TCWT December 2014 Blog Chain: “What works of fiction have taught you by example, and what did they teach you?”

I am so late that next year's blog chain is already up. I am über disappointed in myself but I have a logical explanation. Have you ever been caught by an urge to just go on a cleaning spree? Well yesterday I was.  I cleaned everything and everywhere in my room. Under the bed, behind the shelf, so of course this involved moving heavy furniture ultimately making me dog tired.

Anyway, excuses shmexcuses, to the works of fiction that have taught me by example.

Chinua Achebe "No Longer At Ease "- The odds are never in your favor. Let me give you a mini-wrap, so this guy is a civil servant and for the longest time ever he has been avoiding corrupt activities that are unfortunately very common in his career field. Long story short, he finally succumbs to the pressure and the first and only corrupt thing he does...well let's just say it ends with government officials at his door step. The sad part is, everybody else has never been caught.

Ngugi Wa Thiong'o "The River Between",Half A Day and Other Stories,"Breaking Loose"-Moyez.G.vassanji,"- These were the books that I was required to read in my last year of high school and the moment I finished my last English paper it was all good riddance on this end but now look at me quoting the books I cursed. So what did they teach me? Going against the status quo is not easy. Period. But for your inner peace, do it!

Veronica Roth ""Divergent Series"- Age ain't nothing but a number. Okay so Divergent did not teach me that per se, but it indirectly did. Veronica Roth is what in her twenties and has a best seller, not book, series to her name. She is such an inspiration, and more of my crushing on her is seen here.

John Green "Paper Towns"- Teenage life and a bunch of down for whatever friends make a great combination for an epic road trip. Plus John Green's work always have his characters being pretty successful in school so yes, that too.



Downton Abbey- Although it's not absolutely fictitious, it has taught me that the industrial revolution rocked maybe even more than this pop culture age we are in. Okay it only rocked of you were royalty.

Parenthood. The Cosby Show- Family is everything  and don't you just want to be adopted into their family. Yes I am obsessed.  Plus Parenthood had/has Ray Romano in one of the seasons and you know, Everybody Loves Raymond.

A Different World- Taught me what college is, a different world from where you come from. If you did not see what I did there please just watch an episode or at least the intro.

That's about it and you should totally without a doubt go see the other bloggers who were on the chain this month.

5^th – http://thelittleenginethatcouldnt.wordpress.com/
6^th – http://nasrielsfanfics.wordpress.com/
7^th – https://erinkenobi2893.wordpress.com/
8^th – http://introspectioncreative.wordpress.com/
9^th – http://semilegacy.blogspot.com/
10^th – http://kirabudge.weebly.com/
11^th – http://whileishouldbedoingprecal.weebly.com/
12^th – http://randomosityofeden.wordpress.com/
13^th – http://musingsfromnevillesnavel.wordpress.com/
14^th – http://www.alwaysopinionatedgirl.wordpress.com/
15^th – http://www.juliathewritergirl.wordpress.com/
16^th – http://miriamjoywrites.com/
17^th – http://horsfeathersblog.wordpress.com/
18^th – http://unironicallyexcited.wordpress.com/
19^th – http://theboardingblogger.wordpress.com/
20^th – http://stayandwatchthestars.wordpress.com/
21^st – http://unikkelyfe.wordpress.com/
22^nd – http://fantasiesofapockethuman.blogspot.com/
23^rd – http://lilyjenness.blogspot.com/
24^th – http://oliviarivers.wordpress.com/
25^th – [off-day]
26^th – http://butterfliesoftheimagination.wordpress.com/
27^th – http://missalexandrinabrant.wordpress.com/
28^th – http://www.pamelanicolewrites.com
29^th – http://jasperlindell.blogspot.com.au/
30^th – http://maralaurey.wordpress.com/ and http://theedfiles.blogspot.com/
31st – http://teenscanwritetoo.wordpress.com/ (We’ll announce the topic for next month’s chain.


 Have a super duper 2015 and Happy Reading y'all!!
 

Surviving College: #FirstSemesterDown...

Well the first semester is kind of sorta down only because I haven't done my finals and handed in a particular paper yet, but other than that it's done. Only down side to this, instead of festivities guess whose got two thumbs and will be studying while you will be screaming your head off counting down the new year? Go on, guess, heck I'll save you the trouble it's me. Sad I know.

But I figured I might as well give you some advice on things you ought to do before college and  while you are in college.

So, up,up and away!

Do your research. I cannot stress this enough. This should probably be done during your high school life and that "empty" period between finishing high school and joining college. By research I mean, job shadow during your holiday even if it's just for a day, intern you will be able to see what REALLY goes into your otherwise pompous and glamorous prospective career choice. Be warned, this may sway your career choice but at least it will do so early enough as opposed to having an academic epiphany while in one of your last semesters of college.

Ask questions. Questions concerning everything and anything your career. This applies to everyone and I mean everyone in the field of your choice. Start with the students. Not only students who are in your dream university but also every other student in other universities which have never even crossed your mind or are your "safety-net". Why students? Well these guys are perhaps the most brutally honest  after kids. They'll tell you everything, from the course units, faculty, facilities you name it; basically campus life which tends to be overhyped in some instances. This way you will be able to compare and contrast universities based on first hand experience other than the contents of a brochure.  Afterwards you can now graduate to asking the big wigs in the field i.e the CEOs, airline pilots, world renowned writers, award wining journalists etc.

Sit in in a class. You know, like how in Gilmore Girls Rory sat at the very back of a lecture hall at Yale yet all the while Harvard was the dream, then that just changed the game. Okay, so maybe this example was not the best given that Rory did drop out of Yale for a period of time, actually my memory fails me, how did Gilmore Girls end again?  But I hope you see where I am going with this. Side note, if you don't know Gilmore Girls...I can't...I can't even. For real though, sit in in as many classes and at as many universities as possible. This will definetly influence you into making a well informed decision and definitely look up Gilmore Girls.

Accept change. Once you've carried out your research don't be afraid of listening to that little voice that's telling you "maybe University X isn't that bad" or "maybe career Y just isn't it". Don't be afraid of altering your dream just a tweak say changing your university choice or changing up the whole shebang like your career...of course only after careful deliberation. The whole point is to have you making this decisions early enough and evade all possibilities of a quarter-life crisis.

Work hard. Once you get in uni' and before you get in a.k.a high school this golden rule does not change. Especially in high school whatever it is Matric, K.C.S.E, I.G.C.S.E, G.C.E,S.A.T's and any other initialed major exam that supposedly determines your life, I can tell you for free good grades means you have an unlimited selection of college choices. So, go get it! 

Happy Holidays Y'all!!

Can you even....DIY:Box Organiser

Hi people! *enthusiastic wave*.

So it seems that this blog is covering pretty much anything and everything under the sun. People it's called finding your niche. Now let's get this show on the road.

I actually got this idea from a Youtuber whom  I can't seem to remember who exactly at the moment but thank you for the inspiration regardless.

What you will need:
1. Books.
2. Cut out cereal box.
3. Wall Paper.(Ksh. 10)
4. Pair of paper scissors.
5. Cello tape.
6. Stationary. (Optional)

1. Wrap your cut out cereal box like you are wrapping a gift.

2. Start from the base, cutting out the excess paper covering the opening.

3. Fold the excess paper into the walls of the cereal box. Fold twice to cover the raw edges and stick with tape against the walls of the cereal box.

4. Put the books of your choice (and if you are like me your secret stash of stationary) and... BOOM, BOOM, CLAP!!! you may not be picture perfect, but guess what you have yourself a Box Organizer.

Hope you find D.I.Y's as fun as I do. Try it out and comment down below if you would like to see more of these.

Happy D.I.Y-ing y'all!

All photo's in this particular article belong to the author of the article.