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sevfanfic · 4 years

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A Touch in the Dark - Chapter 5: Jar of Stars

Word count: 1,545

Classes began and the castle was filled with the constant buzz of life. The first few days were very hectic as students got settled but you were able to manage everything on your plate. You found yourself searching for Severus among the crowds often and when you exchanged glances you smiled at him and he would grin softly for a moment then return his face to it’s usual look. One morning you decided to sit next to him at breakfast.

“Good morning, professor.”

“Good morning, Miss Y/L/N.”

You watched as students filled the large dining hall. A frown fell over Severus’ face as he watched the children, he couldn’t help but show his dislike of the dunderheads.

“You don’t like children very much, do you?” You laughed.

“I tolerate them.” He chose his words carefully.

“What are you going to do if you ever have your own?” The question slipped before you could think about what you were asking. He looked at you with a furrowed brow.

“The thought never crossed my mind.” He spoke quietly. Maybe having a family was possible for him but the idea of it seemed very distant.

You looked away feeling embarrassed about asking such a personal question. The two of you remained silent for the remainder of breakfast, you smiled and gave him a friendly nod goodbye when it was time for classes to begin. Your students had already been sitting in your classroom when you arrived. Classes went by quickly but during one of the last classes of the day, a 5th year slytherin student was being difficult.

“Please keep the chatter down.” You raised your voice, targeting the students in the back row. The boy who had been talking during your class looked at you and rolled his eyes, he continued to talk with his friend. You made your way down the middle aisle and placed both hands on the edge of his desk.

“I know you don’t care about listening but others do. So either stop talking or you can leave.”

“Why would I care about what you have to say?” He spoke with a spiteful tone.

“Because I can make things very difficult for you,” you smiled at him, hoping that he’d back down, “so make your choice.”

“I’ll leave,” The boy began gathering his things and mumbled to himself “bloody creature of dirt.”

“Alright, please report to your head of house for detention tomorrow.” You walked back to the front of the class not letting the insults bother you, “Now where were we.”

After finishing the lecture you walked to Severus’ office hoping to find him available to talk to. You knocked lightly on the door and heard him speak to enter.

“Miss Y/L/N,” he looked up from his papers for a moment and then quickly returned to what he was doing, “what can I do for you?”

“I was wondering if I could ask for advice?” You walked hesitantly toward the large desk. Severus didn’t look up.

“Yes?”

“Is it… Petty of me to give a student detention in the first week of school?”

“No, presumably they deserve it?” He looked up with a raised brow.

“Yes, well I believe so. He called me a ‘creature of dirt’ but-”

“He deserves far worse than detention,” he looked furious, “who was the mongrel that called you that?”

“Vincent Blythe.”

“If that dunderhead has any ounce of self preservation he’ll never use such terms again after I’m done with him.” Severus looked back down at his work. He knew that the boy was referring to you as a mudblood. He hated the word and felt that it had caused too much damage to this world because of those who stood by it’s flawed ideology. You were impressed by the amount of rage that emanated from the man that sat in front of you.

“I hope you understand that you are not-” he paused and waved his hand as if bating away his disgust, “-not a ‘creature of dirt’.” He spoke quietly, almost in a whisper.

“I know, it doesn’t bother me.” You paused. “One other thing,” you stepped closer to his desk, “I’ve been practicing some non-verbal spells and I’ve hit a road-block.” Severus looked at you with a curious glint in his eyes. “I spoke with Flitwick but I am more confused now than I was before.”

“Non-verbal magic is an advanced form of magic, it takes years to master. It may be too advanced for you.” He spoke cautiously.

“I can do it,” you stood tall in defense, “I just need a little help, that’s all.”

“Very well,” Severus smirked and stood from his desk, “show me what you can do so far.”

You spent most of the evening with Severus practicing new spells. He admired your eagerness to learn and how much you improved in that short period of time. Watching you warmed his heart and he was eager to have more moments like this. He noticed how you nibbled your bottom lip when you were trying to concentrate and how excited you got when you were successful. Soon it was time for dinner, you thanked Severus for the small lesson and when you turned to leave he stopped you.

“Come back tomorrow after dinner, I’ll be able to help you more.” He gave you a small smile and you nodded with delight.

Your meetings with Severus in his office became a habit. The two of you usually sat in his office working silently on grading papers and quizzes for about an hour. After that he began his lessons on non-verbal magic. You listened intently to every word hoping to one day be as talented as he was. At times you’d go off on long rants about your students and random ideas. Severus always listened patiently. He didn’t mind that you got distracted easily, he enjoyed hearing your thoughts.

“Focus, you need to clear your mind and visualize the spell.” Severus spoke with a stern tone. You furrowed your brow trying to do as you were told. You struggled with clearing your mind completely but each time you attempted you did better. You visualized the spell and soon you could feel the magic tingling at your fingertips. The feather you had been staring at began to float. Then you tried a different spell and the edges of the feather began to burn and it disappeared in a poof of smoke.

“I think I get it now.” You beamed at the tall man who looked amused. You had spent many evenings practicing and you felt confident in your new abilities.

“Good,” he turned and went to the closet at the back of his room. He searched for a moment and then produced a small jar, “this is for you.” He spoke in a low voice, almost mumbling.

Inside the glass jar was a dark liquid. He handed it to you and when you touched it small particles of light began to shimmer as they floated in a dance-like pattern. It resembled fireflies and stars. You smiled in amazement.

“It’s so beautiful, what is it?” You held the jar close to your face examining its contents.

“It’s a potion that is meant to resemble the night sky, if brewed correctly it will also display the current phase of the moon.” He waved his hand over the glass and you watched as a small moon appeared amidst the dark fluid. One lazy day he had been thinking about the night you stood with him in the tower and how peaceful you looked gazing at the night sky. During one of your side tracked conversations you mentioned how much you loved the stars and moon. You described how as a child you dreamed of becoming an astronaut and you thought Severus wasn’t listening but he was. He paid attention to every detail because he wanted to know you.

“It’s amazing,” you looked at Severus, “thank you. This is the sweetest thing anyone has ever given me.” You wanted to hug the man in front of you but you weren’t sure if he’d appreciate it. So you held the jar against your chest, close to your heart.

Watching you smile and hold his gift close made Severus melt, he felt his heart grow warm and he revealed a small smile.

After realizing you had been standing there staring at each other for what seemed like hours, you awkwardly spoke, “It's getting late, I should go.” Severus watched as you gathered your stuff and fumbled with your books. Suddenly, words blurted from his mouth before he could even realize he was speaking.

“Have dinner with me.” He watched you intently, hoping to glean an idea of what you were thinking.

“Like a date?” You spoke slowly.

“I suppose,” he muttered, “If that’s alright with you?” Severus was genuinely nervous about what you would say.

“Yes, that’s alright with me.”

“Good,” he could see your cheeks brighten from across the room, “have a good night, Miss Y/L/N.”

“Goodnight, Professor.”

When in the hall you brought a hand to your cheek hoping to cool the redness. He made you feel like there was fire under your skin and it fueled your ever growing attraction.

#severus #severus x you #severus snape #snape #snape fanfiction #snape x you #fanfic #snape love #severus x reader #snape x reader #severus fanfic #severus lives

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autoirishlitdiscourses · 3 years

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Discourse of Tuesday, 15 December 2020

Let me know in the class email, but unless you file an informational report with the mainstream of academic spam, and there I felt like you haven't found it on the paper, though as I said before, but had a good selection, which is to understand and think about how your paper space to get all the grading email that I think that more explicit stand on why your grade: You gave a thoughtful, perceptive, and will help your grade. Two percent/for being such a good job here, and your writing is so very quickly. 43: A blade of grass. Eliot, Little Gidding, section, your readings of all handouts that I built in the text s with which you dealt. Hi, I think that giving texts, one thing, and think about how we have some good ideas, though. Well, I think that practicing a bit lopsided. It would have helped to get reading quizzes or to and/or social construction of your material effectively and provided a good job with it, but something you like it passes differently when you're in charge in our society means that a strong job here. I'm looking forward to your first question, or are we to make your paper there were a lot in this range provide a final selection for what you've outlined is really required, and you receive no credit for turning it into an effective job of providing and resolving it. On the section benefits from hearing them.

Good luck on the poetry handout for next week. Question is a worthwhile and important topics to discuss Francie's stream of consciousness in the San Jose area. Unfortunately, it allows you to construct a valid MLA citation format to point 6 nothing/hopelessness in your section, and your readings are often primarily just due to the exam, research paper will anticipate and head off other viewpoints, and I can attest from personal experience doesn't necessarily have to say, because the poem and get me a day or two to get back to another in ways that life in the course, gives and takes on these trees in the assignment write-up, I've attached a copy of it. I think that you've got an email tonight saying, I certainly understand from personal experience that should turn out to be a good student this quarter, and it may be one potentially productive move. Whatever you're using. Hi! God, I'm terribly sorry and embarrassed. 141 and drinks a glass of burgundy VIII.

Several new documents have been to let yourself be more fair to O'Casey's text, but my assumption is that if I discover that things are going faster than you have questions, OK? The Butcher Boy, and exhibiting solicitous concern for emotions that they have to know tonight instead of arguing strongly for the course material, and you do and am happy to take a stand, and it may be again, there's always more about the texts, how do we know what it would have to speak if no one else does feeling. Just a reminder that you're talking about merely the preservation of instincts that contribute to reproductive success by selection pressure, in this regard are. I'm sorry to have taken so long to get started might be said about his horror that feels in response to a specific analytical claim would help to be more specific claim. The sample paper that has my comments on your feet in response to that particular speech out of your performance, it would have most needed to be more effective is he at representing what Gertie wants and how you're going to depend on where you move a bit over 91.

But you came up to you. I think these are very solid work here, and you needed to happen differently for this assignment. The only remaining opportunities are next week if you have not seen the final it has some substantial strengths in this paper, because I used your own ideas and texts involved in it and of your argument effectively. What is his name?

County Mayo A spavindy ass p. But just looking at their level of familiarity with the text of the last minute that preparing for your section this quarter. Or, to see just a bit more would have been declared in the delivery itself that you'd thought closely about what to tell us anything about the comparative benefits of taking up time in a productive move, which is rather tricky to do that if you have read the two things. Going is a particularly complex poem that requires a fair amount of time that you have any questions, talk about how you can be found in nearly any other questions, OK? If you have questions about Cyclops or it becomes apparent that more or less along this persuasive path, then there are also productive.

Well, it may be that revising your thesis at the appropriate response to the shaven-headed woman tied up outside the church in Punishment; and captivated the group seems to me, and you have not held your grade: You added the to a woman's skirt at the end of his own experience as a broad home. So, here, although other people have done some very impressive work here, and have a hard skill to develop an even stronger paper. Currently, your delivery. The significance of ID #8 was The significance of this poem. Rebeka discussion of major themes in the delivery itself that you'd thought about this in terms of which parts of your performance, it never really rises far above the compare/contrast papers: These papers address the text in question perfectly, without any errors. C 70% 73% C-, not only paying close attention to your workload, but of the test, but overall, you can give you some unsolicited advice. Thinking about these things might be intimidated by Shakespeare's stature and then think about your other texts mentioned by the parties involved must avoid discussing it in terms of smaller-scale reading of Ulysses. This is what you think, too. I'll see you next week.

I'm sometimes nervous about this in your discussion could have been asking for it somewhat later by coming to section and you needed to happen in an engaged, thoughtful performance that you have an understanding of the work that the O'Shea/Parnell scandal indicates something structural about the relationship between your source texts, a copy of the Pig Toll Tax 6 p. Actually, I certainly understand from personal experience into analysis find it quite a good job in this course, as is quite a good student this quarter? Your discussion and question provoked close readings and the writer's argument. First and foremost, I can assess your recitation, then digging in deeper; one is simply a straight numerical calculation that was easy to parse even for those ten to fifteen minutes if it were, but neither is it necessarily mean that the Irish could reasonably be considered to be docking you points for the quarter would be most directly would be grateful if you'd like. Another student from my grading rubric possibly modified by up to large levels of your argument on the surface. The Butcher Boy song 5 p. One way to push your paper grades discussed in more detail below the middle of the last day,/not/that week; I think, and made a final answer to something quite productive, particularly of some parts of your grade on your email to the section for the jugular. Your ultimate guide to be read, so you legitimately crossed the line into A-becomes a B on your main topic, and, like reports. You are likely to pay off for you early next week in lecture. This means that, with no explanation of why Joyce does this but not for a lot of ways to do it, Audrey Niffenegger's novel The Time Traveler's Wife is perhaps not the only love-related tasks in this way. Just send me email or stop by my students turn them into discussion questions.

And yell Gotcha! I'll probably advise him to say and got a good selection, gave what was overall a strong argument about it in a lot of good work here, I think that there are many profitable ways to accomplish this before in case they ask you, but I'm sending this tonight because I think that what you see as important. So you can bring up in front of the Poet-Critic in My Way Reminder: if you want to fall under some fair definition of how your grade on their experience of love is being transmitted, specifically, and this will make it support that particular idea. You have good, and deployed secondary sources well, here. Again, thank you for the lateness. All of these are pretty small errors: picked for went picking; was hanged; and, provided that the professor is behind a bit of a text that you are perhaps overemphasizing the strength of the text s involved as closely integrated into the trap of only writing personally reflective essays that wind up on crashing other sections and you demonstrate a very strong because it verges on nonsense in places I know to and/or taking the opening paragraphs of a set of ideas here, and weaved all of the quarter he had discussed re-typed your email with the rest of the quarter also discussed in more detail; thinking about basic issues, focus your analysis to be able to fill out your ideas will develop. You did a good job of this policy is that you do have some perceptive things to say. I was going this week. Thank you for I'll leave here tomorrow night.

Your writing is once again very lucid and very well be that you'll need to let the discussion that involved not only paying close attention to these general impressions about the text in it and whether it's kosher. Everything looks fine and I'll see you next week if he did say explicitly is that you needed to happen here, while the others. Let me know if you have any other questions, and has no effect one way to get you your grade, it's a good rest of the quarter is at least a short section from one of the sources of your grade so far in advance what you see as important about those ways if you'd like, or just to post on the section a bit more space to examine what the paper is due. I am much less true for us don't show that there are any number of ideas here, and moderate their responses and discussion by the bird this touches on. It turns out that you could say so as to avoid this problem is the deal I will cut in and marked you present. Thanks! Many thanks Of course! So what I'm not changing the requirements out from hanging out her washing; changed from to by in from a generic perspective of a professional about your evaluative criteria, which are, it's not out there, generally clear and engaging, and your material very effectively and provided a good way to fill out your major say two concerns from each section. Did you want to make it perfectly clear, using that as a whole has a pork kidney for breakfast, writes a letter to my training and experience is that these assertions are not meeting basic expectations; explains basic expectations for you for a job well done! Professor John Rickard's collection of course, please leave the group; once when everyone introduced themselves, once when he did on section 3:30 you're likely to drag you down to it but you'll have to choose White Hawthorn in the day on which Ulysses is quite a good job of effectively engaging the rest of your claims. You draw meaning out of this work is most conducive to writing and its inherent assumption of innocence until guilt is proven. Doing this effectively if the group of talented readers, and want to make sure that you're covering. This statement should be adaptable in terms of which has been an easy task, you can think about what you want to switch topics? Answer: Paddy Dignam, e. He would most likely way to do on this coming Wednesday 20 November discussion of Quoof and n's discussion of a rather general argument, and haven't used Word extensively for a grad seminar several years ago. You'll want to ruin it for you if you miss section, which was previously the theoretical maximum number of important issues. You've got some really perceptive readings of The Butcher Boy: The Lovers 1928; probably many others. You write quite well here, and I will have noted that he is to say earlier: I will pass out a mutually agreeable time for both your paper, just what I will take this topic further: how is this connected to the class and how this construction of your grade, it's impossible to do in answering this question would help—there are probably good ways to larger-scale course concerns.

#Irish literature #automatically generated text #Patrick Mooney #Python #Markov chains

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crystalized-dreams · 6 years

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So, if you frequent Twitter and/or Facebook, you’ll probably know I’ve been pretty sick. While I’m about halfway through my medicine (and hopefully feeling 100% once more), my focus is… very shake-y, at the moment, to say the least. As someone who normally multitasks a loot, it’s so… frustrating to essentially just be stuck staring at one thing and struggling to even accomplish that.

I don’t really like leaving things unfinished and right now, my unfinished pile feels kind of unbearable and there’s not much I can do about it. To make matters worse, because of the previous mentioned problem of not being able to focus, my mind is constantly thinking up ideas (whether drawings, stories, or something else entirely) that I just… do not have the time or talent to put into fruition and it’s pretty disheartening, honestly.

Meanwhile, I’ve been trying to write this entry since earlier this week and wanted to get it up before Pocket Camp came out because I was going to say how likely it’d be to come out the 21st/22nd because the Fortune Event ended then and it was also when the dailies ended for the current round instead of it being the usual 10–of course, I was right with that, but I never actually managed to… get that post done. On the bright side, I did manage to get all the wallpapers in the Fortune event:

As you can see, I apparently got Bitty: I don’t really think it’s that fitting, but I don’t really like to keep retaking these quizzes. I just wish they’d stop with the “shortened” quizzes–most people would prefer to answer all the questions to get a more accurate result and so it’s frustrating when it’s essentially powered by RNG to an extent because I don’t feel it’s entirely accurate.

As for the progress in the game, it’s mostly been slow… Ignoring server issues since the huge increase of people with the game releasing, as I’ve mentioned before, there’s just not much I can do right now. I did manage to get the level 5 Merry-go-Round completed: And currently have the level 5 Pool being built so I just have the Treehouse and Concert left to level up. I also have crafted everything I currently have unlocked at least once so the only things I have left are from getting villagers to level 15. I still have 21 villagers to go and I keep debating on if I should use my Request tickets to try and rush these or save them to rush being able to host when new villagers get added instead. Marshal is likely coming in the new batch of villagers due to being one of the options in the Fortune Event and it’s possible some of my own favorites could make their way in that batch too which would be nice as currently my only favorite villager in the game is Peanut.

As for the game itself, the trees and grass also changed shortly before the game opened for everyone and it’s quite nice: I’m looking forward to us getting snow. I am surprised we didn’t end up having a Harvest Festival ingame, but maybe they felt it was too soon after opening…

My struggles are still heavily with the resource mechanics though–especially with being sick, it makes it hard to keep my stock up since it’s hard to really play much and when I do have those short bursts where I feel up to more, I once again get hit by that item limit wall. Most of the limits and things, I can understand. The timers, the rotations, the crafting things… But the item limit is just such an issue. Especially because you get SO little from selling items, it doesn’t feel worth the effort to get them just to sell them so when your inventory is full, it’s like “Well, now what do I do?”. Prices are what you’d expect for clothing and furniture and to craft, but the prices for selling things from your inventory is just too small to cover that. 10 Bells for “common” stuff is just so disheartening. And it also gives me less of a reason to play when my requests are done honestly and removes a lot of the relaxing part of AC and playing how you like.

While my inventory management continues to be a nightmare, I’m doing pretty well catalog-wise. I currently have all market furniture available, everything from Labelle, and only need one thing from Kicks. I have about 13 things left from the Able Sisters, including one of the dresses (The Plum Coat) that I actually really want But the RNG with it all makes it… frustrating.

In the meantime, when I’ve needed a bit of a break from Pocket Camp due to just running out of things to do or just not having the energy for it, I’ve been having a lot of fun with Tiny Bird Garden which came out on November 15th. If you enjoy Neko Atsume and/or really like birds, you’ll probably enjoy Tiny Bird Garden. It is of the same nature as Neko Atsume (lay out toys and food for birds to come), but a bit more… immersive in a way with NPCs you can talk to and actually getting to talk to and befriend the birds in a way. You can give them treats and hats and it’s just a… very sweet game?

I mean, seriously, look at some of these birds:

I especially relate to Cherry:

And even the NPCs have sweet things to say:

Even the Credits as well:

I’ve managed to see all the birds at least once and give them all their favorite Treats so I just need to figure out all their favorite toys now. They all seem… a lot less picky than the cats in Neko Atsume though which both makes it a bit easier to see them all but also a bit harder if you’re specifically going for one.

Regardless, if you like cute birds and/or just need some kind of casual pick-me up, I really do recommend it–even if just for some positive reminders that you matter.

Right now, Super Mario Odyssey is a bit on hold which makes me… quite sad to be honest. I really love the game, but at the same time I just feel frustrated with it. I think a lot of the Moons are pretty fun, but at the same time it feels like way too much. It just feels packed just to be packed and I just don’t find that very fun. It makes them feel less special. That said, my least favorite ones have to be the high score ones I don’t mind doing the activities a certain amount of times, but there’s… not much fun in spending hours trying over and over to hit a score in the same monotonous activity. And you have to do this in two different ones.

The time trial ones are also fairly frustrating. I’ve long stopped enjoying the races and really just wish the only one was in the Mushroom Kingdom.

I’m sure we’ll get back to the game eventually and I really do want to hit the 999 Moons + get all the costumes, but right now I just feel discouraged and frustrated.

Finally, what I’ve been doing especially these last few months is getting myself a bit lost in visual novels. I love reading, but unfortunately our… living situation isn’t the best to really be situated *to* read books for long periods of time and still be comfortable. Let alone even… keep track of books 😦

I started playing My Candy Love aka Amour Sucré in March of last year and it’s been a… rollercoaster of feelings. I talk a lot about the game over on a Tumblr I have dedicated to it and other Beemoov games, but I wanted to bring it up here too for once because there’s a lot I really want to say about it.

I’m incredibly picky with Otome games. I don’t usually have the same tastes in guys as most people so it’s hard for me to find one appealing. Plus, when many games have you dating girls instead and you’re not particularly interested in girls, you’re usually playing more for story reasons then (Which is why I won’t play any… mature rated ones).

I think Otome games can be quite interesting though if they have a good focus on story and characters and that’s generally what I look for, though, I can be picky with art style. And while the art style in MCL can vary (especially with some of the older episodes’ illustrations), something about it still drew me in and I’m not entirely sure what. My one regret is mostly finding about it so late–the game started in 2011 and so I’ve… missed a lot Both onsite event-wise and merchandise-wise.

One thing that’s been especially frustrating to me is there was a short episode available for those who got a code from their booth at Japan Expo in 2013 that was only available for France and there is only video of one of the routes and I can’t find any transcripts of the other routes and this haunts me so much and is killing me slowly because of all kinds of problems. It’s rare, but hey, if you had unlocked the Japan Expo 2013 ring and now no longer can replay the episode, please report it so maybe someone can… finally upload the other routes and dialogue ._.

Moving to the game itself and despite some of my issues above and sadness of missing out, I wish I knew what captured me about the game. I found myself interested in all the characters and definitely found a favorite of the cast. The game takes place in a high school, towards the end of the school year (though, don’t actually try and figure out the timeline–it’s a complete and utter mess).

I think in a way, especially since my school life was absolute trash, it almost feels therapeutic for me. Even though the focus is the 5 main guys, you get two best friends and have a handful of other classmates as well. And even if on episode where you get completely screwed over, people are still there for you and sometimes a lot of it is just what I needed to hear and didn’t realize.

The game currently is at 37 episodes (with 38 coming out any day now honestly– a lot o people are expecting the trailer tomorrow) and you don’t even start dating the guy you want to go for until the end of Episode 28/start of Episode 29 so there’s a long build up (though, you may find the first 10 episodes kind of slow). There’s character arcs as well, some stronger than others, but honestly, I just have fun with it even if I genuinely think they could use a better translator, the censoring is awkward, and some lines are… a bit cringe-y, but it’s just… truly fun.

They have a Black Friday sale going on so I’m debating on buying a bunch of AP and $ and maybe doing a huge story replay to fix some decisions and things I’m not super happy with and also take opportunities to explore the school more so I’ll be less likely to miss dialogue and stuff too.

I would likely stream the big replay too so if someone is interested in the game, but doesn’t want to play, well, that could be an option!

I will say the game is a bit hard to get into–besides some of the older art style in illustrations, the game unfortunately uses an Action Point system. Once you’re caught up, you’ll usually manage to earn enough to play the next episode by the time it comes out, but until then, it’s a very slow grind trying to play each day and can be super demotivating honestly

Once thing I do wish Beemoov would do (besides an alternative to the AP system) is just… better jobs with merchandising to their other servers. There’s such a big focus on France as it’s the main server and where the company is located, but it really makes other servers feel left out. The manga, as an example, has only been published in French, Spanish, and German. It’s been years with no update on if we will ever see it outside those languages. The Artbooks have only been in French and English. And most merchandise hasn’t been outside France at all. It’s pretty discouraging (and also makes it all the harder to FIND older merchandise…).

Despite all this, the game’s taking place in France actually helped rejuvenate my love for France’s culture too. France was the first country I ever wanted to go to and the first language I wanted to learn when I was just 2-3 years old. It meant a lot to me and after some issues when I finally got to go to Paris, France, a piece of my heart got… incredibly hurt due to certain things that happened and it’s… really nice to have it mended and just between this and Miraculous Ladybug feel that love for France again (Also my French has gotten a lot better with all the things I’ve been looking up for character reasons so that’s pretty awesome).

Beemoov’s other visual novel is Eldarya which is much more fantasy-styled and more mature in general. It has the same kind of thing with a lot more characters besides just the love interest and the other servers are *nearly* caught up with France’s. It’s fun despite some… problematic decisions in plot, but I’m genuinely really excited to see where the story goes.

While I play MCL more for the characters as the story is mostly just… school with some character arcs, Eldarya’s overall story has me incredibly invested with where it’s going to go.

Of course, I don’t only play Otome game-Visual novels. One of Beemoov’s other visual novels is Henri’s Secret which is just a general romance story–you don’t have a character and you follow Lyla’s PoV for the most part (though, the game takes place mostly from a third person view). Even though the secret was super obvious from the get-go (and you learn it pretty quick in the story too–though Lyla and her friends have yet to…), I find myself still interested in the characters and story and really want to see their reactions when they learn Henri’s secret.

As for a non-Beemoov game, I’m actually super into SakeVisual’s Jisei series. I love mysteries and all the characters are super well-written. The fourth part is currently in production and I genuinely can’t wait. It’s such a good series, the art and voice acting is phenomenal and I haven’t played a game from SakeVisual that I haven’t enjoyed, honestly. I still have to finish Backstage Pass, but… stats and schedule stuff in games is hard for me x__x

But yes, this is what I’ve been up to recently! I’m still doing training in Miitopia, but it’s… very slow so that may be a while. I also do hope to get back to Lady Layton as SOON as I’m feeling better. I miss it, but I’m just… in no condition to do puzzles right now.

A bit of an update on things and games I’m currently playing~ So, if you frequent Twitter and/or Facebook, you'll probably know I've been pretty sick. While I'm about halfway through my medicine (and hopefully feeling 100% once more), my focus is...

#Opinion Piece #PC #Mobile Games #Visual Novels #Blog Related #Eldarya #Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp #Henri&039;s Secret #Jisei #Beemoov #My Candy Love #Nintendo Switch #Sakevisual #Super Mario Odyssey #Tiny Bird Garden

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everythingbychoice · 5 years

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Being an excellent student has more benefits than just getting good grades. In the short term, it will make you a more appealing college candidate and you may even qualify for some hefty scholarships. In the long term, the skills you learn at school will stick with you for the rest of your life, helping you tackle any problem that comes your way.

[Edit]Steps

[Edit]Being Organized

Pack your backpack with all your supplies before going to bed. Be prepared for each day by making sure you have everything you need with you. This means you’ll need to take books, folders, pens, pencils, homework, review sheets, highlighters, sticky notes, bookmarks and anything else that helps you stay organized.

Packing up before going to bed means you won’t feel rushed in the morning and accidentally forget something.

Paste a copy of your class schedule somewhere in your house where you’ll see it everyday. Write reminders to bring certain items certain days. That way, you’ll know exactly what class you have and what materials you’ll need.

Keep a folder for each subject so you can easily pack and find things. Staying organized in school is extremely important because if you are organized, you are one step ahead in being successful. A good way to start off is to keep a folder for each subject.[1]

This means putting your math papers in your math folder, your Language Arts papers in your Language Arts folder, your science papers in your science folder, and so on.

Use color coding or label your folders and place them into either your desk or backpack neatly. This way, you will have an easier time searching for your folders and will have more time to review what you have learned yesterday.

If you like, you can also place bookmarks in all of your folders to make them easier to be found when you take your folders home.

Use a weekly planner to write assignments and due dates. Use a weekly planner or calendar to write down important dates regarding assignments, quizzes, tests, and extracurricular activities. This will help you manage your time better. And checking off each completed task will give you a feeling of accomplishment.

Write down any other reminders (birthdays, special materials for classes, study group dates/times) in the “notes” section of your planner.

Dedicate a certain area of your room or home for supplies. Keeping all of your writing utensils, folders, paper, and other necessities in one area will make it easier to locate them. If you don’t have a desk, get one and have a drawer for each group of items.

For example, one drawer can be dedicated to writing utensils, another can hold hole punchers and staplers, and a third can store extra printer paper, journals, and folders.

If you don’t have a desk with drawers, use table-top paper racks, pencil holders, shoe boxes, and/or storage bins to keep like items together.

[Edit]Being Attentive in Class

Take notes and ask questions to stay engaged in class. Paying attention in class will help you learn better and may also boost your grade. When a teacher is giving a lesson, take notes, and if you don't understand something, raise your hand and ask questions. Try to take notes in your own words and add your own annotations instead of writing what the teacher says word-for-word.[2]

For example, if the teacher says the definition of “ransack” is “to search through in a way that causes disorder,” you might write: “ransack: to pillage—like a pirate!”

The more questions you ask, the more you’ll know about a certain topic.

Teachers expect you to ask questions and form an impression of you based on how willing you are to do so. In some cases, class participation also counts toward your overall grade.

Concentrate on staying focused. Keep your eyes on the teacher, keep your ears open, and keep taking notes. Sit in the front row if you’re prone to distractions.

Avoid distractions in class. Do not distract others and don't be distracted by them. Note the things that cause you to get distracted and try to avoid them. For instance, if you know you’re more likely to daydream in class when you’re hungry, eat a small snack beforehand.

If you see your friends passing notes, don’t engage. Whatever you have to say can wait until after class.

If friends constantly try to distract you, don't be mean! Just tell them you are working and say you will talk later during recess or lunch. They'll understand and may even feel the same way themselves.

Review your notes when you have free time. Read over your notes whenever you get the chance to help you remember what you've written. Rewriting your notes can also be helpful if you’re taking exceptionally hard classes, such as legal studies, economics, engineering, sciences, and more.[3]

If you have a test coming up, review your notes right before you go to bed and then go through them again first thing in the morning. The more you look at them, the more you’ll remember the information.

Get 7 to 8 hours of sleep. Sleep deprivation can negatively impact your ability to focus and make you less enthusiastic about learning. Aim to get 7 to 8 hours per night. If you are short on sleep, try to take 20-minute power naps between classes (if your schedule allows).

Avoid looking at your phone or watching television for an hour or two before bedtime. Do something relaxing like reading a book, taking a warm bath, or drawing.

Avoid relying on caffeine to perk you up from a sleepless night. You may feel more energized after lots of coffee or an energy drink, but you won’t be able to focus nearly as well due to underlying sleep deprivation.[4]

Eat well to feed your body and mind. Make sure to eat a variety of foods from each group (proteins, carbohydrates, and fats). Snack on whole foods like fresh fruits, vegetables, or nuts to keep you energized between meals.

Fats containing omega 3 fatty acids are especially helpful for cognitive functioning.[5] Good sources include fatty fish, walnuts, flax seeds, chia seeds, spinach, and basil.

[Edit]Studying and Learning Efficiently

Read as much as you can to expand your vocabulary. Reading books that challenge you can expand your vocabulary and comprehension skills, which is useful when a teacher assigns linguistically arduous texts. If you are not already an avid reader, start at your level and work your way up.[6]

Read something you like to get you into it. If you have a friend who likes to read, ask them for recommendations.

Go to your school or local library and ask the librarian for recommendations based on your likes and dislikes in other mediums. For instance, you might say, “I really love superhero and mystery movies, do you have any books that have those kinds of themes?”

Create mind maps of topics to help you learn new things. Mind-maps help you make connections between old and new information, giving new facts some context so you remember them better. This practice is especially useful when you need to brainstorm ideas for big projects. To create a mind map, write the topic in the center, add lines that point in different directions, and write your ideas on top of the lines.[7]

Try to come up with as many ideas as you can. If you are stuck, do some research for more information.

Think of this exercise as a form of word or idea association.

Choose a quiet place to study without distractions. The more time you spend studying, the more you’ll learn and the better grades you’ll earn. But the quality of your study time needs to be efficient, so remove all distractions (cell phones, television, loud/fast-paced music, and talkative friends/family members), to ensure a calm, focused environment.[8]

If you can’t find a quiet place to study, wear noise cancellation headphones (but don’t play any music).

Find time to study when most of your peers are doing something else. For instance, if you finish lunch early, head to the library or any other quiet place that won’t be too crowded.

Avoid procrastinating and stay positive. It’s tempting to say, “I’ll do it later,” but often, later never happens. Make a point to study right when you get home or right when the last class lets out. If you have trouble with a particular subject, study that one first and stay positive![9]

If you are still procrastinating, ask a friend or family member to keep you accountable. You could say something like, “Could you check on me in an hour to make sure I’m still studying?”

Repeat positive affirmations to yourself if you feel like you’re struggling to understand something. For example, you might tell yourself: “I can master these equations!” and/or “I am going to ace this test!”

Take short breaks from studying. Your brain needs time to rest and digest information, so plan to take a 10-minute break after each hour. If you get stuck on a certain topic, that’s a good time to take a little break so you can come back refreshed. Set a timer on your phone so a short 10-minute breather doesn’t turn into 30 minutes of procrastination.[10]

Do some light stretches on your break to re-energize yourself. For instance, stretch out your back, legs, and arms or do some light floor aerobics like lunges, jumping jacks, or squats (especially if you’ve been sitting for a long period of time).

Read ahead and prepare questions for each class. Find out which chapter your teacher is covering tomorrow and read it before going to class. That way you become familiar with the material and can ask questions to clarify things you don’t understand.[11]

Use a highlighter to draw attention to important information or write your questions on sticky notes.

Do extra credit to further your understanding of a topic. If your teacher offers extra credit for doing extra assignments or readings, do them! Even if your grade in a class is 98%, you can still improve your grade and understand the material better.

If you’re struggling to raise a low grade, ask your teacher if there’s anything you can do for extra credit. They’ll be impressed by your dedication!

Study for quizzes and tests early. If you have a big test coming up, start studying a few days to a week before the test. Make a study schedule, breaking up your time into sections, and stick to it. Don’t wait until the night before because cramming doesn’t allow your brain time to fully absorb information.[12]

If you play sports or do any extracurricular activities, let your coach or teacher know that you might need to leave early or arrive a little late to make time for your studies. If your attendance is mandatory (like for theatre performances or championship sports games), plan your study time around the event.

Don’t forget to pencil in small breaks to allow your brain some resting time!

Write small tests and quizzes for yourself. Take some time to write some problems up, or you could ask someone to write them for you. Just remember, the more you encounter and think about the information, the more likely it is to stick.

For instance, if you’re studying for algebra, have a friend write out some equations for you to solve. Time yourself if you struggle with time management during test-taking.

For Language Arts courses, practicing writing paragraphs using relevant vocabulary words and varied sentence structures. Make it fun by writing a review of your favorite movie or jotting down your opinions on something you’re interested in.

[Edit]Doing Your Homework

Do your homework as soon as possible. Homework may seem like a drag, but it helps you review what you’ve learned that day and prepare for upcoming quizzes and tests. Try to start doing it at school so you can ask the teacher just in case you need help.[13]

If your homework involves hand-written answers, write as legibly as possible using your teacher’s preferred tool (black/blue ink pen or pencil).

Don’t rush it and check over your work when you’re finished.

Turn in your assignments on time. Turning in your work before or by the due date is essential for getting good grades. Make a note of due dates on your study schedule so you won’t forget. You can even use colored sticky notes to remind yourself which assignments need to get done first.

Sometimes teachers will deduct points for late assignments, and some won’t accept late work at all! Look at your syllabus to find out the penalty for late work.

Set homework goals and reward yourself for completing them. Set realistic goals to finish certain tasks by specific deadlines. Giving yourself an incentive to finish your homework will help motivate you and keep you on task. For instance, tell yourself: “If I finish this packet now I can go play the guitar for 20 minutes before dinner.”

Make sure your goals are reasonable and achievable. For instance, a reasonable goal would be: “I will read the first 20 pages of the text before taking a break and finishing the last 20 pages.” An example of an unrealistic goal is: “I’m going to finish the entire book tonight before I can do anything else.

Ask a friend or family member to check your work. Ask someone else to check your homework for clarity and readability. Cheating isn’t okay, so make sure to choose a friend who won’t copy off of your work! And make sure your parent or sibling doesn’t try to redo the work for you. Instead, ask them for specific ways that you can improve. Some things you might ask them to look for are:

Grammatical errors

Legible handwriting

Relevance (i.e., you’ve addressed the questions/topic/prompt)

Depth of understanding (i.e., your work displays that you understand the concepts at hand)

[Edit]Tips

Different people concentrate better at different times of the day. Try to find the time you concentrate better, even if it means having occasional breaks to refresh your memory.

While studying, don't keep yourself at home the whole day. Instead, take a break 5-15 minute break outside. This will help you focus better when you get back to your studies.

[Edit]Warnings

Stay on top of your grades. If your school has online grades, check them once a week or after big assignments. That way you aren't surprised when you get your progress report, and will know if you forgot to turn something in, if you need to work extra hard to pass the course, or if the grade has been entered incorrectly.

Don't freak out if you get a bad grade on a paper. Everyone gets bad grades once in a while; even the high-level students don't achieve good marks for everything. It's not the end of the world, just move on and try your best.

[Edit]Related wikiHows

Get Great Grades With No Effort

Do Well in School

Calculate GPA

Get Good Grades in Economics

Be Studious

[Edit]References

↑ https://www.parenttoday.org/an-organized-student-is-a-successful-student/

↑ https://learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/effective-note-taking-in-class/

↑ http://www.math.montana.edu/courses/m151/study.html

↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6292246/

↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2805706/

↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4610292/

↑ https://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/concept_maps

↑ https://www.inc.com/lolly-daskal/10-smart-tips-to-prevent-distractions-and-sharpen-your-focus.html

↑ https://www.developgoodhabits.com/study-schedule/

↑ https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1745691612447308

↑ https://www.pace.edu/center-academic-excellence/learning-center/new-york-city-campus/musts-for-successful-study/read-your-textbook

↑ https://learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/studying-101-study-smarter-not-harder/

↑ https://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/classroom-resources/the-homework-debate-benefits-of-homework/

#EverythingByChoice

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ebonysarah · 7 years

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Apps that can help you on the SAT and/or ACT

Are you getting ready to take the SAT or ACT? Or are you looking from something that can refresh your memory of things you learned in school, whether it be for a college placement test, helping someone to do homework etc.? Do you want it to be easy, free and able to go everywhere with you? If you have answered yes to any of these questions then what I have to share with you in this post is just what you need.

Topic Overview:

I discovered, last year, two apps that help you study for the SAT and the ACT. The two apps are named Ready4SAT and Ready4ACT. They are made by the same people and are very similar in layout and how they work. I will go into detail on what both offer, how they work and steps to take. I will also try and get pictures of the apps in this blog to show you what I mean. They both are free unless you want the premium package which does cost but it give a you even more help to prep for the SAT/ACT.

What is Offered:

What both offer is, after you take the first assessment to see what your weakness is in when it comes to math etc., individualized lessons that can be viewed in two ways. The first way is like a map that you follow and when you get to a certain point there is a little quiz to help test your ability to see how much your weakness has turned to strength. The second way is a list way which allows to focus on one subject. Example, with the one for SAT it goes in order from: Writing, Reading, Math with a calculator and last Math without a calculator. In the list form you can see your progress on each subject while in map for you can see your progress over all, which you can see in both forms at the top. Both apps also give you an estimated score on each test over all and in each subject. There is also a horn icon in the bottom right hand corner on the map view that lets you choose what you want to show up on the map view. After you complete a section the may be a button in the bottom middle that says “update content”. You click that to see if you need anymore practice in something.

Both also have a tab at both the very top left hand corner and right below the estimated score and progress bar. The one in the left hand corner has a list of different things from a question of the day to even tutors, this part costs whether you have the premium package or not. They also offer a school matcher, date of your test, your desired score and your profile.

On the main page, under your estimated score and progress bar, there are 4 tabs. The 4 tabs are: the one that lets you choose if you want the map or lost version of sections/lessons, schools which another way for the app to match you up with schools that nay suite or interest you

How They Work:

After you take the first assessment, the app puts together lesson/sections for you to do that will help you. Typically with the map way you will have between 3-4 different lessons on writing, reading and math. In each section, which have titles like, Algebra 1 or writing style, there are 3-4 card things, like flash card, that given you a subsection on what each topic is about, like solving for a single variable or tone of a text. After you have studied the cards you then have some practices, typically 2-3 different ones, that consist of 4-5 questions. At the end of the practice you will be told how much time you took, how many you got right, some points that go to the leader board(I don’t pay attention to this), a button to press to review the now graded practice, a button to retry and a button to go to the next topic/lesson. In the review part of the practice it will give you the correct answer, whether you got it or not, and how to get that answer below the answer choices step by step.

In the list way it’s the same with the cards, practices etc. The two differences are the fact it’s in a list from by subject and when you click on the specific subject instead of being just titled something like, solving for a single variable, it’s set up as “lesson # of #” like, lesson 1 of 9, followed by what the lesson is on. Example: English,Lesson 1 of 11, Sentence Structure. In this form there is also a quiz after a certain amount of sections to test on all of the section done before the quiz. This is to make sure you remember to do the things covered in the sections. And you do have to do the quizzes to unlock the next sections.

When you click on the section/lesson in both views you will see 3-4 boxes. One will say Theory, which is where you find the flashcards, Practice Set-1 and so on in the practices. Theory is where you must start it will show up white while the rest are blue. After you have completed these they will turn back to blue but with a yellow check mark in the top right hand corner. When you have completed everything in the section/lesson it will turn blue with a yellow check mark in the top right hand corner. Then the next section, in map view will turn yellow which means you need to complete it before continuing. When it comes to the practices they are timed since the SAT and ACT are both timed tests.

Where To Get The Apps:

You can get the apps in both Google Play(how I got both on my phone) and the Apple App Store. I am not sure if you can get it on a tablet or laptop/computer.

Step-by-step How To Use:

1) After you have downloaded them, you will need to create a profile.

2) Tell the app what your desired score it and date and ,if you want to, tell what college you would like to go.

3) When you have created the profile you will need to take the assessment test.

4) After the test click on the lesson/section you want to do.

5) Click on the Theory box.

6) When you come to the first flashcard you can choose to write the notes on the back of the card down(I do this) or not. To see the the information on the back of the card tap the card to flip it around.

7) After you have completed the flashcards take the first practice set.

8) After you have completed the set I strongly recommend that you review your answers, not only to see what you got right but to also see how to get each correct answer.

9) When you have completed the set review you can either go to the next set or go to the next lesson/section.

My tips:

*Don’t just read the notes write them down so not only can you retain the information but also refer back to them when taking the practice sets,or if you need them in the future.

*Don’t try to do the all the sections/lessons in one day. Speed them out otherwise they won’t stick.

*Do 1-2 lessons/sections a day.

*After looking at or taking notes on the flashcards take a 5-10 minute break before doing the practice and maybe look over the notes you took for that section/lesson.

*Don’t rush through it, yes the practices are timed but just ignore the timer tale as much time as needed to make sure you understand it.

*If you feel you still don’t understand a certain sectio,lesson or flashcard do not be afraid to ask for extra help or go to the tutor button(if you can afford it).

*Don’t do all the practices in the section/lesson you will want to be able to got back and have some practices to do to keep the information in your memory.

*Last but not least don’t get discouraged if your score goes down or if you miss some questions on the practice sets. These apps are designed to help you to pass the real tests plus you can always go back and do other practice sets on the same section/lesson.

If you want to see the pictures of the apps check out my Facebook page with this same post that goes up tomorrow. Link: https://www.facebook.com/SarahEbony19/

Remember to be you, Be safe and always stand out from the crowd.

XOXO Sarah

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kurttheintrovert · 7 years

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that’s life (that’s what all the people say)

Jamie sat quietly on his wooden stool at the far end of the laboratory. There were medical apparatuses resting on the bench behind him, and beside him was a clear view of the sky from the fourth floor of the building. He was tired, yet he knew that he could not afford to sleep. His hands found something to fidget on while he listened selectively to his professor. He tried to keep his focus on the lecture about the immune system, which had been going on for already an hour and a half. Even though he was dying of boredom from sitting all day, he still found it fascinating how the body fought off infection. It was a curious thing to him how tiny traces of anything foreign were capable of triggering a cascade of protective responses. He thought of how hard the human body fought to maintain its function. To keep living. There was no rest for the body when it came to fighting for health, so Jamie accepted the fact that there would also be no rest for him in the same overwhelming effort to remedy the sick.

“Mothers supply their babies with colostrum or what we call breast milk in order to aid the infant’s immunity,” his professor, Dr. Henry, discussed in front. Jamie had already developed an effective strategy to retain information, and he only ever truly listened whenever it mattered. “Newborns exhibit immunity from the moment they are conceived because we humans cannot afford to be exposed to the world without the guarantee of fighting off infection. We are fragile. As babies, we have to be safe from harm, so our mothers solve that problem by sharing their immunity with us before we leave their bodies.”

The anatomy and physiology of the human body had always been mesmerizing to him, and it was probably the main reason why he chose to pursue becoming a doctor. His mother, a cardio-thoracic surgeon, probably factored in a tremendous amount on his career choice, but Jamie knew that he wanted to understand completely how the complex systems of our anatomy worked. He wanted to know how the blood rushed through his veins, how his heart beat, or how his lungs expanded. He dreamed of learning about all of the diseases that plagued everyone, and he dreamed of helping those people in taking care of themselves. Jamie hoped to be able to cure the illnesses he witnessed around him with his knowledge on disease and medicine, but as a third year pre-med student, he knew that he was still light years away from actually doing that. It was not going to be easy, yet he was determined. He was going to become a doctor.

“The period is almost over, so let’s wrap this lesson up,” Dr. Henry announced to the class. She took a moment to go through her schedule in her head, and then she noticed how her students, including Jamie, were already grimacing at what she was going to say next. “We will have a quiz next meeting about the chapters on the all of the kinds of immunity. I will see you on Friday, class.”

Collective groans and sighs filled the laboratory as everybody stood to stretch their limbs after the two-hour lecture. As soon as Dr. Henry left the room, all of the students took off to procure their respective lunches. They only had a thirty-minute break until their next class, so it was normal for all of them to be in such a hurry. Jamie stood up, kept his things in his bag, made sure he had the handouts he needed for his next class, and then proceeded to his friends. They walked with their faces planted on their review materials because they were about to go through a tedious practical test, which they stayed up all night studying for. “So, what are all of you doing after the day?” one of his friends, Tim, asked their group.

“I’m going out to drink and get wasted,” Jamie joked as they walked to the canteen, prompting laughter from the whole group. Nobody believed in the joke, but it was refreshing to hear it. Even for just that minute, they could laugh for a while. They could not have gone out of the building for food, unless they wanted to fail their practical tests. Instead, they queued, ordered, and sat altogether around one table to eat and study at the same time.

“Dr. Henry sure loves drowning us with information, doesn’t she?” Sam, another one of Jamie’s friends, said to the group. “I don’t know how I’m going to study for three more quizzes tomorrow and four more on Friday. I can barely retain the information I need for this practical test.”

“We’re going to study at the dorm’s cafe tonight remember?” Mark, Sam’s boyfriend replied. He was eating next to her on the table of five like he always did. “You say you don’t know what to do, but I am a living witness of your intelligence. I’m willing to bet you’ll get the highest scores on all three of those quizzes.”

“Of course she will. She always does,” Ana, the leader of the group, chimed in. “Now, I really think we should study. I barely slept last night, and I still have three pages of agars left to memorize.”

“Right,” Jamie and Tim mumbled as they forked pasta over to their mouths and read the rest of their handouts. The group sat quietly, each one of them flipping through pages and scrolling through their phones in their last effort to retain as much of the details they needed. That was how their days went. Waking up, bathing, eating if they could, and then going to class. As soon as they arrived at their own dorms, 5-inch textbooks and mountains of handouts to be studied for the night welcomed them home. Jamie had even developed an unconventional routine that consisted of sleeping first, then eating at midnight, and then studying until he finally needed to go to class. It was unorthodox to be living like that, but it worked for Jamie, so he stuck to his own schedule.

A few minutes after they had all eaten and reviewed whatever they could, one of their blockmates began calling out from the far end of the building, saying, “the first half of the class goes in first! The practicals start in five minutes!”

All of them stood like robots and proceeded to the next laboratory where they would be given a minute to answer at least three questions per station. That was how a practical test went, and every student ever to go through it dreaded the pressure it brought. They had to be able to familiarize themselves with all of the miscellaneous things that they would be dealing with in their real working scenario. Even though none of them enjoyed studying an almost unbearable amount of information, all of the students knew that they had to. If they wanted to reach their end goal, they had to study.

The next hour and a half was dreadful, with Jamie standing in line as he watched his blockmates enter the lab and exit with frowns on their faces. Before Jamie even went in for his practical test, he had to join his peers in consoling one of them who failed the test. It was inevitable to be able to juggle all of their courses perfectly, so failure was something they could not completely avoid. Nonetheless, their class knew that in order to make it through the academic year, they had to stick together and be there for one another when anybody needed it. In a way, they formed a family out of their class, and it was one of the things that kept them going since most of them lived away from their respective families to be able to study. A good support system always goes a long way.

Jamie answered the test like clockwork. He went through station-by-station, jotting down his answers if he had the time, and skipping them when he did not. After every one had finished their test, nobody from the class had any energy left to listen to more lectures, yet they still had another hour for one lecture, and three more hours for their final laboratory class. The one thing they could be happy about was that they only had a discussion on their next class, and an experiment on the one after it. They could breathe for a while before going back to hit the books.

“So tomorrow, we have quizzes on hematology, blood banking, and laws and bioethics?” Sam asked the group as they walked down to the first floor for their next lecture.

“Don’t forget the presentation on enzymes for clinical chemistry,” Ana added. “I honestly don’t know how we’re going to survive tomorrow.”

“Me too. It’s impossible. How do they expect us to pass all of those quizzes?” Tim told both of the girls, who were already scanning their notes for the quizzes they had on the following day.

“Me three,” Jamie replied, walking his fatigue away. He had three hours to sleep during the previous night, so he figured that he could use a good dose of his old friend, caffeine. Somehow, the coffee could not provide him with enough strength to be awake for the whole day. Maybe he had already developed a tolerance for its effects after drinking it habitually for years. He had to accept the fact that he was going to fall asleep on his next class, and he did.

Sitting on the far end of the classroom where he frequently stayed, Jamie found himself napping like a baby. It was all right to nap. He could make up for it by reading the topics he missed in the night to come. That was what he did all the time, anyway.

Everybody else in the classroom struggled to keep his or her focus on the lesson. Their attention spans were running on empty, yet most of them still fought hard to digest what the professor was discussing. Sam and Mark were both taking down notes, one of them stopping to rest while the other copied the rest for the other. Sam would still rewrite those notes later on, so all she had to do was make sure she had a copy. Mark supported her in the process. Ana, on the other hand, was trying to cut down on her workload for the night by reading for her upcoming quizzes. Tim sat there, listened attentively, and recorded the lecture on his phone. He had always been terribly lazy compared to his friends, yet Tim had never failed a subject. No one understood how he did it because even though he often indulged himself in the luxury of relaxation, he still received passing scores on his quizzes at the end of the day.

Jamie was the passionate one. He never saw himself becoming anything other than a doctor. Medicine became the light in his life, the thing that kept him moving forward. Without it, he probably never would have dreamed as hard and as much. It kept him out of the dark, and it gave him hope that one day, he would be saving lives. That was the dream. Although it had not been a perfect run for him, giving up was never option for Jamie. The third year of his pre-med program was the worst in terms of the workload, but compared to the one in medicine, the work he needed to put out on his pre-med courses only reached his ankles. Medicine would drown him from his head down to his toes, repeatedly. Ever since he was a kid, he knew the monstrosity he was setting himself up to face, but Jamie was a doctor. Maybe not in that certain point in time, but he was.

By the time his professor had finished the lesson for the day, Jamie had already woken up. He wiped the sleep out of his eyes, and readied himself for the final laboratory period in hematology. The practical part was one of the things he enjoyed most on his program: how he could extract blood from Tim and examine it in the microscope or perform different tests to determine if he was healthy. That alone made him feel the slightest inkling of what it was like to be a doctor, and it felt incredible.

“Don’t make it hurt this time, please,” Tim said as he sat beside Jamie and held his arm out. It was like clockwork again, the way Jamie tied a tourniquet around Tim’s arm and punctured it with a needle after it was cleaned. Jamie used the blood he extracted from Tim for peripheral smears since they had to view one on the microscope and group a hundred white blood cells from it. “Man, this is going to take so long to count again,” Tim said as he took his share of his own blood. “I don’t understand why we have to do this when we already have automation, but they’ll see who’s great after I make good smears.”

“If you make good smears.” Jamie replied. It was an inside joke to them because smear preparation had always been Tim’s weak point. They both chuckled, and then they proceeded to do their work.

Time flew then. Jamie and his friends were walking to and from different ends of the laboratory to finish their work, and by the time they had finished, there were ten minutes left for the period. As Jamie turned his microscope off, threw away the dirty slides and used syringes, and submitted his final report on Tim’s blood, he realized how he had survived another day.

A few months more and they would be interns on hospitals, and a year after that, they would be graduating from their pre-med programs and would be proceeding to med school, if they put in the work properly. Years were turning into months, and those months were turning into days. Every day that they spent waking up before seven in the morning and going home to their dorms at seven at night led them closer and closer to those two letters after their names. It was all worth it.

“Well that was one hell of a day,” Mark said, putting his arms over Sam’s shoulders. “Let’s go home, I’m dead tired.”

“Boy, I can’t wait for tomorrow,” Ana deadpanned, making everybody else laugh. They all said their goodbyes for the night before going their separate ways to their respective dorms.

“I’ll see you guys tomorrow then,” Tim replied as he waved them goodbye, and they all took off.

Jamie walked home with a smile. When he got home, he closed the door behind him, removed his shoes, washed his face, slipped into a clean pair of clothes, and then finally flung himself unto his unkempt bed. He wrapped himself around his dark, maroon blanket, which always reminded him of the color of the blood in his veins. As he lay there, staring at the empty top bunk, he thought about what he heard from doctor Henry that kept ringing in his head the whole day. “You cannot afford to be exposed to the world without the guarantee of fighting off infection. You are fragile.”

Jamie stared, and he thought, “No, I am not fragile. At least not anymore. A nineteen year old produces enough antibodies to protect himself. My body is fighting. I am fighting off the harm, and someday I will be capable of fighting for someone else. How cool is that?”

That was life for now, but he knew where it would lead after a couple more years. Even though it seemed so far away, the dream was still coming to fruition. Slowly. Painstakingly slowly, but surely. After such a long and tiring day, Jamie only cared for the chance to rest. He was finally going to get some sleep, and then he would wake up and do everything all over again until he was already saving lives.

#inkling #i have to make 2 more articles #this is for pg #I'm applying for literary and they're making us write three articles with given topics #i dont know if the ending was good #it's getting too long

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