpful

- if you can't focus while studying with friends, don't: i reserved group studying for days when i didn't have important work because i can't be in a room with other people without talking to them. if your school has one, the quiet floor of the library is your best friend

- treat yourself to a "fun" class: art was always my place to just sit back and chill, a way to end the night all zen in the darkroom instead of conjugating russian verbs in a fluorescent-lit cinderblock prison. for you, it could be gym, it could be pottery, it could be some random course about, like, the history of cooking or something -- explore!

- profs are people too: don't be too nervous around them. also, know that if you're struggling -- even b/c of something in your personal life -- you can admit it, and they'll almost always understand why you missed a deadline or bombed a test

- go to office hours: it's the only way to get to know professors in big courses, and it's so helpful for both your grades and learning how to navigate relationships with authority figures

social

- don't let academia keep you from your friends: it's a case-by-case basis, but sometimes it's okay to let the reading slide and spend time with friends. i graduated seven years ago and my college group text still talks every day. that's so much more important to me than the fact that i never finished brideshead revisited

- joining a club is one of the best ways to make friends: i played ultimate frisbee through college and it was the source of so many lasting relationships, as well as the way i met all my local friends when i was abroad

- say yes to things you don't know if you'll like: you'll surprise yourself. me? turns out i love drinking games. and theme parties. and skinny dipping. and rock climbing

- don't be that person who looks down on their peers for partying: honestly? that person kind of sucks. you don't have to party if you don't want to, but actually, a lot of those people are super nice and also good at school -- don't just write them off!

- show up for your friends: go to their games, their concerts, their art shows, their standup nights. show them that what matters to them matters to you, too

- set aside a night to do a group activity with others: whether your vibe is wednesday night trivia, a weekly "terrible movie" showing, or a get-high-and-watch-nature-documentaries-type thing, these are great ways to liven up the week and de-stress

- this is a great time to figure out who from high school really matters to you: you don't have to force relationships that were built mostly on convenience if there are friends at uni with whom you click more. people you became friends with purely based on the coincidence of where your parents lived do not have to be your forever friends. they can be! but they don't have to be

personal

- don't expect too much of yourself: a 4.0 is not the end-all, be-all. if your family or somebody tells you it is, tell them to call me, and i will personally talk some sense into them

- take advantage of university support services: mental health counseling, free yoga classes, multi-cultural societies, etc

- drink water: please, please don't get kidney stones in the middle of the semester, says the girl who got kidney stones in the middle of the semester

- let yourself take breaks: if you need to lie to a professor and say you're sick when really you're just feeling down and you need to sit in bed and watch a movie, that's totally valid

- don't freak about individual assignments: my students come to me freaking over a B+ and i tell them, honey, no job interviewer is ever going to ask you about your second paper from communications 101. i wish i'd known that

- go see speakers if there's someone interesting coming to campus: these talks are always cooler than you expect. i'll never get over the fact that i didn't go see anita hill when she came to my undergrad

- do your laundry on the same night every week: i can't explain why this is so helpful but it really is

- keep up on the news and the memes: read the school paper, the school blog, the memes page -- college politics and inside jokes are fun and convoluted and fascinating

- set the groundwork for long-term self-care: all of the above is really just to say -- university isn't just for learning about the french revolution, it's also about learning how to balance, how to handle failure, how to ask for help, how to make a salad that doesn't totally suck, etc

[singingscarecrow]

Seafire by Natalie C. Parker!!!!!!

I’ve read some truly splendid YA maritime adventures in the past few months— Isle of Blood and Stone by Makiia Lucier, The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig, and The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee. I love seeing this genre having a little swell—-there’s nothing like a good sea epic, especially with these new takes on them, full of girl gangs and found families and unusual twists like time-travel, dragons, or, in this case, sci-fi tech. It was like Six of Crows meets Treasure Planet meets Master and Commander…. with ladies! 😍

What are some of your favorite sea epics?

[singingscarecrow]

Bad Study Advice: 3 hrs per credit hr?

When I was a freshman in university my first and second year advisor told me that studying 3 hours per credit hour per week is an adequate amount of studying.

I had 15 credit hours at the time. That would mean I’d have to study for 45 hours a week. Which is just under two days of studying. Divide that over 7 days and it’s about 6.5 hours of studying a day.

Maybe this sounds a little realistic to some of you. Okay, you’d go to class for 2-3 hrs, spend the rest of the night in the library. Maybe you could get away with doing that much studying on one day, a Sunday afternoon where you don’t have any plans. But for everyday is incredibly unrealistic. When you are in university/college, you are going to have friends that want to spend time with you doing things other than studying. You are going to get mentally drained from studying and you are going to want time to yourself to relax and watch tv. Studying for over 6 hours a day is just not possible.

After tracking my weekly study habits, as a senior in university I usually only spent 1 hour per credit hour studying, sometimes even way less. My course load was a bit lighter this semester but even as a first or second year, never did I study for 45 hours a week, let alone 40. It’s recommended for law and med students (people already in med school, not pre-meds) that they study 30-40 hours a week, which is still less than the advice I was given as a freshman in uni.

Trying to study for too much time will only lead to burnout.

So how much time should you study for?

Do all that you need to in one week plus a bit of extra studying each week for each class in preparation for exams, and create a base average weekly study time from that.

Using a timer and track how much time you studied for in one session can help you create this average weekly time. I use the Forest app.

You might need to study more for harder classes, so realize you’re going to be spending more time on those classes over your easy ones.

There’s no perfect algorithm such as the advice I was given as a freshman.

[singingscarecrow]

some notes on drawing fat bodies in a stylized or cartoony art style! i tried to explain and illustrate things i keep in mind while drawing :)

[singingscarecrow]

Stop Making Psychosis A Villainous Trait Challenge

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Saw these luvers at the New Orleans Botanical Garden

[singingscarecrow]

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