Hobbies and Exams

I like many people, am experiencing the dreaded examination period at its fullest.

Due to the fact that this virus has pushed all of our tests online, the tests themselves will be significantly harder as they have now been adjusted to the open-book format. Open-book essentially means that you will be expected to critique more as well as just generally using your own analyses to a greater extent due to the fact that you have all of the information laid out in front of you. For this reason, such tests tend to be more difficult for me. I have been studying like a demon, lately and I will continue to do so until the exam period is over. This has unfortunately meant that I have had to put many of my hobbies aside in order to study. This is understandable and important to do but sad nonetheless.

One of these hobbies has been writing. I don’t know if you, the reader, have noticed (unless of course you are new here, in which case- welcome!) but I have not been as active on this platform as I should be. It has just gotten to that stage in which even writing a single post once a week has been challenging time-wise. I haven’t even been able to watch any of the new season of The Politician on Netflix because of my cray schedule. Now that is just plain old sad.

Considering this, however, I find writing to be really good for my mental health. No matter how much I have to study, I also have to take care of said mental health. It is for this reason that I will be writing here more frequently. Writing on my blogs is really important to me and I should make it more of a priority in my life. If I can stay active on YouTube through all of this, surely I can stay active on The Bluebird Circle as well.

Do comment your thoughts on this, I am open to hearing any advice on the matter.

Take care of yourselves.

-Birdie

Moving Back

So my study space at home got pulled out from under me.

This had its benefits, however, and it meant that I was able to move back to my student residency so that I had a calm space to study in. The plan is to go back home on weekends while staying here during the week. Being back here has been an experience.

I no longer have this massive outdoors space within which to walk and picnic. I have countered this seemingly negative situation by doing indoor exercises to keep me fit. I found this workout challenge on Pinterest (yes, I still use Pinterest, sue me) and I must say, it has been working for me so far. I also make my own small indoor picnics by putting a blanket on my floor and enjoying my space. Since I’ve been making my own food as well, I am able to eat my meals whenever I wish. This has been a major plus.

I have been working on self-improvement. I have found myself feeling rather depressed lately (depression is something I tend to struggle with a lot) and so I decided to make changes to my diet and general lifestyle. I think that actually taking the time to workout every morning has also improved my mental state. Being back here has forced me to be healthy because I don’t have as great an access to the nearest store. I count this as a pro because health is something that I need to work on and this is a great opportunity to get going on that front.

Being back at my student residency has been very calming. It is a less chaotic environment than home is. I am actually able to study well in this environment and I fee as though my marks will reflect this. I am so happy to have my study space back and to be able to act out all my weird quirks that help me to study. My work life is thriving here. Here’s to hoping that this continues.

Stay home, folks.

–Birdie

Home vs. Residency

I have been living at home for the past few months but last week I was able to go back to my res for a couple of day (res=student commune for you non-locals).

I must say, living at res certainly beats living at home. It is calmer there, I am able to prepare my own food at whatever time I like and I have my own workspace. The only thing I would miss from being home is the massive garden within which I can take study breaks. The only issue is that I am not allowed to move back into res on account of my parent’s rules. Yes, I am 19 and yes, I still listen to my parents. We all have our cross to bear. The situation only grows more dire as soon the one appropriate study space within which I can get some privacy is going to be taken away from me. This is because we live at a school and the students are coming back next week Monday. Since I am not allowed to go back to my res, I shall have to study in a noisier, more chaotic environment. If there is any update to me finding a new study space, I will be sure to tell you.

I guess I just feel stuck in a chaotic environment. Things are always changing here. Not to mention that as soon as lockdown regulations allow us, we will be moving into a new place to live. There is just something about this entire situation that doesn’t sit well with me, I guess. I stated in a previous blog that I am going to practice gratitude while staying at home and I will/do, it just gets a little hard when everything is swept out from under you. I just have to endure this life until lockdown ends but I can assure you that it’s a struggle. I realise, once again, that this is a “first-world problem” but does it being this do anything to make me feel better about it? That’s a solid no. Nevertheless, I shall persist and try to make the best out of the situation at hand. Let’s just hope that this works out for me.

Keep staying alive.

-Birdie

The Perks of Online Learning

We are going to be stuck in this cycle of online learning for a while, so we might as well find the good in it.

Online learning has its challenges and we hear about these challenges every day through social media. There are major challenges such as access to resources or lack thereof and concentration issues. I feel as though there are some perks to online schooling, however, and so I wish to share with you the perks that I have discovered during the past two weeks of online learning.

The first is that I can increase the playback speed of my online pre-recorded video lectures. I have this one English lecturer who “um”s and “ah”s her way through lectures at a painfully slow rate. In this case I like to slightly increase the speed of my lectures, not so much that she sounds like a chipmunk but just fast enough that the lecture is less painful. I can’t do this in physical lectures so it is a blessing to have figured this out. The second perk is that I can make my own schedule. Sure, some lectures are live and so I have to attend them in the allocated time slots but some are pre-recorded and pre-uploaded so I can access the content at any time I wish. This is especially useful when I have class clashes. I can do the one class in the allocated time slot and the other class beforehand. I also don’t have to travel to classes on different sides of campus because I can access them all just sitting at my desk. I also don’t have to walk to school (although I do miss those walks tbh), cutting my travel time down to zero. I can eat during class which is a blessing during classes that take place around lunch and breakfast time. I can have a full meal just sitting at my desk in front of my classes. The final perk I have noticed is that I can do things like playing my ukulele or baking in between classes as a break. I wouldn’t have been able to do this while on campus so it makes a nice change.

These are the perks that I have noticed during my short time being at online university. I am not otherwise able to enact these perks on my physical campus so it makes for a nice change of scenery/pace. Feel free to comment any perks of your own in the comment section!

Stay groovy.

-Birdie

Twotone_1920

Keeping Up with Uni Work

Online learning is a moment.

I realised today that I had totally miscalculated and so missed 1 hour of a 2 hour class. It’s not the end of the world as it was an introductory class but I think that it serves as an example of how confusing all of this online work can be. If this kind of thing were to happen in a test setting I would honestly die (emotionally). I’ve made triple sure of not missing anything by writing down all of my test and assignment dates on my mum’s calendar. Let’s bring her down with me why don’t we? Just kidding but for real, it’s good to have an extra layer of protection against the possibility of accidentally missing something.

The worst thing about this whole confusing scenario is that it’s no one’s fault. There’s no one to blame. Lecturers are doing the best with what’s available to them and the university heads must be so overworked at this point. I can’t even blame myself because I am doing all that I can to be organised. I have THREE different journals for Pete’s sake! The lack of anyone to blame for this confusion just makes the situation even more frustrating.

Online learning has the perk, however, of being able to be worked from at one’s own pace. Except for obvious deadlines, I can centre my lecture schedule around any time of the day that I want for the most part. Narrated slideshows are often uploaded the day before a lecture so I’m free to do them in the morning rather than the afternoon if I so wish. The only immovable aspect of online learning are the online discussions and live classes. This kind of perk is something to consider when analysing the pros and cons of online classes. Maybe online classes won’t be so bad after all…

Keep learning!

-Birdie

learning-gif-5

First Day of Online University

I’ve only had two classes today but somehow I am beyond exhausted. I have no idea how or why but I just am.

Today has been really great in the sense that I had an official goal for today, like set classes and work that I had to do. I really missed that, as crazy as that sounds. I guess that I’m exhausted because while I only had two classes, I had a bunch of work that I had to do relating to those classes and other classes. It was such a good day for productivity, I am SO stoked.

It was really weird to take part in classes online. It more about discussion forums rather than zoom meetings, we don’t do those thank the gods. Let’s be real about online uni though, it’s kind of super stressful. I mean there’s no one there to keep you on track and you’ve got to stay super up to date in order not to miss anything important. Not to mention that I’ve got to do this for 5 classes, not just one. The whole process is just insane and hard to keep track of. Hopefully though, this only lasts for a couple more months. Wait. That’s not a good thing.

Be that as it may I am grateful that I can get any schooling done at all. Like, I actually have the resources to learn online? That’s like the definition of privilege. I think as much as I’d like to complain about online learning in terms of data costs and keeping on top of things, a little perspective goes a long way. I feel as if I keep having to remind myself of that but its a good exercise. Here’s to hoping that coronageddon does not last too long.

Good luck, y’all.

-Birdie

unnamed

Online Learning

Since I don’t have actual uni to look forward to, I have to settle for online uni.

I for one, am nervous for online uni to begin. I guess my fear stems from the potential for missing out on certain tests or tasks that would cost me marks because of missing a single email. This is a very real fear for me. I also feel that all the fun of university has been snatched away. This is a reality, though that keeps us safe and so I am somewhat grateful for it. Online learning will be an interesting opportunity to observe whether or not I thrive in online schooling compared to physical schooling. At the end of the day I’m just grateful for online learning to rescue me from potential boredom and lethargy. At least it helps me to differentiate between which days are which.

I have received online schedules for three of my subjects so far which being out of five subjects, makes me wonder when the rest of my subjects are going to let me know WTF is happening. I’m sure though, that those organising the subjects are under a lot of pressure right now and so I appreciate what they are able to let out. I just want an end to this grey area.

There are some perks to online schooling, however. I can listen to music while doing my coursework, I don’t have to walk to uni everyday and I can do things at almost my own pace. That is a plus. It just feels so strange that I won’t be able to go back to physical uni until around September (at least, that’s what people are estimating). I feel as though I’m losing half a year of my university experience and that just does not compute in my mind. Let’s just hope that online schooling works out for me.

Stay groovy.

-Birdie

tumblr_mtv7r0Ko0X1sd6clho1_400

College and the Idea of Loneliness

So, I recently started college and I am simultaneously prepared and unprepared for it.

Everyone understands that college is nothing like high school, that the lecturers don’t give a shit about you and that sex is rampant but for these past few weeks, I have been suffering from something completely out-of-character for me. Persistent loneliness and isolation.

Everyone tells you that you’ll be overwhelmed by the sheer amount of people you meet during college orientation, however, this is nothing like my own personal experience. These past few weeks I have become friends with a grand total of two people. I’m not someone who takes pride in having a shit ton of friends so that’s not what bothers me. What bothers me is the fact that I am in college, surrounded by people and my whole two friends and continue to feel completely isolated. This is something temporary for me and I have a pretty strong resolve, take a ton of anxiety and depression meds, and have a gift for butting into people’s conversations but I worry for the people who aren’t like me.

College/university isn’t all partying and socialisation for everone involved. It can be hard to keep in touch with people and to create new acquaintanceships. I feel like people who’ve been to college in the past tell everyone to worry about over-socialising but never mention the potential hazards of under-socialising. If isolation is your jam, good on ya! I worry about the people who are affected by loneliness. If I have felt as awful as I have these past few weeks than how would someone feel who is a lot more mentally vulnerable than I am? It just bothers me that someone might be starting college right now and suffering from budding anxiety or depression due to their lack of human connection.

The solution to this issue would be to stop assuming as a society that everyone will have the same/similar experiences as a college freshman. We need to warn people about their potential lack of social life in college so that they can start creating a support system before it’s too late.

I realise that I sound superr Tumblr Ho with all this ~mental health guyzz~ talk, but I do believe that this is an issue that people just don’t discuss enough when it comes to college.

Agree with me or don’t, that’s just how I feel. If you are one of the Gs who actually get what I’m saying please consider telling a future college kid that you may know (if you start lecturing a random high school senior without warning, you might get arrested- don’t be creepy!) about this issue. You could actually help someone.

Well, that’s my emotional rant for the day. If you’re looking for me, I’ll be lost in a downward spiral of Netflix documentaries.

-Birdie

An Intervention for University/College Websites

So, here’s the tea.

There are few inanimate objects that really make me want to kill a bitch. I lie, there are many objects that do this, however, the ones that I will be addressing today are: University/College websites. They suck ass and I don’t mean one of them, I mean ALL of them.

Their issue is not with interface or general aesthetic, they are usually really nice to look at. I am sure that they are simple to navigate for a student who has already been enrolled in the institute before but I am speaking from the perspective of a newcomer. Their issue is the sheer lack of available information as well as their confusing and often contradictory instructions.

Let’s start with the lack of information. As someone who isn’t going into STEM, I have learnt NOTHING. They’ll give you the dictionary definition of your faculty but then you’re on your own, kiddo! The information that I did manage to acquire came from contacting the lecturers themselves and even they took a while to reply (because they are respected individuals with a profession that requires attention even outside of set work hours). When choosing electives not only was I extremely lost but so were my peers! For the life of me I could not find any definitive tips or rules regarding registration. Even now, I can’t even find the list of prescribed textbooks, smh…

When registering I was told to contact a specific individual who then told me to contact a certain department who THEN told me to contact the individual whom I had contacted in the first place. When receiving my timetable for the year I deadass couldn’t read it. I’m not dismissing the possibility that I could just be extremely dumb, however, I like to think that I did the best I could seeing that I was a future freshman armed with no instructions whatsoever. For those wondering if I ever figured out the timetable, I didn’t. A sophomore friend created a friendlier, more organised timetable for me. I’m not a dude but I for sure felt both grateful and emasculated at the same time. Why is a website giving me emotional turmoil, do I seem like a Tumblr chick to you? On second thought, maybe don’t answer that…

Even when applying for college, every website just seemed so complicated. My theory is that they weed out the weak ones by purposefully making their sites a living hell. There was a stage where I had an outstanding contract which I didn’t even know that I had to send the college a physical copy of until months later when one of my fellow peers where discussing their application process and their sibling was already attending the institution! I read things through. As Gina Linetti as I am, when it comes to college applications I go FULL Amy Santiago on those hos. Until very recently I’ve just been floating in a deep abyss of anxiety and confusion and all because of a college website.

What bothers me most about this is that this ain’t an unsolvable problem. If a uni IT guy ever comes across this: WEBSITES SHOULDN’T MAKE YOU STRESSED! None of this is a jab at the universities themselves, I for one totally dig my college, but if you teach web design you should at least have a user-friendly website, ya feel? Work from the perspective of a high school senior…you know, the people you want to attract in the first place. If you feel me, feel free to comment on this post because tbh I feel personally attacked by university websites.

Think of the children!

-Birdie

897a8aafc3b9ff41db13f2b16ea10b0a