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#between me and that career path is thousands of dollars and homework. so
toytulini · 11 months
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mental health just straight up plummeting
#toy txt post#everyday the smallest things have me spiralling into such stupid despair#constantly fighting myself cos every single thing has me wanting to throw up my hands and walk the fuck off bc theres bo point#whats the fucking point!! just despair and exhaustion and burned the fuck out and gnashing at the fucking walls and then spiralling into#a stupid little self pity self hate spiral cos im just a weak stupid little baby who cant handle the real world. plenty of ppl have it so#much worse and havent given up yet so whats my fucking problem? which is so stupid. but i cant logic my way out of this one#so i am simply sitting here feeling so god damn bad#and i dont even really have. a good reason for it. idk. like i dont have a lot of concrete quantifiable reasons i can present about why#i am so goddamn miserable at my job. im just. going insane i need out im performing badly its not worth it theres no fucking point#every day im fighting the urge to just fucking walk off over the stupidest tiniest things that are definitely not worth that kind of#reaction. like yea maybe i do need like mental health meds or smth but i also know. i need out of this fucking. job. but i dont know#like. idk its like my options are just kore of this same stupid bullshit or retail/food service. and like. shout out to retail and food#service. i fucking could not i fucking cannot. but like im reaching that point here too. everything hurts all the time with no reprieve and#all my options just feel like its gonna be ! even more stupid repetitive motions that wont help! like idk! idk what to do. i just#wanna read about stupid little fucking worms and fish but doing that professionally im not sure im up to it and#between me and that career path is thousands of dollars and homework. so#now im the rat instead now im the rat instead now im the rat instead now im the rat instead#trying so hard not to display idk red flag behavior but im Going Insane. i should just start crying at work. why bother hiding it. whats the#point#vent#ig#i should go eat. and waste the rest of my stupid fucking night playing zelda trying to soothe my brain enough to function except im not#functjoning cos then itll be 5am again and ill have done nothing but play zelda and be up too late and go to bed and not get enough sleep#and be a little to a lot late and be miserable and the cycle just fucking never ends#not enough fucking podcasts about worms out there for this#i opened several academic papers on tongue eating isopods to cope and barely read them bc i cant do that at work it takes too long and i get#lost and my productivity is already in the shit and i need to stop being on my phone and i know that but like also if i dont fucking#distract my stupid fucking brain right fucking now im gonna start throwing things and crying#anyway. thats how im doing. bye
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thejarleyfic · 4 years
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finding home. 1/?.
who: Marley Rose, Jake Puckerman
when: ten years apart
where: lima, ohio
what: Marley was invisible in school, always pining for one boy's attention. Ten years later, she's a pop star that's found hiding out in her hometown. Jake had everything in high school, but is now the burnt-out owner of a run-down bar in the town he could never escape. Their paths cross once again, two people trying to find home.
fanfiction.com link
One more week. 
Her mom had texted her during English class to remind her, but truth be the told the thought hadn’t left her head since the day started. Nobody was seeing her preoccupation, only the occasional nudge from the teacher to feign attention to the last few lesson plans before graduation. 
One more week.
The rest of the class shuffled out of the classroom as the bell finished ringing, the volume of the chatter drawing out the last few pages of homework that Ms. Johnston was in the middle of assigning. A class full of seniors weren’t planning on making the last few days of their high school career count, especially as everybody was swapping details about the end-of-the-year parties and summer plans before heading to college. Anybody with even the slightest excitement planned for the next few weeks way far past paying attention to the last assignments of the year.
With a few more scribbles of the last pages, Marley slid the yellow notebook into her bag and stood to slip into the hallway. It was a long trek across the school to get to geology, going through the back hallways avoided the groups of seniors and juniors that blocked entire pathways with their groups. Attempting to go around them had her bag knocked off her shoulder on more than one occasion.
“Wait--” Marley froze, one foot out the classroom door as she glanced to Mrs. Johnston, an older woman that had been at McKinley since her mother was a teenager. There were only a few times that they had interacted before, usually when a volunteer was picked to answer a question about the previous reading. There was still a taste of bitterness each time Marley thought about the fact that she never raised her hand, but she swallowed the feeling in change for the small pleasantry. “It was good to have you in class this year. I wish I would’ve heard from you more.”
A small shoulder shrug, nearly impossible to see under the long, brunette hair hiding the sides of her face and frame. There was nothing to say except the excuses she gave to every teacher that made the same comment, except this time there wasn’t another opportunity next year.
“Any thoughts after graduation?”
A small beat, then the reluctant response.
“I have a cousin out in California, she offered me to stay with her out there while I take a few classes.”
“I’m quite serious. You have some good things going for you, Mary.”
Marley was out the door before the sting revealed itself on her face, biting the inside of her cheek as she navigated the hallway. 
A few corner turns, and she was in the service hallway. Long, closets and empty rooms lining the sides. The lonesome entrance for the maintenance workers, the only one wide enough to fit some of the machinery in. The volume of the more popular hallways was still heard in echos, but it was the most silence she was going to get until the school cleared completely of students later in the day.
It was a few brief moments of solitude, a break from the noise constantly swirling around her head. Peace.
She hadn’t even noticed her eyes closed, her steps slowing to a slow shuffle as the few minutes she had alone ticked away. They only opened with a new sound, a sharp scraping across the tile. A flash of black, and a familiar face sped around the corner with careless speed.
Jake.
Back in their freshman year, he was riding the same scooter down the halls and nearly knocked her head against the wall. It was only a surprising moment of grace that saved her from a trip to the nurse, but it left an impression. A few more near-misses of interaction, a few shared classes where they didn’t say a word. It was stupid that she let herself feel the way she did, it was even more stupid that she never acted on it in the years they had spent in proximity. 
Mom’s voice was in her head, the same advice that was given hours after her first run in with the mysterious boy from the hallways. The same advice that was readily given each and every time Marley complained about her desire to talk with him ever since then.
It was only now that Marley realized that saying now or never wasn’t the same as feeling now or never. Now that the time to act was truly running out, the words couldn’t be restrained. Even if she had tried to hold it back, her lips were moving far before her mind had caught up.
“You’re Jake, right?” Her sudden confidence was too late, her words drowned as he streaked past her. 
No hesitation, no pause. Not even a turn around. A few moments later, and he turned down another hallway. Towards the biology and chemistry rooms, probably heading towards the one exit that the school always forgot to alarm.
“Good things going for me.” She muttered under her breath, another sting in her chest with the reminder repeating in her head. 
He didn’t even look at you, he didn’t even look at you.
--------------------------------------
“One more, Jake.”
The last straggler, Greg. He had a spot at the bar since the first shift at the factory had let out, racking up drink order after drink order. Only bits and pieces of his sob story had spilled out throughout the night, more than enough for Jake to know that the tab wouldn’t be paid off tonight. Last call had been thirty minutes ago, the rest of the patrons had left to carry on at their own houses and let him close in peace.  
“No,” It was a simple enough answer, and probably the expected answer since Grad had pulled this stint a handful of times since Jake took ownership of the bar a few years ago. Whatever confidence the liquid courage granted him, it was enough for him to try his luck again.
“C’mon,” The man slumped back in the chair, obviously not realizing the glazed look in his eye giving away his true state. The half-on tie didn’t help either, on the whole it was almost like watching a used car salesman that got dropped in a washer. Sad, pathetic, but a small part of him wanted to laugh. “You tellin’ me you have something going on the rest of the night?”
A single push of his palm pressed the cash drawer into the machine, the mechanical latch grinding into place. Likely going to need replaced in the next few years, not immediate enough to happen during the upcoming fiscal cycle. He was still in the red from the past few months of stagnant patrons, no reason to push the non-emergent. It was still a useful enough tactic to break any train of thought coming out of drunk patrons, especially once they started comparing lives to his.
“Keys.” Jake didn’t glance over, instead moving his hands to fastening the rest of the bottle stoppers. A few beats of silence, and he did meet Greg with a knowing look. His face white, the red flush from the beer disappeared. It was a quick way to get people out of the building, even if they had to walk. “You got a place nearby to sober up?”
A groan. “Yeah, Mike’s staying late in the shop.”
“Guess you better get going, that’s a block and a half away.” It was almost satisfying getting an eyeroll in response. The customer service aspect of bars usually took this route. “Keys.” A small reminder, met with the sound of metal hitting the bartop. 
“You’re a son of a bitch, you know that?”
“A son of a bitch that’ll let you shift some money around so your wife doesn’t find out how much you’ve spent here tonight.” That did the trick, well enough for a chuckle to come out of the poor man. “You have a week, I mean it.”
“Sure, sure.” He stood up from the bar stools, confirming Jake’s suspicion to take the keys away early. A few steps, nodding along to the promises to pay the tab off in full. Another promise to pay extra, a couple of empty notions that would be forgotten by the morning. It was all heard before, the same routine each time.
“You know,” Greg’s face was serious this time, probably some other attempt at coming up with a grand gesture of appreciation. It looked like he was sending a probe deep into his mind, obviously coming back empty. The uncomfortably long beat ended with the hint of a smirk, stench of Jack hitting Jake’s face like a wall. “Maybe you’ll have a missus one day, then I’ll repay the favor.”
The clenched jaw in response was a well enough warning, with Greg slipping out the door before fully finishing the sentence. Jake watched from the glass door front as Greg took a few stumbling steps down the block, quickly passing the dark alleyways and disappearing from view.
“Asshole.”
The rest of the street was quiet, at least from the view of the front door, an occasional car passing by and the hum of the heating unit out back. A quiet night that was common enough for the line between calming and purgatory was blurred. Tens of thousands of dollars spent turning the downtown streets into the city’s attempt of an entertainment hub. The replaced streetlights and sidewalk didn’t change the core of Lima’s marketing problem: nobody past the age of twelve ever wanted to stay. Those that did were disenchanted with the idea of pretending, leaving the streets dead.
The minute most people turned eighteen, they followed the closest college acceptance letter out of the state. One by one, until all that was left were the warm bodies keeping the basic infrastructure of the town alive. That’s where he came in; someone had to give the poor suckers in town a place to escape home.
Get a grip. The thoughts were shaken off, left on the floor to be swept up later. 
One hand reached up to turn the deadbolt of the door, latching it as the other hand reached for the switch to the outdoor sign. The same motion he did on every closing shift, but with one glance out the window his eyes froze on a sight across the street. A flash of blonde, meant to be hidden under a grey hoodie. A face he hadn’t seen in almost a decade.
That was a lie, but barely. It was a face he saw constantly, almost to the point of being sick of it. She always looked different than she did in high school, she changed her hair and it was on the front page of a magazine. Internet articles were the first to start popping up, the occasional editorial by the local newspaper whenever they caught wind of the girl from Lima living in Los Angeles. Then the music found it’s way over here, and the town may have well caught on fire. Everybody was seeing her photos at award shows, photo shoots, concerts. It took over a year before he listened to anything himself, and he had run out of excuses to avoid it six months before that. All the articles about multi-platinum albums, Billboard singles, awards with the qualifier of “youngest ever” before them. She was kind of a legend around here, the girl that got out. Not only that, she was the girl that got out and made it. 
Marley.
The door couldn’t open fast enough, by the time he felt the outside air on his skin and called out her name again she was already inside her car and starting to leave the parking lot. He still heard it echo back to him, bouncing off the concrete walls with nobody else to hear it.
She was in a hurry, enough of a hurry to nearly run to her car from the late-night convenience store. The last anyone remembered seeing her within Lima city limits was graduation, but now she was here again. In town, in the middle of the night, running from a convenience store in a piss-poor attempt at a disguise. He could see peering over her shoulder as she reversed out of the parking lot, a clearer look at her face. 
“Marley!” He called again, but she put the car in gear and drove down the street. Just like that, the street was once again quiet and frozen. 
She didn’t even turn around. He was alone again, the dark wood of his bar barely lit with the fluorescent lights. Most had given up hope that she’d ever acknowledge her history with the little Ohio town post-graduation, but she was here again. She was here, and she was definitely hiding.
The switch to the outside sign flipped, the buzz of the neon sign died. Why didn’t she turn around?
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So You Wanna Know About Dual-Enrollment
- November 17, 2017 - 
Hey guys! This is a subject I'm very passionate about because I had the great opportunity to do this when I was still in high school, and thought I would share some of the pros and cons with y'all.
- TL;DR - 
(I personally think these should go at the beginnings of lengthy posts, so here ya go)
Dual-enrollment is taking college classes while you’re still in high school.  It gives you guaranteed college credit if you pass, and usually sets you on a degree path sooner than your peers.  It does a better job of prepping you for a full-time college career than the AP classes I’ve experienced, and is less stressful overall.  It also lets you take really interesting and exciting classes you wouldn’t normally be able to take as a high school student.
What is it?
Dual enrollment is being able to register and attend courses through a local or online college while still being a high school student.  More and more school systems across the US are working with their local community colleges to make this possible for their high school juniors and seniors.
How do I do it?
This will probably vary from school to school.  Usually, you will be required to be a high school junior or senior with a high enough GPA (this will differ between schools, but may also differ between the classes you want to take at the college), a class schedule at the high school that is compatible with a class schedule at the college, and a way to get back and forth from the two campuses.  Some schools also require that you’ve taken a certain number of high school pre-requisite classes (i.e. Freshmen and Sophomore English), but the pre-reqs may depend on the college courses you want to take, i.e. in order to take Anatomy and Physiology, I had to have already taken high school biology, but not necessarily high school physics. 
Why Should I do it?
It’s free! Usually... I have yet to hear of a dual-enrollment program where the cost of the college’s tuition isn’t covered either by the college, or by the high school’s school system.  This usually includes the cost of textbooks and any other fees, but those may differ depending on the classes you’re taking at the college.  It is understood that the high school student will be responsible for covering the cost of any damages to rental textbooks or equipment used at the college.
You also get guaranteed college credit if you pass those courses.  With AP courses, you can get the graduation requirements for high school met, and you may get the chance at earning some college credits, but that all depends on your national AP exam score.  If you bomb the exam, you just get the high school credit.  Even if you score really well on the exam, some colleges are very picky with how they will or won’t accept your AP credits.  Some schools only take 5s, most will take 4s, and some will take 3s, but it’s never a guarantee.  It also depends on your major or program with that college.  Some programs require that you still take their version of chemistry, even if you got a 4 on your AP chemistry exam.  
On the other hand, if you spend your time in college courses through dual-enrollment, and you pass those courses, those passing grades go to a real and legitimate college transcript as well as your high school transcript.  In addition to that, which is very impressive to already have as a high school graduate, most schools within the same state as the community college you were dual-enrolled in will take your community college credits as full credits.  This is true for my state, but it may not be for yours.  It also only applies to state schools; private universities don’t have to take my community college credits in full if they don’t want to.  For example, if you take anatomy and physiology at my community college, you can earn up to 8 credit hours for both semesters of the two-part course.  All 8 of those credit hours will transfer to any state school in my home state as 8 credit hours.  If I were to try and take those 8 credits to a school outside of my state, due to them being community college credits, I would more than likely not receive credit for all 8 hours.  However, if you are enrolling in a specific program or major at the school you’re trying to have accept these credits, in or out of state, that specific program may still require that you take their version of anatomy and physiology for whatever reason they want.  
If you are looking at schools outside of your state for after high school, see if your community college is part of a transfer credit program.  Several of the bigger schools nationwide are part of some kind of transfer credit program, where they agree to take as many of your community college credits in full as possible if your community college is part of the same program.  The community college I’m currently attending is part of programs like this across the country.
Even so, by taking college courses, I had 2 years’ worth of classes on my official college transcript by the time I graduated from high school.  This would set me up as a transfer student, which has its own benefits that I won’t elaborate on here.  Regardless, it looks fantastic on other school and/or job applications.
How a College Course Differs from its High School Equivalent
Teachers:   In my experience so far, all of the teachers at my college genuinely love the subject they teach, and they are really really good at teaching it.  Their eyes light up while they’re teaching and when we understand the material, they get excited when we get excited, and they are willing to look at things from different points of view to help us better understand the concepts they’re teaching.  If they can’t help us get a grip on the material, they have a handful of colleagues they can refer you to in an effort to make it click.  
Contrast this to my high school experience - teachers who look as miserable as their students, teachers droning in a monotone from powerpoints they’ve used for the last ten years, teachers not understanding their material because this class was just dropped on their laps two weeks before school started; you get the point.  Not all of my high school teachers were like this, and most of them started out the semester sincerely wanting to make the best of it, but any light they had would quickly peter out as material they enjoyed got lost in a sea of disciplinary action, disrespect, and apathy.  
Students: In my college courses, for the most part, the students truly want to be there and do their best.  There are a few reasons for this.  They’re usually paying thousands of dollars to be there, they’re usually a little bit older and understand what they should and shouldn’t be doing (i.e. coming to class hungover), and it’s a second chance for most of them who weren’t able to do college right the first time.  This leads to fewer disciplinary issues, better concentration, and usually, really helpful classroom and study group discussions.  There’s a lot less drama, competition, and pettiness as well.
Workload: This one may seem counter intuitive, but in my experience, the college courses are so much easier - in class, on tests, and in homework load.  My AP courses seemed out to kill me, while my college courses, which were supposed to be harder, were a breath of fresh air.  I was staying up until 3am for AP English, not anat and phys.  I was stranded in misunderstanding until the early morning hours with my high school pre-cal class, not my college one.  AP classes are advertised to help prepare you for what college is really like, but it’s really just an overload of unnecessary stress.  While there still is homework for my college classes, it’s nothing compared to what was expected of me in high school.  The tests (usually) don’t try to trick you and screw you over on purpose, they are really just seeing if you understand the material.   
In closing, I loved my dual-enrollment experience, and if I could go back, the only thing I would change would be to take college classes instead of APs.  It really helped set me up for the rest of my college experience, and it did so in a much better way than any AP class I ever took.
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thecoroutfitters · 5 years
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markamlong895-blog · 4 years
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The possibilities of cheap RV living
These tips for RV (Recreational Vehicle) retirement are from a couple who retired four years ago. They offer an inside peek into cheap RV living.
My interview below won’t tell you all you need to know about RV retirement. Read So, You Want to be a Full-Time RVer? by John and Kathy Huggins to learn about doing the preliminary homework on RV retirement, choosing the right rig, buying an RV, where to camp, and way beyond. They discuss what you need to have in your RV and why. If you are interested in budgeting (and I suspect you are, since you’re searching for “RV retirement” and “cheap RV living), communicating, boon docking or workamping, you’ll learn it all in the book.
In this blog post, Steve and Mona Liza Lowe describe their RV retirement plan. They retired early at the beginning of 2012, sold their house in California, got rid of almost all their belongings, and started full time RV living. They’re pursuing their dream of traveling the U.S. and Canada for several years, and seeing what they can see. “This journey of ours is about living a dream, living simply, and enjoying every moment of life,” says Mona Liza about full time RV living. How’s that for a retirement plan?
I’m particularly interested in their BC and Canada experiences, since I live in Vancouver! Their blog is called Lowe’s RV Adventures, and you can look up the different provinces and states they’ve been to via the Categories in the sidebar. Full time RV living seems to suit Steve and Mona Liza, and their retirement plan is living up to its reputation. Their photos are stunning – such as the one of Peggy’s Cove in Nova Scotia, Canada. Follow their RV retirement blog and live vicariously through them! How To Watch TV In RV While Driving https://www.rvlivingusa.com/how-to-watch-tv-in-rv-while-driving/
These tips will give you some insight into what goes into RV retirement and preparing for full time RV living. At the end of the post, I offer a few resources for cheap RV living.
What You Need to Know About Cheap RV Living and Retirement Any retirement plan requires thinking and preparation. The most exciting thing about an RV retirement is the idea of living in a camper full time and traveling North America! That’s also the biggest challenge of RV retirement, as these RVers tell us…
Think about how you will downsize into RV retirement
Between January and February we managed  to sell, donate, give and trash our possessions,” says Mona Liza. “Due to limited space and weight constraints I couldn’t take all my shoes, my purses and clothes! I have to choose wisely taking with me what I only need and what fits in the limited storage.”
Downsizing is one part of cheap RV living – and staying small and simple is the other part. Living in an RV after you retire means you won’t have alot of space for stuff. Even if the stuff is a really, really good deal. Emotionally prepare yourself to leave your home and ‘hood Me, I love to declutter and lighten the load. I’ve always travelled lightly, and think that less is more. But, most people accumulate stuff and have a hard time letting go of their possessions. Full time RV living requires a healthy dose of simplicity – it’s a retirement plan that requires two free hands!
“Downsizing and simplifying sounds crazy and terrifying,” says Mona Liza. “But it turns out letting go  is truly liberating. It is not emotionally easy, but I know it can be done. Shedding of stuff from a big house to a motor home was quite emotional.”
Think of your RV retirement plan as a liberation
Steve says, “From my perspective, it is hard to describe the incredibly liberating feeling of getting rid of almost all of our personal possessions including our home, and starting over in this new situation. Daily life is so simple now, and even though I must clean and maintain the motorhome and car, it is such a joy to have so little to worry about on a daily basis. Incredible!” What Does Dry Bath Mean In An RV https://www.rvlivingusa.com/what-does-dry-bath-mean-in-an-rv/
It’s also important to be financially liberated, and learn how to get enough money to retire in less than 10 years.
Learn to let go if full-time RV living is your retirement plan “Living on the road also means bidding goodbye not only to family and friends, but also to the people that you have relationships with,” says Mona Liza. “I made my last appointments with my dental hygienist, my masseuse, my hair stylist, my periodontist, my eye doctor, our landscaper and our neighbors all of which were sad to see us go but happy with our new beginnings.”
Start saving for your RV retirement plan early
This isn’t just a tip for full time, cheap RV living; it’s a tip for all retirement plans and all people! Mona Liza and Steve had stable technology careers, and were good at saving money. They also tried to invest their money wisely throughout their lives.
“Once we were married, we worked as a team to save for an early retirement,” says Steve. They didn’t know at the time what their retirement plan was (they hadn’t planned on full time RV living when they started saving for retirement). “We do not have children, and of course we realize the huge costs of raising kids would have delayed our plans,” he says. “We lived below our means (no new cars, few meals out and reasonable vacations) during the first 10 years we were together.  Anyone with financial discipline can do what we have done, if they start early in their career.”
Develop a budget to support your retirement plan – and stick to it When Steve and Mona Liza decided to pursue their dream of full time RV living, they developed a detailed budget to support their retirement plan. “We then continued working until we had saved enough to pay off all of our debts, and until we believed my pension would fund our budget,” says Steve. “Having a sizable emergency fund is crucial in this lifestyle, since many major repairs on a motor home can run into the tens of thousands of dollars (just like with a home).  We will also continue to save into an account that will allow us to take “side trips” overseas or an occasional cruise (I love taking cruises!).” If you’ve decided against full time RV living but want a new beginning, read How to Make a Career Change at 40.
Resources for Cheap RV Living as a Retirement Plan
The Complete Book of Boondock RVing: Camping Off the Beaten Path by Bill Moeller. Ever feel frustrated by crowded RV parks? Yearn to camp out in the wild beside a babbling mountain brook or before a remote panoramic vista? Bill and Jan Moeller have been doing just that for more than thirty years, and The Complete Book of Boondock RVing is their complete guide to camping without hookups (aka “dry camping”). This book for full time RV living will ensure your comfort, convenience, and safety when camping in the boonies, teach you how to conserve and manage electricity, water, and waste, and to establish reliable communications, and more. storage ideas for rv closets https://www.rvlivingusa.com/20-storage-ideas-for-rv-closets-with-pictures/
Retire to an RV: The Roadmap to Affordable Retirement by Jaimie Hall Bruzenak and Alice Zyetz. Are you considering full time RV living? Is this retirement plan for you? Can you afford to retire AND travel 365 days a year? Retire to an RV provides you with the information to help you make this decision. It not only combines the authors’ knowledge, but also 41 solo and couple RVers have contributed their experiences in all aspects of RVing through out the book. This book address key questions about full time RV living as a retirement plan.
What do you think of these tips for cheap RV living and an RV retirement plan? I welcome your comments below… May you find the right time and enough money to retire happily and peacefully.
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kennethherrerablog · 5 years
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We Did Our Homework, and These 11 College Majors Can Boost Your Earnings
Ken Buker can’t say exactly what he works on all day to avoid revealing company secrets, but he assures me it’s cool.
Pucks smack the boards as Tampa Bay Lightning hockey players skate across the ice in Amalie Arena — Buker’s office — and we’re chatting about his degree in information sciences.
It’s a versatile major that combines programming, software, IT and data analysis — and happens to be the best degree in America right now, according to a Penny Hoarder analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data.
We looked at the pay for recent graduates — and all graduates for 172 college degrees —  and how income for those with these majors has changed between 2013 and 2017. The top two best-paying degrees are both under the “information” umbrella, showing just how the rise of big data is shaping the job field for recent graduates.
Consider your doctor’s office, said University of South Florida School of Information instructor John Sullivan, where thousands of records (data) are generated every week. In the past, these records were stored in file cabinets or on open shelves.
Now, they’re stored in electronic databases, which can streamline patient intake, appointment scheduling and the check-in process, making what was an annoying situation better for patients and staff.
An information sciences or studies degree will give a graduate the tools to create the systems that organize those types of records electronically. This major also includes a track to manage that new electronic database.
Lots of Options With an Information Science Background
Buker, who has worked with an independent video game company in addition to a professional hockey team, graduated from the School of Information two years ago.
“It’s not quite business, and it’s not quite engineering,” said Buker, who works as a data science programmer for the Lightning. “So you really get to take ownership.”
Buker tapped that entrepreneurial spirit while working on changes to a video game.
Insurgency: Sandstorm, a first-person shooter PC game, has competitive rounds that last roughly 2 minutes and 30 seconds. That’s thanks in part to data collection and analysis Buker performed using his information science background on the original Insurgency, which had double the amount of time for rounds. (Buker found that unsatisfactory.)
Buker stresses that you don’t have to be a math whiz to succeed in an information sciences major — he only made it to Calculus I at his small private high school. Curiosity, humility and a love of logic and debate are all you need to get started in this major.
“I definitely think someone with a hard work ethic and a learning spirit could do well in the [information sciences] program,” he said. “That is sort of the beauty of the program.”
The median pay for under-30 graduates with this type of degree has grown more than 20% to $65,000 in 2017, according to the latest data available. That’s no surprise for Sullivan, who said the rise of big data makes an information science degree invaluable in the marketplace.
And he’s not worried about the future of machine learning and artificial intelligence’s impact on the world of programming — the idea of coders coding themselves out of the job.
“We’ve had programmers in this world going back to the 1950s, and we have programmers now,” Sullivan said.
Buker is just happy to be working in his dream job, which he said could not have been possible without an information science program.
“It’s a perfect program for entrepreneurial-spirited students who can take what they learn in class and apply it in ways never put in a textbook,” he said.
The 11 Best College Majors for All You Undecided Students
There are two big factors to consider when you look at success when picking a college major: How much are you going to make and can you actually land a job. Also, it helps to know if your major’s graduates are making more or less money than they did in previous years.
We looked at the median earnings — and the growth of those earnings since 2013 — for all full-time workers and the same factors for those at the beginning of their careers.
But we also considered unemployment rate and only looked at degrees that have the most graduates. (So you won’t find petroleum engineering or astrophysics on this list.)
1. Information Sciences
Unemployment Rate: 2.8%
Median Income: $80,000
Five-Year Change in Income: 1.7%
Median Under-30 Income: $65,000
Five-Year Change in Under-30 Income:  20.6%
It’s all about big data.
Information science majors study programming and database analysis. Basically, you’ll use computers to study how people interact with information — aka, data. But, there are several different career tracks for students with an information science degree, including working as an archivist, market research analyst or research librarian.
Common jobs: Software engineer; web developer; computer support specialist; systems administrator.
2. Management Information Systems and Statistics
Unemployment Rate: 2.7%
Median Income: $85,000
Five-Year Change in Income: 5.1%
Median Under-30 Income: $60,000
Five-Year Change in Under-30 Income:11.3%
This degree is similar to information science, but it’s more business-focused. There are multiple tracks for management information systems degrees, but most involve using computers and databases to maximize profit for a business.
Don’t worry if you’re not comfortable programming. MIS degrees paths don’t have to be development-focused, according to the University of Arizona Management Information Systems website. That link also has a nifty breakdown of the difference between similar degrees in computer science and electrical computer engineering, (which you’ll see under a different name below.)
Common jobs: Miscellaneous manager; software engineer; systems manager; systems analyst; computer support specialist.
3. Construction Services
Unemployment Rate: 1.8%
Median Income: $75,000
Five-Year Change in Income: 8.7%
Median Under-30 Income: $62,000
Five-Year Change in Under-20 Income: 15%
This is basically a degree in construction management — nearly a third of graduates work as a construction manager — in which students learn the ins and outs of running a construction site. That includes everything from accounting and cost estimation to the intricacies of construction materials and land development.
Right now, builders can’t find enough workers to fill roles, there’s an impending affordable housing crisis that will require tons of new inventory and the U.S. infrastructure will likely need hundreds of millions of dollars in updating over the next decade. So, yes, this is likely a good time to get into the field.
Common jobs: Construction manager; construction supervisor; cost estimator; chief executive
4. Electrical Engineering Technology
Unemployment Rate: 2%
Median Income: $80,000
Five-Year Change in Income: 6%
Median Under-30 Income: $63,000
Five-Year Change in Under-30 Income: 4.4%
Last year, the Penny Hoarder chatted with an electrician who makes six figures a year without a college degree. That’s after decades on the job, however.
In electrical engineering technology, you’ll study the infrastructure — circuits, wiring, microprocessors, etc. — behind all sorts of electronic equipment.
At Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, students can specialize in computer technology or telecommunications. Many graduates go into software development, so most students who major in electrical engineering technology likely take the computer track.
Common jobs: Software developer; miscellaneous manager; electrical engineer; miscellaneous engineer; mechanical engineer.
5. Political Science and Government
Unemployment Rate: 3.2%
Median Income: $65,000
Five-Year Change in Income: 0.5%
Median Under-30 Income: $45,000
Five-Year Change in Under-30 Income: 4.4%
A political science and government degree is much more general than the previous majors on this list, meaning a student will have a wide latitude to choose the field to pursue after school. According to the Wake Forest University College of Political Science, you’ll study communications and writing as well as technology and analysis.
Common jobs: Miscellaneous manager; chief executive; manufacturing sales representative; marketing or sales manager; paralegal or legal assistant.
6. Advertising and Public Relations
Unemployment Rate: 3.3%
Median Income: $58,000
Five-Year Change in Income: 5.5%
Median Under-30 Income: $48,000
Five-Year Change in Under-30 Income: 6%
There are two tracks you can take in advertising and public relations: the creative path or the business path. At the University of Tampa, courses cover a wide swath of topics, including journalism, design and writing.
Common jobs: Miscellaneous manager; marketing or sales manager; manufacturing sales representative; customer service representative; public relations specialist.
7. General Science
Unemployment Rate: 3.6%
Median Income: $60,000
Five-Year Change in Income: 1.2%
Median Under-30 Income: $45,000
Five-Year Change in Under-30 Income: 4.4%
General science is great for students who want to get into some field of science but don’t now which one. You can take classes in chemistry, marine biology, astrophysics or even computer information science at the University of Oregon.
As you can see below, many of those who stick with a bachelor’s in general science end up as registered nurses — a lucrative and in-demand field.
Common jobs: Registered nurse, miscellaneous manager; elementary or middle school teacher; manufacturing sales representative; retail supervisor.
8. Biochemical Sciences
Unemployment Rate: 2.9%
Median Income: $55,000
Five-Year Change in Income: 2%
Median Under-30 Income: $43,500
Five-Year Change in Under-30 Income: 6.2%
Biochemical sciences majors do tend to move onto graduate degrees in a range of fields from dentistry to podiatry, according to the Marquette University undergraduate studies website. But a degree in this field can also pay off right away with a job as a pharmaceutical sales representative or technical writer.
Common jobs: Physical scientist; miscellaneous manager; high school teacher; chemist; science technician.
9. Special Needs Education
Unemployment Rate: 2.9%
Median Income: $45,000
Five-Year Change in Income: 1.8%
Median Under-30 Income: $41,000
Five-Year Change in Under-30 Income: 18.8%
If you Google this major, you’ll find most results are for online colleges specializing in special needs education.
Students will learn to work with children on the autism spectrum, with learning or intellectual disabilities or with emotional or behavioral disorders, according to the Florida State University College of Education, an on-campus undergraduate program that is bundled with a master’s degree. Many schools offer similar bundled degrees, but our income data is for those with just a bachelor’s degree.
Common jobs: Elementary or middle school teacher; special education teacher; high school teacher; secretary or administrative assistant; education administrator.
10. Criminal Justice
Unemployment Rate: 3.5%
Median Income: $54,000
Five-Year Change in Income: 0.2%
Median Under-30 Income: $40,000
Five-Year Change in Under-30 Income: 3%
There are quite a few schools, like the University of Central Florida, that offer online degrees in criminal justice. If a student plans to become a law enforcement officer — at the local, state or federal level — or a detective, the student can pursue an applicable curriculum.
Some schools, like Utica College, offer a more analytical path to eventually work as a crime analyst.
Common jobs: Police officer; miscellaneous manager; social worker; probation officer; bailiff, correctional officer or jailer.
11. Animal Sciences
Unemployment Rate: 1.7%
Median Income: $49,000
Five-Year Change in Income: 1%
Median Under-30 Income: $34,000
Five-Year Change in Under-30 Income: 5.1%
Animal science majors have an extremely flexible curriculum that includes everything from breeding and genetics to behavior and molecular biology, according to the Cornell Department of Animal Science. A student can train to work with farm animals, laboratory specimens or exotic species.
Texas A&M University’s Department of Animal Science offers similar flexibility, allowing students to choose studies that set them up to work in the world of agriculture or go on to veterinary school or graduate school in another medical field.
Common jobs: Farmer, rancher or agriculture manager; miscellaneous manager; miscellaneous agriculture worker; sales representative; general supervisor.
Here Are the Best Majors For Young Workers by Pay
For the list above, we considered multiple factors to rank best majors, including the earnings and earnings growth of all workers. But what if we solely considered pay — and specifically, pay for those who are just starting their careers?
As in the list above, we included only college majors that led to jobs with unemployment rates under the U.S. unemployment rate, and those that had at least the median number of full-time, year-round workers. For this analysis, we looked at workers under 30 who have only a bachelor’s degree.
Following are the 10 best college majors for young workers when you consider median pay only:
Chemical engineering — $65,000
Construction services — $62,000
Civil engineering — $61,200
Pharmacy sciences — $55,000
Nursing — $53,000
Accounting — $52,000
Business and medical administration — $48,000
Advertising and public relations — $48,000
Medical technologies technicians — $48,000
Marketing and marketing research— $47,000
Methodology
For this project, we used U.S. Census microdata from the 2013 and 2017 American Community Survey. (The latter was released in October). We created two groups: all full-time, year-round workers and just those who are under 30 years old.
We focused on 172 college majors, from accounting to zoology. We excluded some degrees, such as military technologies and school student counseling from our younger group due to a lack of a viable sample size.
We compared the change in pay between 2013 and 2017 and the current median income, for each major using a statistical technique to standardize the data. This produced a ranking of the best college major for pay.
We then pared this group down to only those degrees that currently have the median number of full-time workers or more, ones in which median income has gone up since 2013 and those that have unemployment rates below the 3.7% national average.
The ranking also includes a degree from each major category to provide, some variation to choose from (instead of all engineering-type degrees).
Alex Mahadevan is a data journalist at The Penny Hoarder.
This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.
The Penny Hoarder Promise: We provide accurate, reliable information. Here’s why you can trust us and how we make money.
We Did Our Homework, and These 11 College Majors Can Boost Your Earnings published first on https://justinbetreviews.tumblr.com/
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persephonestourrp · 6 years
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Katrina Hummel | May 27 | 25 | Overland Park, KS | Bass/Keyboard for The Sirens | Norah Puckerman
[twitter bio here]
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♫ Mama told me not to waste my life  ♫
Elizabeth and Burt Hummel were so excited when they found out they were finally pregnant after trying for so long. There were a few complications along the way, though, and their daughter came earlier than planned, but she was a fighter, like any true Hummel was. After a few days in the hospital, the happy couple got to bring their beautiful Katrina Hummel back to her home in Overland Park, Kansas.
Liz and Burt both doted on their darling miracle of a daughter, the one they thought they’d never had and almost lost, all the time. Kat, as they nicknamed her, was their pride and joy, and she loved them just as much back. In fact, she was definitely one of only a handful of kids who cried at both the first pre-school drop off and the first kindergarten drop off. 
Kat was especially close to her mom. Her mom was beautiful and taught Kat about skin care and fashion, gladly letting Kat walk around in her heels and put on makeup after school. Liz was a former art teacher, so she also taught Kat how to draw and about famous artists, all while still watching Disney movies with her -- though Kat would loudly pointed out that the guys weren’t that great. Her mom signed her up for ballet lessons, ice skating lessons, and made sure she practiced every day for her piano lessons. While Kat loved spending time with her dad and even eagerly learned about cars at his garage, she just wasn’t as close to him as she was to her mom. Hey, that’s what you’d expect when her mom was the one who took her to all her lessons and picked her up from school.
So Kat knew something was up when her dad was the one picking her up after school one day in fourth grade when she was just nine years old. She wearily walked over to him knowing, even at her young age, that something was terribly wrong. And as soon as Kat asked what was wrong, her dad, who had always been so strong and brave, burst into tears. Her mom had been in a car accident and died on impact. A broken-hearted Burt half-heartedly sued the driver of the other car, winning tens of thousands of dollars he put in savings for Kat, but nothing could heal the damage that had been done to their family.
Of course, school just had to find a way to make that even worse. One of her first days back after her mom’s funeral, Kat hugged one of her friends in the restroom and tried not to cry. Apparently the angles of their heads made it look like they were kissing, and even though they were only in fourth grade, rumors spread and Kat and her friend were mocked for being gay. And when Kat learned what that meant, it made the mocking sting even more, since she realized that she might’ve actually kissed her friend in another circumstance. Her friend ended up transferring schools for the next school year, and Kat spent her tenth birthday without her mom and without a real birthday party.
Things changed that summer, though. Kat’s cousin Marley Rose and her mom moved into the Hummel house. Kat had tried to cook and clean, but seeing as she was so young, she wasn’t really successful. Millie Rose, Marley’s mother and Liz’s half-sister, was having difficulties just keeping up with rent and utilities. So the arrangement was supposed to help the Roses get on their feet and help the broken hearted Hummels through a tough time, but they just ended up staying together. And while it took a little while for Kat to warm up to Marley after everything that happened in the past few months, they soon became fast friends that bonded over music, Disney, and writing. Marley didn’t even care what anyone at school said about Kat, telling her she didn’t even see the big deal if she had kissed that girl anyways, which made Kat feel better than she had that whole year.
The two grew closer and closer over the years, really behaving more like sisters than cousins. In some ways they were like a typical nuclear family, since Kat could go to Millie for motherly advice and Burt would jokingly threaten to disown Marley whenever she wore her University of Nebraska spirit wear (her mom was a longtime Cornhusker fan and raised her daughter to be the same, even though Burt was, of course, a KU Jayhawks fan). Kat might not have understood sports, but she understood that family teasing.
Over the years, they both got into more activities, both together and separate, and Kat developed some confidence. So, after years of soul searching, she finally sat Marley down before their sophomore year of high school, both of them deciding to share a secret. Marley admitted, with excitement, that she had started writing songs, and while Kat was excited about that and wanted to see them, Marley asked Kat what secret she wanted to share. While Kat emphasized that she hadn’t kissed that girl, she was, in fact, a lesbian. Marley was, of course, very supportive and accepting. And, after a few days, she admitted she kind of had a feeling. Whatever feeling she had was apparently shared by Millie and Kat’s dad, since neither seemed too surprised. That was kind of weird to Kat, since she didn’t get what seemed gay about her past her short nails (which she learned was a thing, but she only really kept them short so she could play piano when she wanted to), but it was better than being disowned or anything.
That year, Kat worked on coming out, and while some guys were jerks about it and some girls started covering themselves in the locker rooms, Kat was flourishing. However, Marley wasn’t. Kat had been worried about her for months, especially when she fainted at school. Then Kat found her best friend bent over a toilet with her fingers down her throat, and Kat sprung into action. She told their parents, and all three of them got Marley to start therapy.
Kat had already lost her mom, her first best friend, to something she couldn’t prevent; she wasn’t going to lose Marley to something that she could prevent. So Kat was attentive to everything, researched every aspect of eating disorders, and watched Marley like a hawk. When it came time to apply for colleges, Kat was relieved that Marley applied to schools in New York, too. She didn’t like the idea of the girl not being by her side; not only did she want to keep an eye on her, but she couldn’t think of anyone she’d rather have as her roommate in the Big Apple.
♫ She said spread your wings, my little butterfly ♫
Deciding on a school was a hard choice for Kat. For years Kat juggled a love and passion for both fashion and music, but she knew pursuing both career paths wasn’t realistic. After a lot of soul searching, Kat ended up choosing to go to Parsons to major in fashion design. She decided music was something she wanted to do, but fashion was what she needed to do, either by being a designer or running Vogue. So Kat would sketch and create outfits, often using Marley as her model, while Marley would write songs. Eventually Marley started bringing over her friend Norah Puckerman to help with the songwriting process, and Kat slowly started to befriend her as well, even if the two of them wouldn’t admit it at first.
Since Marley started hanging out more with Norah, Kat found her own thing: YouTube. During her freshman year, Kat started her own channel called Kat’s Korner. She started simple by doing some makeup tutorials, but when she did her first skin care tutorial, she started to really get some followers (there was a reason her skin was always on point). Kat went on to give fashion and life advice, while also showcasing a lot of Marley and even Norah. She came out after some speculation from her fans, because she wanted them to know she was proud of her sexuality, though she rarely talked about her love life on the channel.
That was partly because her love life was basically non-existent. She dated one girl in high school, but they broke up shortly after Kat moved to New York. After that, it seemed impossible to find anyone who interested her who was interested back. Tinder was full of creepy guys wanting threesomes and girls who just wanted a fling. She was too scared to get a fake ID to go to a gay bar, so that never happened. It was depressing, so she threw herself into school and her YouTube channel, and then when Marley asked if she’d join her band, Kat threw herself into that as well. She occasionally dated around, but just never found anyone that sparked her interest enough for her to slow down and try to date them for real. It was better too busy to try to date than have to deal with rejection or failure. 
Soon after Kat, Marley, and Norah joined forces, they held auditions and found Quinn Fabray. After that, Kat’s life was a blur of school, YouTube, and The Sirens. Her channel often featured her bandmates in interviews or vlogs, which helped promote them and get them bigger and better gigs in New York. They were starting to actually be fairly successful, and Kat loved having a life where she could pursue fashion and music.
Of course, she’d always pick fashion in the end. When her senior year approached, she was optimistic that her increasing level of YouTube fame (which, by the way, definitely helped pay the bills) would help her get a job in fashion. Kat started filling out applications for Vogue and some fashion lines in between homework and band gigs.
But instead of getting an interview for Vogue, Sabrina Smythe came to one of their performances and The Sirens got a recording contract.
It wasn’t really what Kat expected. She almost wasn’t sure if she wanted it. She loved performing and, again, she had wanted to pursue that along with fashion, but she decided fashion was her first and true love. After years of dedicating herself primarily to fashion, she wasn’t sure she was ready to go to music as her main career. Of course, Kat realized it would be dumb to turn down the job, so she signed on and, of course, promoted the album to her followers. And their self-titled debut album was a huge hit, definitely partly due to Kat’s fans.
Once she graduated college and the album had been out for a while, the band went on tour. Kat’s YouTube page got even more hits, and when the media found out she was gay, she suddenly became an inspiration and a role model. That and her love of fashion got her involved in some solo ads and photoshoots and she even got to write a guest article in Vogue like some god damn fairy tale dream come true. She would always joke that she felt like the Pete Wentz of the group; she was the bassist who a lot of people seemed to know, and she also used to have romantic feelings for Ashlee Simpson. 
Now that the second album is out and the tour is about to start, Kat’s excited to see how it goes. She’s also nervous since, well, a few companies have reached out to her about starting a fashion line. This has been her dream for years, so she wants to make sure every design she creates is absolutely perfect. Combine that stress with traveling, performance nerves, Marley worries, Quinn/Norah worries, YouTube videos (Sabrina insists she keeps doing them), and the fact that she has to deal with all the pressures of being the “out” member of the band...let’s just say that Kat has a bit of a short fuse at the moment. Stir in the fact that her dad convinced her to hire her stepsister as their tour drummer, and you have a recipe for disaster.
♫ Don’t let what they say keep you up at night ♫
Marley Rose: What can Katrina Hummel say about Marley Rose? It’s really almost too simple: Marley is truly Kat’s best friend. Marley saved Kat from a lifetime of loneliness, and Kat will always be grateful for her; she gave her confidence and stuck by her side when no one else their age did. She’s not sure if she would have survived her schooling years if Marley hadn’t moved into her room. Yeah, they annoyed and still annoy each other like any sisters do (and, truly, they’re sisters at this point, not cousins), but they love each other. Although it’s been years since Marley developed her eating disorder and she hasn’t relapsed, Kat has been terrified of losing her since, and, okay, she can admittedly be a bit too protective of the girl. How could she not be when losing her would mean losing her best friend and confidant? Marley knows everything there is to know about Kat...except that whole Sabrina thing. Regardless, Marley is the most important person in Kat’s life, and after years of worrying about and protecting her, Kat can’t just turn that fear off. She even sat Norah down for a talk about watching Marley when the two decided to move in together, but she stills worries...even if it’s nice to have her own space for the first time in years in her very fancy (if small) studio apartment.
Norah Puckerman: When Kat first met Norah, they did not get along, but they’ve since found common ground and a true friendship. They have a lot of fun teasing and bickering with each other and fighting over what movies to watch when they all hang out and making sure Marley makes good decisions (even if Norah suggests tequila shots time to time), and, okay, they sound like they’re married...whatever. Their friendship reached another turning point during the creation of Persephone in the Underworld. The two of them spent a lot of late nights writing out lyrics and harmonies, each of them pushing the other while laughing over late Chinese delivery food. She also gave Norah a big speech on watching over Marley when the two decided to move in together, and Kat’s been impressed with how much Norah’s been watching over her. They’d always been friends, but now there’s an additional level of respect between the two of them. Kat’s intrigued to spend more time with her, since they’re bunking together on this one. Sabrina also wants Kat to tutor Norah on proper interview etiquette whenever she can, but she’s not sure Norah’s going to like that part very much, and even Kat doubts she can get Norah to control her tongue. And it’s probably a sign that Kat has spent too much time with her when she starts to joke about how she must be the first girl who wanted Norah to not use her tongue, huh? Well...it’s a funny joke, and Kat can admit that, if it wasn’t for the potential drama, she wouldn’t be completely against something like that happening once or twice. But she thinks Norah deserves something more than just a hook-up, though she’s not sure Norah agrees with her.
Quinn Fabray: First of all, Quinn is literally the prettiest girl in the world, so jot that down. But seriously, the first thing Kat noticed about Quinn was how attractive she was. She marched into their audition (in a fantastic outfit, Kat would add), and then she was good on top of it. Kat and Quinn quickly bonded over fashion and makeup, something they seemed to have more in common than the others - Marley dressed well and Norah could put together a nice smoky eye, but neither of them had as similar of styles as Kat and Quinn. Kat loves Quinn with all her heart, and Quinn seems to be the only person who gets Kat to calm down her Marley stresses, since sometimes she seems like the only person Marley listens to at all. In return, Kat’s always there for Quinn when she needs to talk about her family or sexuality issues. They’re both, of course, completely comfortable deciding on the outfits the band will wear for performances together. It’s a true sign of trust that Kat would let anyone help with that.
Sabrina Smythe: So, remember Kat’s love life? Well, being famous makes dating hard enough, but it’s even harder when you’re a gay woman, so your dating pool is already limited. It’s even harder when you hooked up with your manager who hates commitment and now wants to be all “professional” with you. Kat hasn’t told anyone what happened between the two of them the night of their album release party...or that they’ve hooked up a couple of other times since then. Hey, Kat might look innocent, but she likes sex, okay? They both haven’t hooked up for months, which is good, because Kat knows the two of them wouldn’t work in the long run. Or, well, at least she tells herself that; Kat’s not sure she’s entirely convinced herself. But, then again, she also knows after years of not dating, she probably isn’t the best judge of a good relationship anyways.
Kitty Wilde: The high school version of Kat would never have seen herself befriending Kitty Wilde. Kitty, while fashionable and snarky, is also a God-fearing Christian, and Kat is very much an atheist. Just from knowing what she did about Quinn’s family, Kat was a bit wary about getting to know her. But when push comes to shove, Kat will try to get along with most people, especially people who happen to be playing with the band on tour (Kitty’s playing drums for their set since they don’t have an official drummer). The two ended up bonding over similar interests in celebrities, fashion, and, of course, the awful feline puns that came with their names. Honestly, try being a lesbian with the nickname “Kat”; she’s pretty sure the only name that would be worse is something like “Pussy Galore”. Anyways, Kitty quickly got a spot on Kat’s channel and the two embraced their names to start doing vlogs and instagram posts together labeled #KittyKat or #KitKat, though they worry people will see that trending and assume it’s about the candy. Anyways, the two have developed a fast friendship, and Kitty has promised to help with Kat’s channel, which she honestly needs to survive this tour. Kitty is one of the few people on tour who's actually getting her to relax.
Santana Lopez: Kat knows that she does what she does well, and not just when it comes to instruments. She has the highest follower count of everyone on tour, she does the most Q&As, and she makes videos constantly. She’s also possibly the best known member of the band and has branched out the most. So, of course, Santana loves her for that. And as Kat learned about Santana, Kat started to really like her and admire her social media status. While the two can butt heads, the two of them respect each other a lot and it’s nice. At least someone on their managerial team actually respects her.
Jackie Puckerman: Between KittyKat, her fashion line, the music rehearsals, and her own drama, Kat hasn’t had time to keep up with all the gossip as much as she normally would. And that means she hasn’t gotten to know Jackie too well. But, weirdly, whenever their conversations happen, Jackie seems to bring up Norah. And given her complicated feelings about that subject, she’s not necessarily into talking about it with someone she doesn’t know that well. Or, then again, maybe someone on the outside looking in can offer a better perspective. She’s still debating.
Rachel Berry: Rachel is so talented. Honestly, she gave Kat chills when she first heard her sing on “Stars in the Sky”, and that was their first take! Really, that’s all Kat knows about Rachel from in-person interactions. Of course, now she’s heard so many stories and praises from Kitty that she really wants to get to know her better. Kat assumes that any friend of both Quinn and Kitty is a friend of hers, but the two have never really gotten to talk much. Kat doesn’t want to push her into being friends or anything, but actually having a full conversation with her would be nice, especially since Kat’s getting so close to Kitty nowadays. She assumes Rachel would feel the same way about it, even if she seems a bit mean about it. 
Blair Anderson: Kat and Blair have an…interesting relationship. At first the two of them got along, because they do have some similar interests - singing, musical theater, all of that. And maybe there was some flirting, but for Kat, it was all in hopes of making Sabrina a little jealous. She’d look back over at Sabrina every time Blair made her laugh and hope to get a response, but she never got it. And, yes, she felt bad about doing it and stopped, eventually. Now the two are somewhat friendly, but Kat doesn’t fully trust anyone who spends that much time with both her stepsister and Sam. Then again, Blair is also sisters with the Best Looking Woman in North America (which, come on, everyone calls her), which intrigues Kat some more...but pointing that out seemed to piss Blair off for whatever dumb reason.
Sam Evans: Sam is sweet, dorky, and, honestly, she makes Kat laugh a lot. Hell, she even does a good Bella Swan impression, which should really be impossible (and it’s a bit hot when you’re a gay girl who’s always been into Kristen Stewart and considered yourself Alice Cullen and, seriously, Alice/Bella would’ve been perfect). In any other situation, Sam would be someone Kat would crush on, or at least be really close friends with...but that’s unfortunately not the case. Kat has noticed the tension between Sam and Sabrina, and it’s obviously very sexual. She has no idea what’s actually going on between those two, but she’s suspicious. Kat’s keeping an eye on Sam, since she’s not sure how she feels about Sam and Sabrina possibly having something - especially since Sabrina insisted she wouldn’t pursue Kat because of their professional relationship. 
Fiona Hudson: Kat had a crush on Fiona in high school, okay? Yeah, it’s dumb because, while she’s pretty, she’s a huge dork and the only reason Kat liked her was because she was actually nice to her. While Kat got friends throughout high school, she was still mocked and bullied a lot. Fiona was her knight in flannel armor, the girl she liked from afar. But then Kat got a girlfriend and she eventually moved on...only for Fiona to move into her house and become her stepsister and bond with her father. While Kat had grown up sharing her father with Marley, seeing someone else get along so well with Burt hurt. Seeing how much Fiona and Burt laughed and joked together when Kat helped plan the wedding tore her up. They never laughed and talked like that. And then her father had the nerve to ask her to get her a job? Kat did it, though she made sure she would not play drums for her band. Fiona couldn’t have everything that was hers...until their initial tour drummer had to drop. Kat tried her best to persuade them to use Kitty for both sets, but Sabrina said it would be too hard on Kitty and the band was afraid it would make their set suffer and couldn’t Fiona just play their rather simple beats? Kat is furious about the situation, but she’s good at hiding how she feels by just putting on a smile and saying she’s joking. And at least it’s not like Fiona’s joining the band, right?
♫ And they can’t detain you, ‘cause wings are made to fly ♫
How do you feel about being publicly out while Quinn and Norah aren’t?
[answer here]
Have you ever considered quitting the band to focus on fashion?
[answer here]
JBI asks: If you could give anyone on tour a makeover, who would it be?
[answer here]
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