Surviving College: #TimeBomb

So the mummy (myself) has just arisen from her tomb (studying). But I am back now for like what will probably seem like a New York minute otherwise known as study break!!

My mind has been all over the place, but time has been my greatest enemy it seems. Now that you know where I am at and also from the title of this post you can probably guess my rant and rave this time is about, Time. One minute it's there all contact and right there, then BOOM!just like that, before your very eyes its gone.

So heads up, I am no pro in giving anyone advice but I am not disorganized to the point of dysfunctionality  so I guess I am doing something right. But honey I need a map in my life, some go to tips when I veer off in the wrong direction.

Of course I did not come up with this list all on my own, I had some much needed inspiration from one Miss Shirley B. Eniang here whom I absolutely adore but my mild obsession with her is a blog post for another day and from this particular article on thereelrhee.com who is one of my coolest friends, keeping it real since high school.

Here goes:

1. Accept there is no time. The sooner you do, you can show the big bad wolf (time) whose boss. Put on your war paint and try doing everything an hour or two earlier. Wake up earlier for one, yes your blankets have accepted you as one of their own but those books are not going to read themselves.

2.Compromise. No, I don't mean one hour of books and like a 23-hour break, but something like two hours full out books of course with mini 5 minute breaks in between spent watching a short YouTube video rather than a whole playlist.

3. Lists. I used to be totally against these for the pure reason that you can't stick to a list. But wait until assignments are coming at you left, right and center...you and lists basically BFFs. They'll soon be on your phone (reminder, alarms), sticky notes, handy notebooks, notice boards in your room so long as you are in constant visual or audio contact with the list, you're good.

4. Reduce distractions. Ask yourself do you really need to reply to that juicy text? Watch a marathon of your favorite series? Or do either while you study? If you answered no to all of these questions you are well on your way to easy, breezy assignments (you thought I was going to say easy breezy Cover Girl, right?)

5. Be prepared. Scout's motto. Preparation is key, you never know what may be hurled at you next, group work, individual assignment, course readings, pop quiz, club meetings, looking like you knew all about it simply won't cut it. Studying ahead is always a life saver.

6. Immediate effect. You know that assignment you were given weeks ago? The one you probably haven't started on, the one which will probably be a disappointment, grade-wise because you robbed yourself of sufficient time to do it? Well, you probably wouldn't be contemplating an excuse right now to your professor right now if you started on it...wait for it...immediately.

7. Be in the know. Constantly update your email or whatever other forum that may be used to pass on school information or any other information at least every few hours or so. The last thing you need is hearing that there was a late night assignment posted and due for submission at an even weirder hour when you were snug as a bug in a rug in bed.

8. Breathe. Turn up. Okay of course my idea of a turn up is a good book, hot chocolate and pajamas all day but hey we are all different. Turn up in the most sane way possible because stopping to take a deep breathe makes all the difference.

Do you have anything else to recommend? I would be more than happy to hear from you,

I know leave you with the wisest thing I heard yesterday from my classmate who has significantly risen on my cool chart.

Me; Why do you smile so much?

Guy: Because I believe right now I have everything I need to be happy.

Me: Are we in the same class?

I need his optimism, even a fraction of it.

        

Book Review: E. Lockhart's, We Were Liars

I knew this day would come. I wasn't sure of neither the day nor the hour but like a thief in the night, there it was. A book. I. Didn't. Like.

Now that I have your attention, I will tell you That I am a horrible liar. See what I did there? Read We Were Liars and started the post with a lie?

It's basically about Cadence Sinclair a member, first grandchild and heiress to the "perfect" Sinclair family. This picture perfect family begins to fall apart bit by bit, all the while Cadence or Cady being in the middle of it all . A freak accident leaves Cady with a tainted memory as she struggles to figure out why her whole world has since come crushing down after a particular summer.

The language use in this book is quite phenomenal and phenomenally vivid. It is on a whole other level of vividness that at some point I was lost at whether the description was just imagery or if it was the actual activity. For instance when Cady's father leaves them she describes it as a gun shot to her chest like so, "Then he pulled out a hand gun and shot me in the chest." If you happened to sit across from me when I read that line the increase in my eye circumference would have had you having a better understanding of the phrase "eye-opening",

A couple of minor cardiac arrests were experienced due to the oh so vivid imagery which I did not get used to. No complaints here since it kept me alert, awake.

Chronology in this book was rather daunting to follow but toward the end when everything begins making sense to Cady as she regains her memory it also began to make sense to me. Almost as if you are remembering with her. Slow clap for E. Lockhart is in order giving us an intense memory loss experience.

The characters. Well of course there has to be a dashing lad of interest and We Were Liars' is Gat. My view of Gat  is rather biased but I will tell you this he is no Augustus Waters neither is he a Peeta Mellark or even a Tobias "Four" Eaton. Gat is simply Gat, but he sure got some lines, he'll get you turning redder than a plum. Mirren, well she's just another teenage girl with an imaginary boyfriend wanting everything that is not yet within her reach.But Johnny, Johnny is like the ultimate bro like Paper Towns bro.


But if there's anything I loved from this book was the unforgettable lines, otherwise known as quotes like,

"Always be a little more kinder than you have to."

or

"He was contemplation and enthusiasm. Ambition and strong coffee."

The things I would do to be described that exotically. E. Lockhart make my dream come true?

But my all time favorite would have to be,

"Never take a seat in the back of the room. Winners sit up front."

Which has since become my mantra.

Although I wasn't going on and on about it to anything or anyone with ears or imagining myself as one of the characters or constantly looking for other books the author has written or any other bizarre fan girl activity you can think of, I think I may have missed out on something . I don't know . To find out I guess I'll have to read it again I hope you'll read it with me.

Don't be afraid to comment down below on anything #WeWereLiars. Happy reading y'all!!