#i based the info off my college applied music requirements so take it with a grain of salt </3

[wuahae]

how about.... woozi + 'meet ugly' lol

LMAO...... extremely fitting for him i must admit

woozi + meet ugly

"jeonghan, you don't get it," you stress, taking another swig of your coffee. "i'm so serious. jihoon hates me, i just know it."

the noise of the dining hall during lunchtime rush hour has jeonghan popping an airpod out of his ear, his other hand reaching over to steal a tater tot from your lunch tray. "sorry, say that again?"

"jeonghan!" your woes bounce right off of him, stuck buried into the palms of your hands as you groan, clutching your head. "you're not even listening to me!"

"kidding, kidding," he teases lightly, taking a sip of his own coffee. decaf, obviously. lucky bastard. "who is this guy, anyway?"

lee jihoon, applied music major with a focus in composition, the source of your agony, a man you're 100% sure you would've never crossed paths with if not for the fact that every music major was required to take at least 60 credits outside of the music department. and it just so happened that one of those classes had to be one of yours. CMS 220: writing in media and cinema studies.

"i didn't even mean to debate with him," you say, insistent. "but it was a socratic seminar! what else was i supposed to do, not say anything?" popping a tater tot in your mouth, you wave your arms for emphasis. "you know how strict professor lee is with participation!"

"i told you not to take that class," jeonghan chided. "you're literally chugging your third coffee of the day and it's barely even 2."

"this isn't about me!"

jeonghan rolls his eyes goodnaturedly. "so what, you countered his answer during a socratic and now you think he hates your guts?"

"not think, jeonghan. i know."

the dirty look he had given you once class had ended was enough to have you walking on eggshells every time you saw him the rest of the week. not to mention, the way he'd looked down at his notes every time you spoke up during the socratic seminar today in class.

"maybe he just wanted to review his notes?"

"you should have seen the way he side-eyed me." you pause, taking another sip of your coffee as you drum your fingers against the table. maybe the caffeine was getting to you. "it's not even my fault. he's the one who chose to die on that hill."

who even argues that reality is objective in a unit about the multiverse anyway?

"uh huh." jeonghan checks his phone for the time, and you peer over to read the upside-down numbers. 2:15. just the amount of time needed to have a relaxed walk to your next class. scooching the chair out, you sling your backpack on one shoulder, gathering the napkins and empty trays into one pile.

"why do you care so much, anyway? isn't he just some guy?"

knitting your eyebrows together, you stop at the edge of the table. "i mean. yeah. but you know i don't like it when someone doesn't like me."

"it sounds like you don't even like him though?"

"that's different." you would have liked him fine if he didn't give you a stink eye at 8:30 in the morning.

tossing the rest of your empty tray in the trash, you sigh, shaking your coffee slightly. most of the ice had already melted. you crane your neck back to look at jeonghan as you walk towards the door. "in any case, i really just need to get past this semester. this class is honestly the least of my worries, and so is—"

jeonghan manages to get out a faint "uh—" before it all explodes. it being your half-empty iced coffee, à la crashing straight into the other person opening the door. the other person being jihoon, his white shirt and nice slacks all stained with your watered-down double shot espresso.

you stare blankly at him, mouth gaping. coffee drips from your hand to the floor. "i have to go to class," you blurt out, hand slapping over your mouth the second you do. fuck.

well. if he didn't hate you before, lee jihoon definitely hates you now.

#trope ask game #i based the info off my college applied music requirements so take it with a grain of salt </3 #BTW AS ITS DONE....im not even sure if this counts as a meet ugly . #but erm.....hope you like it anyway 😭 #jihoon x reader #woozi x reader

[duck-duck-me]

Job Application Tips

So as somebody who had to take a class on professionalism, and has been through the job application cycle in my field a couple times I figured I would write down some of the things that I have learned about job applications, professionalism, etc. especially in light of the fact that we are getting jobs in the new age of tech and our parents might not be able to give us accurate advice. So here is a bunch of advice that I wish somebody had given me in high school. 

Resumes:

Your resume doesn’t just need former jobs and work experience. You can and should have: 

 your education/ degrees

relevant job experience — this can be internships and volunteer positions

relevant organizations and community programs — are you a scout? are you a part of a community outreach group? are you in a band? is there a club in college that’s important to you? These all show skill or personality traits that look attractive in a candidate

relevant course work — this is especially important for students who may not have a lot of job experience. it lets you show that you know what you are doing

relevant projects— yes you can put projects (I didn’t know this until last year) Maybe you did an episode of a podcast, or a short film on how DNA unzips, or maybe you mixed and mastered your friend’s album. These really wouldn’t count as job experience but they can help you with an application. they show skill and dedication to ones work.

relevant skills — Do you speak another language? Do you know a programming language? Are there any softwares that you know how to use? are you good at public speaking and/or teamwork?

Resumes should only be a page long, so format is really important— google drive has a couple of really good layout templates and here is a link to the layout that I use (feel free to use it if you want)

Customize your resume for each job. Different jobs will want different things from you, so you can change up the projects, skills and coursework that you put on each resume (This past year I had visibly different resumes that I used for different positions within the same company)

Make a “Master Resume” with every job and organization, all of your coursework that applies to your field, every big project, and lists of skills. Save it as master resume on you computer, or drive. When you apply for a job, you can make a copy of this and just delete out anything that isn’t relevant. Update this often!

Set up a linkedin profile, it allows you to follow companies, connect with other professionals, quick apply for jobs, and acts like a big online resume. Its like a professional facebook without your aunt’s comments and minion memes.

If you are in a project based field like me (Audio engineering) such as, art, photography, film, journalism, or music set up an online portfolio of your best work. You can use google sites for free. Put that link on your linked in and on the top of your resume (most are sent in digitally now anyways). Update it whenever you do something new. This lets people actually see/hear your work. 

DO NOT lie on your resume, they will find out.

Interviews:

Dress nicely for interviews even if they are on Skype or on the phone. (it is always better to be over dressed than under dressed). There is a confidence that comes with wearing a pair of slacks that even extends over the phone. 

Always wear pants on a Skype interview, they might ask you to write something on the whiteboard behind you with the express reason of seeing if you bothered to wear pants!

If you are presenting as a woman, wear makeup to an interview. Women who wear makeup are more likely to get a job than those who do not (I know its bad right?)

Style your hair professionally, even if it is just a ponytail or bun. Looking polished is especially important if you have an unnatural hair color. (when I had blue hair my go to was to straighten my hair and pull it into a sleek ponytail).

Prep for your interview the night before. 

This means go over the resume and cover letter that you sent in, and any other application materials, and be ready for any questions about that material that may come your way. You will get asked about why you chose your college, and why you want this job, and what your biggest weakness is. Think of good answers that paint you in a good way or show off your priorities, they want to see that you care.

Look up the company on glassdoor, they will often post interview questions.

Interviewers will often ask you practical skills questions (I get asked about microphones and what I should do if they break).

You will get asked about a time you worked on a team, just paint yourself in a positive light and talk about your skills in a team and what you bring to a group (are you a good communicator, a good leader?)

 be ready for curve ball questions, weird ones that show your personality more than your skill. Here are a few that I have gotten:

If you won the lottery tomorrow what would you do?

 If you were a fruit what kind of fruit would you be and why?

 What is a piece of media that influenced your career path?

 What is your favorite movie/TV show/Band? Why? (The why is a tricky thing)

You might be given a test of practical skill, a problem to solve, a listening quiz or some sort of visual test, it’s to make sure you can actually do what you have told them. Be ready for these things.

Your interviewer will always end the interview by asking you if you have any questions. You should always ask something, it shows interest. If you don’t have a real question, here are a few cop-outs that work.

what is the work/social environment here like? 

What is your favorite part of working here?

What is the typical day of somebody in the position that I’m applying for? 

Send thank you notes after interviews!!! I can’t emphasize this enough. It shows that you actually cared, and it leaves a positive image of you in the interviewers mind.

Correspondance :

Have a professional signature with your contact info in your emails. 

Letters of inquiry can be really good if a company doesn’t have an online job portal— there is nothing wrong with direct contact, and some times if you are lucky you will get a direct opportunity to interview.

Follow up! If they don’t get back to you in the timeframe that they gave you, write a polite email asking for an update

Some companies will never get back to you (big ones like Universal Studios, and Disney don’t have time for everyone, and they are pretty up front about it) don’t let it discourage you.

Other stuff:

Professionalism is pretty relative depending on where you work and the most obvious example of this is how you dress. Certain jobs (like the one I have now) will let you get away with jeans and a t-shirt, while others require you to wear a suit. Dress the way that your co workers dress.

That being said, if you are unsure of the difference between business casual and business professional, or just want an idea of how to shop for professional clothes, here is a link to a really good powerpoint about how to dress professionally for work (its like 8 years old so the trends are a little out of style but it is still a solid guide)

Remember to dress practically for your job, this is important especially with shoes, a solid black canvas sneaker can pass for a dress shoe from afar 

This is gonna sound bad, but use every connection you have to your advantage. Have somebody you know on the inside put in a good word for you. Ask professors and old coworkers to get you in touch with employers. Take advantage of nepotism (if a family member can help get you a job in your field take advantage of that).

If a job posting asks you to know how to use a software, download the free version and pull an all nighter, I did that with logic and adobe premier.

code academy is a great (free) place to learn some basic coding languages very quickly, and slack exchange has coding practice problems for a bunch of languages — You don’t need a formal class to learn a  programming language.

Job postings are often looking for “Unicorn Candidates” nobody has all of the qualifications, and if they do, that company probably can’t afford them, so apply if you have at least 60% of what they ask for.

In other words don’t be afraid of being under qualified, if worst comes to worst you don’t get the job.

If you have the ability to accept an unpaid job, DO IT. You will get experience in your field, business connections, and even a few fun stories.

unpaid jobs are often only part time too, so you will have the time to pick up a part time position that does pay you.

another note on unpaid jobs-- if a company is not paying you they technically are not allowed to make you clean or get them coffee, that being said that is how almost 100% internships work. Just make sure you are going to get to do some relevant work and that you are going to be learning something-- if you wanted to be a secretary you could go get a paying position doing that. 

Don’t get discouraged if you don’t get the jobs you want. I applied for 27 summer jobs, I got interviews for 10, and an offer from 1. Most of the students in my program applied for upwards of 10 jobs, and not all of us got something.

Feel free to add anything else that you think people should know!

#mine #advice #jobs #resume #job application #good luck my dudes #adulating advice

[faultystart]

sam’s guide to college apps

note: all of this is based on my experiences! i’m a soon-to-be college freshman who just went through the application process--i’m not an expert or anything! that being said, if you have questions for me about my application process or anything related, feel free to ask! also, this is super long, but i hope you find the advice in it very helpful :)

step one: figuring out which colleges to apply to

perhaps one of the most time consuming steps in the college application process is figuring out what schools you want to apply to! here are my tips from narrowing your potential college list from a few thousand to less than twenty (though i suggest you compile a list of around 7-10 schools to begin with)

- figure out what you want in a college! if you have absolutely no idea what you want in a college, i suggest you visit some close to your home. first compile a list of what objective things you like about a school (location, size, majors offered, etc). also make sure that you could afford the school (use net price calculators to get a rough estimate of how much financial aid a school may give you).

-hopefully, now you’ve narrowed your college list down to a more manageable list of schools! now that you have a list of schools that look good to you on the surface, it’s time to delve deeper. if your school has naviance or something similar, take a look at the stats for applicants. if your school doesn’t (or if you want another source for data), look up common data sets for the range to stats of accepted students. take note of the test scores and other numbers for accepted applicants.

-now it’s time to narrow your list further! ideally, you want to have a few schools you’re likely to get into, a bunch of schools you may or may not get into (around 50/50 chances), and some schools where you could possibly get into (but it’s a long shot). 

-so now you have a list! i suggest you double/triple check the schools to make sure they offer your major, are financially feasible, etc. 

step two: filling out the common app/applications, and other stuff

-for the most part, the common app (which you’ll probably be using), is easy to fill out. the common app website has answers to some frequently asked questions, so you can look there for clarification and help.

-something that i struggled with while filling the common app were the extracurricular descriptions. my advice: describe what you did! if you were club head, what tasks did you do as club head? what did you achieve? space is limited, so don’t be afraid to use choppy sentences, and a little wonky grammar (i omitted subjects and articles when i thought the meaning was clear).

-also: don’t feel obligated to fill up all the extracurricular spots. put the stuff that really matters to you. you can also put things that may not be traditionally considered extracurriculars (like some hobbies--training for a 5k, for example. you could also put down babysitting your siblings or something).

-there will be room in an additional information section where you can explain things! don’t use it as an additional essay space though! for example, you can use the additional info section to explain extenuating circumstances, elaborate on extracurriculars, explain an award, etc. i used the additional information section to clarify that i dropped an extracurricular halfway through the year.

-if you haven’t asked teachers for recommendations, ask them NOW!!! If you don’t know who to ask for recommendations, asking a humanities/social studies teacher and a stem teacher should be pretty good. but it’s ok if you don’t! you can ask two stem teachers or two humanities teachers--just check the requirements of the schools you’re applying to and double check there are no requirements on recommendations. (i learned that the hard way with georgetown when i needed to ask my spanish teacher for a last-minute teacher recommendation)

step three: essays

-in my honest opinion, essays (especially when your stats are slightly sub-par for a school, or when you’re applying to a top school) are much more important than you think! 

-some of you can crank out essays in a flash, and some of you take a while to write an essay. that’s ok! college essays are very different than the essays you’re used to writing in school. you may have heard this before, but show, don’t tell! that doesn’t mean use purple prose, but don’t just say that something happened or you felt a certain way.

-generally, when you write a college essay, you want to start with an anecdote of sorts, something that is interesting enough you don’t lose the reader’s attention, yet still relevant to the topic. for example, i started an essay with “music is my time machine”, it was an essay about music and memory, and how listening to a certain song brings me back to when i was nine and listening to that song for the first time. (hope you guys didn’t mind me using my essays as examples)

-after your little anecdote, you want to get into the meat of the essay: answering the question. personally, i prefer to use one or two anecdotes to answer a personal essay question, but for ‘why school/major’ essays, it’s easier just to explain. 

-after answering the question, if i have some word space left over, i’ll try to come back to the anecdote again! keep in mind though, you do not need to follow this structure i suggested here! college essays are a place to show who you are--don’t let someone else’s suggestions dictate what you say.

-that being said, you do want some other people to look over your essays. they may catch some funky grammar or weird sentences that you don’t see. i found i got the best feedback when my friends looked over my essays! as the college app season gets closer and people start writing essays, i may be willing to look over some people’s if they’d like me to ;)

-speaking of essays, the common app essay is a bit special. it’s super important, since it is sent to all your essays. since the prompts are so open ended, finding the topic/what you’ll write about can be really tricky. I suggest you think of one of two qualities you really want to shine through in your essay, and think of some anecdotes that showcase these character traits. (this is also good advice on brainstorming what to write about in general)

-sam’s special tip for writing a good essay that’s ‘you’: write out an essay without really thinking hard about what you say. i found the essays that best conveyed a passion or were the most ‘me’ were the essays that were almost a stream-of-consciousness. don’t worry about word count or grammar or word choice--first, just get your ideas on the page.

part 5: miscellaneous

-while websites like collegeconfidential and r/applyingtocollege can be kinda toxic and nasty (and make you feel insecure about your accomplishments--avoid the collegeconfidential ‘chance me’ forums), they are also great resources. on r/applyingtocollege, you can find bits of advice from admissions officers and people much more experienced on college admissions/applications than i am

-in the whirlwind of first semester senior year and college applications, take some time to relax!

-don’t procrastinate. don’t do it, please. you will regret it when it’s winter break and you’re scrambling to finish 5 essays in two days.

-know your deadlines!!! some people find it handy to keep all information in a google spreadsheet or something, but i preferred to keep dates in a physical one.

-send in test scores asap!!! check each college’s website to find out their act/sat code, make use of the free score reports you get after the sat, and triple check if that college requires you to send in all scores or not.

part 6: some last notes

-a bit about me, for reference: i’ll be attending nyu, but i was accepted to a total of 7 schools (accepted off the waitlist at one of them--a top 20 university). i was waitlisted then rejected at two other top 20 universities, and rejected at a lot of colleges (so i have a bunch of experience dealing with that). 

-if you made it all the way through this overly long, somewhat rambling post, thank you so much for reading this!! like i mentioned up above, feel free to shoot me any questions you have about my college app experiences, applying to college, etc! i love to give advice to others :”)

#college #college apps #appblr #studyblr #my content #advice #masterpost #tips #college applications #warning: long post #i hope yall find it helpful bc i spent like 3 hours on this thing

[helmes-deep]

Quickie LONG UPDATE!! (on my life lol)

I FINALLY GOT THE RESULTS BACK FROM A $300 teachers’ test and I PASSED WOOOOOOOOOOT HAHAHA I’M SO HAPPY $300 NOT WASTED LOL *CRIES*

Well, at least for my state. Who knows if I’ll ever have to take that horrendous thing again should I ever choose to move to another state or get back into the teaching profession after having left for a bit... Granted, I didn’t get the score I think I was truly capable of (I totally last-minuted this whole thing and stayed up for 72+ hours finishing it lol PLEASE PLEASE DON’T EVER BE LIKE ME AND PUT YOURSELF IN A POSITION WHERE YOU HAVE TO STAY AWAKE FOR 3 DAYS STRAIGHT TO FINISH A FINAL THAT IS MY LIFE ADVICE), but I did pass it based on the score required by my state, so I honestly couldn’t be any happier. All that’s standing between me and getting a real job now is waiting for my university to finally award me my degree in a few weeks so that I can apply for a teacher’s certificate and finally get to do what I can’t wait to start doing again – teaching!! 🌠 💖 😄

In other news, I actually survived! and completed!! my student teaching; it all actually officially ended in the middle of last month. After my student teaching ended, I focused on finishing up final tests/projects (including that $300 test) before graduating with a bachelor’s degree in English Education from my uni about 2 weeks ago. Since then, I’ve been applying for jobs and hoping for an offer soon, hopefully at a high school!! Thinking back over my college experience, I wouldn’t say it’s been a really “crazy” four years (except for this year LOL. Man, these past two semesters were WILD and took SO MUCH out of me. I still get super-exhausted thinking about how I got through my student teaching N E V E R  A G A I N HAHA :V). I’ve never been the group’s social butterfly, even though I highly crave social interaction and approval/feedback (not in a desperate sense, but I know I’m the type of person that needs social interaction in order to thrive, even if I might not be the one to initiate it). I have, however, learned a little about a lot of things, especially during this past year and semester LOL AGAIN: N E V E R  A G A I N HAHA :VVV and especially, I think, in regard to myself. As a teacher, I’ve learned that I suck at classroom management. I’m just way too laissez faire, which comes off as “too nice” and therefore just allows any group of your regular hormonal and rebellious-leaning teenagers to go bonkers and take over my class lawl. Hopefully that changes *very* soon once I get my own classroom (and I’m working on it!!), but looking back, I suppose I could have been a bit more firm about keeping my presence (it also doesn’t help that I’m like 5′3″ lol!!). As a general person, I have also learned that I SUCK at making and keeping social discourse lol. Like, not just suck at it, but suckkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk haha. First, not having a phone really makes it hard to make or keep in touch with any friends that a person intends to make. With a lack of a personal device or one of your basic social media accounts, I realized how hard it was to maintain a social network within a very digitally-connected world. Second, I realized that I’m probably a lot more cautious, super-conscious, introverted, and a bit inexperienced than I perhaps originally thought I was. Like, if I was in high school, I recognized that I would probably have been the super-quiet kid who would have had a lot of trouble making friends in class. I then realized that a lot of these previously mentioned personality quirks were probably a part of what was keeping me from fostering more intimate relationships or developing a more leader-driven personality, which sometimes heavily affected my classroom management. I’m not saying I necessarily need to change as a person, but I do believe I need to find ways in which I can become more involved and confident. Ironically, I thought it was interesting to note that a lot of my personality was – though not intentionally – perhaps keeping me from finding that deeper social interaction that I previously mentioned craving.

All that being said, I am fairly proud of how far I’ve come and how much I’ve accomplished this year as a student teacher, especially considering this was my first time taking over a class (3, actually!!) after having never really been inside a high school since I was homeschooled from 7th to 12th grade. I am, however, really proud of how I tried as much as I could to put the students with whom I was working with first, including incorporating their interests and academic needs/desires. I know my experience as a student teacher was not perfect, but I am very glad I got to work through all the challenges that came with and almost die doing it. I’ve also definitely found a bit of who I want to be as a future teacher. I know I want to be someone who is able to successfully make the classroom a place where my students can experience relevant life issues through writing or reading, and if nothing else, that had made this entire experience totally worth it.

... Which brings me to the future of this blog haha. Unfortunately, I don’t think I’ll be as active on Tumblr as I was before :c For one thing, I realized over the course of this year that Tumblr was definitely taking up way too much of my life lol (literally took me hours to get through 24+ hours’ worth of posts, and I was only following like 300 blogs). Being a bit OCD, I don’t like breaking my Tumblr cycle and only shuffling through a random number posts, despite the fact that I can’t be up 24/7 lol; I just don’t like not getting the full picture on everything and acting on/reblogging things without all of the complete info. As a result, I would rather not break my 24/7+ Tumblr cycle than to start it again at all :c Secondly, I’m kind of sad to say that, as of recently, I haven’t been keeping up with K-pop as much as I used to. It’s not that I’ve necessarily lost interest in it (K-pop is still like 85% of what I listen to lol), but I certainly haven’t been keeping up with it as closely as I used to. For instance, I have no idea what’s going on with B1A4 right now, haven’t watched BTS’s new self-made MV for “Spine Breaker,” and haven’t gotten around to watching the last teaser for SEVENTEEN’s upcoming ALONE?? comeback (featuring our wonderful leader S.Coups :p). It’s not that I’ve completely dropped everything K-pop or have become totally disinterested; I still very much keep up with the latest comebacks and listen to whatever piques my interest. It’s just that I don’t know if I want to get so re-invested with all of the details surrounding K-pop again (tbh Tumblr gave me so much info on my favorite K-pop groups; I seriously regret missing all of the amazing shots of my biases’ beautiful faces that I’ve probably missed leol), or maybe I just need a good break from it all before starting again. Most likely, I’d say my small distance from my favorite pastime has mostly happened because I now have more things to do or think about atm haha, and just don’t really have any time right now to enjoy all of the K-dynamics that are happening behind the music. I don’t think I’ll ever give up listening to K-pop anytime soon though; like I’ve said before, I’m still very much keeping up with and enjoying whatever’s coming out right now.

Sooooo at this point, I’m not sure if I want to say I’m on a complete permanent indefinite hiatus yet. I still check Tumblr and my blog everyday – every now and then my dash – so it’s not like I feel like I’ve completely left Tumblr and the K-pop community on here as a whole... just yet :3 I have, however, thought about starting a side-blog that focuses solely on teaching, including my student teaching experience. I’ve also thought about writing some K-pop articles for this blog again... (I still really want to write that “Best K-pop Songs of 2016,” a review of B1A4′s third full LP, and/or similar pieces). Whether either of those musings will come into fruition over this passing summer, I don’t know yet, but I’ll keep you updated on either if I ever do, especially my educationally-focused blog. Aside from those thoughts, I’ve been planning on doing some extensive reading over the summer – with a goal to read a book a week! If any of you are interested and would like to check out what I’m currently reading and/or think about it, you can take a look at my Goodreads account here. Other than that, I’ve just been up to the usual: still practicing driving (hopefully I’ll get my license this summer!!), looking for a job, and chilling by watching some TV/movies :p (literally, when you become a teacher, EVERYTHING YOU WATCH BECOMES A POSSIBLE TEACHING TOOL WHERE YOU WONDER IF/HOW YOU COULD USE IT IN A CLASS HAHA. I’VE BEEN SPENDING MY BREAK WATCHING THE HARRY POTTER MOVIES AND I NOW PAY MORE ATTENTION TO HOW THE TEACHERS REACT TO ALL OF THE KIDS’ SHENANIGANS VS. HOW I WOULD PAY MORE ATTENTION TO THE MAIN CHARACTERS AS A KID LOL. I’d really love to be a Professor McGonagall or Snape someday :p). So as far as the current activity of this blog goes, I think I’m going to keep it at “temporary-hiatus-because-I’m-currently-in-a-heavy-transition-period-and-still-am-very-unsure-of-how-this-will-all-pan-out??” That sounds like it’ll do for now. I definitely don’t think I want to distance myself from Tumblr just yet, but at the same time, I don’t believe I’ll be able to be as involved with everything on it as I once was :ccc

Lastly, I’d like to thank everyone who’s stayed with me and this blog so far. With this current announcement, feel free to unfollow this blog if it is no longer what you require in your daily re-bloggin’ life; I completely understand and only wish you the very best~ 🌸 :3 I don’t have a lot of followers as a whole, but I do have a handful of very lovely and precious people that I’ve met on this site; you know who you are~  💖🌠🦄✨👌 Sorry for not keeping in more constant touch; I hope all of you and your beyond-wonderful blogs are doing well~ 💎🌟😊 For those of you who have just joined my blog – WELCOME, and I hope you enjoy your stay~  ❤️ On another note, I should probably get to all those things I was tagged in... if it’s not too late haha. I love y’all and hope nothing but the BEST awaits your future!!~

Snap that was really A LOT more than just a “quickie” update haha. I know that I probably should have updated on everything that’s been happening in my life much sooner, but honestly, I didn’t feel like anything merited me getting too excited about getting through this school year unless I had 100% confirmation that I had passed the $300 test lol (it’s called the edTPA btw, for anyone who might be curious :p). Without passing that test, I probably would have had to spend at least another $100 to re-take some parts of the test, which would have delayed my being able to apply for an eligible teacher’s certificate in my state, which would have dangerously hindered me from being able to teach at all. So thanks for your patience – both for reading this post and sticking around this blog long enough to see me write it :p Hopefully I’ll get a teaching position and figure this all out soon; until then, I’ll definitely keep y’all posted~!! ✨

#wow I said more than just a little... haha #if you've made it this far #you're the best 💗 :33 #thanks for everything #also as a sidenote: #NONE OF YOUR TEACHERS HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THEY'RE DOING LOLOL #WE'RE ALL JUST BLUFFING IT HAHA #AT LEAST THAT'S WHAT I DID ALL YEAR LOL RIP TT>TT TT>TT TT>TT #PRAY I GET IT SOMEDAY XD #personal

[gobigorgohome2016]

Inside the Mind of a Mental Game Coach + GIVEAWAY!

From time to time I love to highlight people within the sport, the BTS side, if you will (I only recently figured out what BTS meant, BTW. behind the scenes!).  Running is a sport that requires a lot of mental fortitude.  I first met Coach Dean in August of 2015 as I was preparing for the Twin Cities marathon.  My interactions with him have changed the way I view both myself and the sport, and he has become a great friend.  He was kind enough to do an interview with me, and even better, is giving away his unique, comprehensive mental game assessment (M4PAASS), including the results of the assessment and a complete personal mental toughness game plan.  Details for how to win at the end of the interview!

You have a pretty interesting background, care to explain what your history is with the sport?

I started running as a sophomore in high school. A friend of mine on the cross-country team stopped me from catching my bus home just to get me out for the team. It worked. I’ve been running ever since. I ran in college but really improved most post-college and as a masters runner. I raced almost as fast at 40-45 years old as I did 20-25. I’ve raced everything from 400m - well really 440 yards - up to 50 kilometers (both on the track!).

How did you become interested in the mental game of athletes?

I have always loved psychology. It was my minor in college. I found the mind just amazing and complex. I first took graduate sports psych courses for my own benefit. Next thing I knew I was using it on a regular basis helping other runners but integrating it into the coaching I was doing. Back in the 90′s, I decided that this was what I wanted to do full time.

You work with a diverse group of athletes – not just runners – what parts of mental game training are the same across different sports?  Different?

This could be a long answer. I’ll try to keep it succinct without losing meaning or watering this down too much.

First I’d say that the mental game is the mental game no matter the performance venue (I say this because I include musicians or dancers in this as well.) Applications and techniques are the same - such as visualization aka imagery, focus-refocus, regrouping and pre-performance routines.

But the implementation is unique to the elements of the sport.

The cues to keep one focused differ by sport. How you might use a “regrouping” technique will be different in a self-paced sport like running compared to something like basketball.

And of course any team sport has elements that individual sports do not.

What is the biggest challenge you face when working with athletes?

I think there are two. The first one is getting athletes to see the value of mental game coaching. Some athletes think you either got it or you don’t. Others don’t think you can learn the skills. The second and related is that they just don’t think it’ll help them perform better.

Now for an athlete I’m working with it’s probably patience. Everyone wants a quick fix. You didn’t get to think the way you do overnight. You won’t get to think a “new” way overnight either. I tell everyone, it’ll take every bit of effort you put into your physical training and maybe more.

One of my favorite parts about talking shop with you is that you know a lot about the science side of sport.  However, science and mental game can sometimes be at odds with one another (for instance, I tend to race better than my workouts would indicate).  How do you balance these two aspects with the athletes you work with?

I love this question. Because I believe that this gets to one of my strengths as a coach. I have content knowledge of science and sports as well as applied sports psychology - with emphasis on “applied”. I believe that I’m adept working with athletes as individuals. There is no single solution; no single technique; no template to force fit athletes into. And I love the challenge of finding new ways to make things work for THAT individual athlete. I can suspend that other stuff I know to get results. So, regardless of what the “books say”; in the application part of all this - you do what works.

How have your own personal running experiences shaped the way you approach mental game training?

I was never the most talented runner. I was ok. But I sure had a competitive mindset and rarely did anyone get me off my game. I can’t remember a race that I had anxiety about or doubted myself. Oh, I had my bad races for sure but I was always there to “win”. My enjoyment of pushing my limits and the freedom and self-control I felt is something I wish everyone could experience.

What is your favorite part about being a mental game coach?

This will sound so cheesy. I love making a difference in people’s lives. I love the relationships I develop. To see someone move beyond fears that limit them; to experience life fuller; to completely enjoy the moment… It’s all inspiring to me and keeps me going.

Your mental game program is pretty comprehensive.  Can you explain what it is and how you developed it?

I have to give a nod to Dr. Patrick Cohn at Peak Performance. I completed his mental game coaching program after my graduate work. This provided the bridge from academic to practical-applied sports psychology. His program provided the initial base for the programs I’ve developed for athletes. I designed and tested a proprietary mental game assessment that I now have all my athletes take. That provides the initial data - our starting point. I designed programs for several sports. But even within those programs I tailor the specific elements to the needs of the athletes who come to me for help.

What is your favorite mental game technique?

For me, like music, it’s about my mood or the situation so this is tough to say. I would say that historically I’ve used imagery the most and the “announcer” in my head technique (It’s a play by play on my run - think Larry Rawson and Frank Shorter announcing the New York Marathon, only I’m the star). I have a pretty vivid imagination and I can make these so real.

As a competitive runner, what was your biggest mental struggle?

Easy: Over-thinking. The phrase that comes to mind: A thinking athlete is an under-performing athlete. An athlete’s job on competition day is execution - not over thinking. Yes, some decisions have to be made but if you are well trained they are almost automatic.

What is the most common mental struggle that you see in runners?  

In youth it is often related to anxiety of racing or having an overly external reference, that is, comparing to others.

More mature runners I see the anxiety and wanting to find the secret to pushing through discomfort.

Is it the same for all types of athletes?

The peer or comparison issue is pretty strong regardless of sport.

Do you think the adage is true that running is 90% mental and 10% physical?

Thank you for this. Total garbage but it makes for a pithy quote.

First, in reality - you can’t truly quantify this.

Second, it is completely subjective (what exactly is 90% of running anyway - 9/10ths of a stride?).

Third, it is unique to the individual (you or I have different issues to different degrees).

Fourth, it is unique to the situation (practice vs competition vs championship). And I’d even throw in a fifth point - it depends on mastery of your sport (if you are still mastering skills - it’s more physical). Mental training cannot compensate for poor physical preparation.

What factor do you think most contributes to an athlete’s mental obstacles?

All behaviors are learned - directly or indirectly. So, how we think is the culmination of experiences, role models, and learning with a pinch of genetics thrown in for good measure. My focus is on Controlling the Controllables. You don’t control any of those things from your past nor your genetics. But you do control NOW. So let’s do something about it, eh?

What has been the most rewarding part of your job so far?

I think like any teacher, seeing the light bulb go off or when you get that call or out of the blue and the athlete says something like… “I couldn’t wait until our next session to tell you - I did it. I did what you taught me and nailed my performance. Thank you!”

Now, for the fun part!  In order to win a mental game assessment from Coach Dean (more info can be found here) simply find my post on facebook, instagram, or twitter and reply with the best excuse you have ever used to get out of a run or workout, or reply here in the comments.  For an extra entry into the contest, tag a friend or share the post.  The winner will be randomly selected.  Contest ends 2/10 at 5 PM PST.   

[yaltonrp-blog]

Congratulations Becca! You have been accepted for the role of Hiro Komatsu with the FC of Sen Mitsuji. We found Hiro fascinating and look forward to seeing where you take him. Please send us an account within the next 24 hours with the ask and submit boxes open.

Welcome to Yalton! We look forward to roleplaying with you.

OOC:

Name/Alias: Becca

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Age: 17

Timezone: EST

Activity Level: I’d say a solid 7. Like everyone, there are days where I’m more active and eager to roleplay than others, but I usually do take time to come onto my character account everyday and at my worst, my replies will take place every other day.

Things you aren’t willing to write: Smut

IC:

Biography Info:

Character Name: Hiro Komatsu

Pronouns: He/Him/His

Gender: Cis Male

Age: 22

Major/Position: Philosophy Major

FC: Sen Mitsuji

Biography:

The Komatsu family has always been the epitome of elegance in their town of Hiraizumi, Japan. Ancient Japanese culture and practices still run deep in the town to this day, with it’s agriculture based economy and plethora of historic monuments. At the age of eight, Hiro knew that the small town life would never accompany him as he visited Tokyo for a distant relative’s wedding. The most people Hiro had ever seen in one place at one time were the 103 kids in his year gathered together for an assembly. It was safe to say that stepping off the train and into Tokyo city was unlike anything he had ever witnessed before. Since that day, Hiro was obsessed with the thought of leaving his town to go live somewhere new and exciting, preferably somewhere far away from the farmer filled town of Hiraizumi.

Hiro wasn’t so much of a bad kid as he was a trouble maker. He was anything but neglected, but it’s safe to say his older brother Sho received the most attention from his family. With Sho’s stellar grades and a full ride scholarship for basketball to the University of Tokyo, Hiro couldn’t help but be kept in his 6′5″ brother’s shadow. While eighteen year old Sho was meeting up with the Prime Minister to be condemned for his amazing academic achievements, Hiro was being suspended from school, this time for stealing his teacher’s grade book and altering his friend’s grades. Hiro was stealthy, so if he wanted to get away with little things like that he could, it’s just that the chase was a lot more fun.

While Hiro’s father was born in Japan, his mother is from Philidelphia, Pennsylvania. She came to Japan to teach English and eventually met Minato Komatsu, and the rest was history. Though Hiro was aware of his family in the states, he never actually met them. With only a measly seven cousins residing in Japan, Hiro’s mother explained how she was one of eight, and there’s over thirty other relatives from her side of the family he’s never met. It seemed as if his seventh suspension was the last straw from his parents, as the day he turned fourteen, Hiro was fresh prince’d all the way to Philly to stay with the grandparents he often forgot existed.

Philidelphia was incredibly different from Hiraizumi, but in every way Hiro had hoped it would be. The schools were bigger, people more diverse, and Hiro had learned to prefer the savory American food over the traditional Japanese dishes back home. Though his family feared the culture shock would take him by surprise, they could have never imagined he’d fit in so nicely. Hiro was initially only supposed to reside in Philly for a year, but he was doing so well that his parents decided to allow him to stay for however long he pleased. Although he was considered very smart back in Japan, here in Philly his intelligence was exceptional as he quickly became the top of his high school class. While his peers struggled with teenage angst during high school, Hiro had never felt better. Hiro had girls, boys, and pretty much everyone else he wanted at the tip of his fingers, because who wouldn’t be attracted to the smart yet bad boy from Japan?

His bad behavior stopped in school, but that didn’t prohibit Hiro from engaging in less than admirable activities behind his family’s back. He became quite good at holding his alcohol as Hiro had a party almost every time his grandparents were out of town. If he wasn’t hosting one, he was most certainly attending one. Starting the third week he entered America, Hiro went to a house party at least five times a month. He’d get black out drunk or higher than heaven with his friends, something his family failed to realize until he was seventeen and headed home from what must’ve been his thousandth party. With only a visa, Hiro couldn’t drive, so he was dependent on his buddies to bring him home from whatever they had been doing that night. Though he knew better, his friends didn’t, and decided it would be a good idea to drive everyone home intoxicated. Paramedics arrived at the scene seven minutes after the crash to find the bottom half of the car 100 feet away from the scene of the accident, the tree the car hit completely toppled over, and no survivors except for Hiro who’s legs were completely shattered and stuck between the passenger’s seat and dashboard.

Hiro’s left leg was able to be saved, but his right one was forced to be amputated below the knee as it was completely mutilated. While the rest of his body was practically untouched besides for a few wounds requiring sistches, Doctors didn’t realize there was something else wrong with Hiro until four months after the accident during his last days in rehab. Due to the car stopping so fast while going such a high speed, Hiro’s upper body went right through the windowshield and into the tree which eventually toppled over the car. The impact caused parts of his skull to shatter and enter his frontal lobe, a problem that was presumed solved by an immediate surgery. However, that proved to not be the case once the frontal lobe damage became prominent in his behavior. The once charismatic and somewhat sweet boy quickly became a mix of all different personalities in one. Mood changes had become frequent, and the smallest things would now set Hiro off. His volatile behavior spontaneity had quickly become the main concern for those around him.

As he learned to live with his prosthetic and had been attending a therapist daily, now eighteen year old Hiro was sent home a total of five months after the accident. He finished his senior year by taking summer school classes and being tutored. It was harder to concentrate but still proved manageable as Hiro graduated with one of the highest GPA’s in high class. His family back in Japan flew over for a weekend as they had a party in celebration of this accomplishment, but it seemed as if everyone returned to their daily lives except for Hiro himself. He had plans to apply to some of the biggest colleges in the US for Computer Science, but the accident caused him to lost passion for most things in life. Instead, Hiro decided to take a gap year, getting a job at a local diner. It’s surprising how many tips a crippled nineteen year old with a pretty smile can make.

Eventually Hiro started applying to colleges again. He was lucky enough to take the SATs during his Junior year a earn a near perfect score, but it was still difficult getting accepted almost two years after graduating high school, However it wasn’t all for nothing as Hiro opened what he thought would be his fifth rejection letter only to find out that come fall, he’d proudly be a Yak. Though his battles are far from over, Hiro can proudly say he’s doing better. Weekly therapy sessions and time to himself has improved his behavior immensely, but there are times where he’s set off by some seemingly meaningless things. There’s still a long way to go, but for the first time in his life, Hiro can say he’s actually excited for the future.

State at least one headcanon about the character:

Ever since his accident, Hiro has refused to touch any alcoholic beverage. Although the crash wasn’t his fault, he can’t help but feel responsible for not doing something. He’s been told all his life that coke and rum mix, but booze and driving do not. Hiro is terrified that for any instance if he were to consume alcohol again that history will somehow repeat itself.

Though most expect him to be a womanizer of sorts, Hiro has always identified as pansexual. Sure, he’s flirty with the ladies, but his interests are not influenced by gender identity. He constantly says how his love for another isn’t with the body, but the mind. Hiro is unapologetically proud of his sexuality and greatly values the time it took for him to understand that being so is okay.

Japanese is his first language and he didn’t learn English until age eight.

He has a strong dislike for all of social media except Instagram, where he constantly posts pictures of the most random things he can think of. If it’s artsy enough, Hiro will snap a photo and upload it in minutes. He does use other social media as well but only to keep up with his friends, as he rarely posts any of his own content on there.

Traditional Japanese instrumental is his favorite type of music to listen to, however he is also a big fan of Alternative rock and Grunge bands like Nirvana, Sublime, and Red Hot Chili Peppers. The two contrasting genres are an accurate representation of Hiro’s personality.

If you were to tell high school Hiro that he’d be majoring in Philosophy, he probably would’ve laughed in your face. Up until his accident, he was set in stone that he’d be majoring in something having to do with technology. However, in the past few years Hiro has been plagued with a constant question regarding everything: Why? He’s always been interested in theory, and as his love for science dwindled, his passion for the study of ideas about almost everything rose.

He doesn’t exactly know what job he wishes to pursue come graduation, so he presumes graduate school will be his next step.

#cutieofrps #rp #rpg #roleplay #new rp #accepted app