me every three seconds when i'm not in the mood for studying:

dedication is going to beat talent every time

study tips: how to get a 4.00 GPA 🩰

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#1 finish ur homework the second u get it:

I cannot stress this enough HOMEWORK IS IMPORTANT! idc if you’re too lazy or busy studying for exams, homework is almost half of your grade, doing it the second you get it is the best way to eliminate the stress and procrastination you get when trying to tackle an assignment.

#2 be nice to teachers:

ultimately teachers are the ones deciding your fate, so being a teacher's pet isn't always a bad thing. you don't have to absolutely love them, but giving them respect while speaking, trying to connect with and get to know them, and even just thanking them after class would take you a long way. 

#3 pay attention in class:

ive heard this a million times and as a girly with undiagnosed adhd it is so hard for me to focus during class, but one thing I found helpful is sitting in front of the class. this was important because the teacher was literally in my face so I couldn't zone out. a thing that also helped me is 24/7 taking notes or highlighting passages.

#4 start caring: 

in middle school, i literally did not care about school whatsoever(and im sure most of u as well) and that was because i didn't have any severe consequences. my parents may get mad at me and i may feel disappointed in myself, but there was no long-term consequences. so when i started high school.

i had to start caring because high school grades are all that matters to universities. it was also because i knew i had a dream and wanted to achieve it, and the only way to do so was to fake being a good student till i actually became one.

something that also stops you from caring about school, is u caring about other people or what they think of u, whether it be positively or negatively. thinking about others will take up most of your brain capacity very quickly, which would result in u being distracted and not caring about ur schoolwork.

#5 surrond urrself with people who actually want to improve themselves:

this is SO important! surrounding urself with negative people who don't care about education can greatly affect you(e.g. making u late to class) making friends with people who show up to class on time, get their work done fast, and respect others is a pathway to getting good grades. i believe that the most people you spend time with reflect on who you are, and don't let those people be negative.

*now these tips won't guarantee you getting immediate straight A's, but applying them to your school life will definitely improve it.

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✧˖° the identity shift: start thinking like an A+ student

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most people study with the mindset of “i hope i do well” instead of “i am the kind of person who excels.” and that’s the difference. if you want to start acing your exams, your first step isn’t flashcards or practice tests. it’s shifting your identity. because an A+ student doesn’t just work hard, they think, act, and exist differently.

this is the second post to the final exam survival series. the last post, was focused on how to actually enjoy learning and using that to motivate yourself for school. this post will focus on shifting your identify, which can also work great for manifesting and law of attraction/assumption. i will try to give you the best possible tips to help you shift your mindset to already have the A+ mentality. love you guys <3 - mindy

✧˖° ➼ 01. stop identifying as “bad at studying”

you will never outperform the identity you attach to yourself. if you keep telling yourself: ➝ “i suck at this subject.”➝ “i’ve never been good at exams.”➝ “i’m just not a naturally smart person.”

then you’ll stay stuck. why? because your brain is wired to prove yourself right. but when you shift to: ➝ “i am fully capable of mastering this material.”➝ “i am becoming an A+ student.”➝ “i study in a way that works for me.”

your actions start aligning with that belief. the way you approach studying changes. and suddenly? you’re not “bad at it” anymore.

✧ homework: rewrite every negative academic belief you’ve held about yourself into a new, empowering one. read them before every study session.

✧˖° ➼ 02. start acting like an A+ student right now

not when you feel “ready.” not when you’re already good at the subject. right now.

✨ an A+ student doesn’t: • cram the night before and hope for the best • avoid studying because it feels overwhelming • rely on last-minute motivation to get things done

✨ an A+ student does: • plan their study sessions like an actual strategy • break down material into small, digestible pieces • work consistently, even when they don’t “feel like it”

✧ homework: take one small action today that your A+ student self would take. even if it’s just organizing your study space or making a realistic revision schedule.

✧˖° ➼ 03. use strategic learning, not just memorization

most students study to remember. A+ students study to understand. if you keep forcing yourself to memorize facts with no deeper connection, you’re setting yourself up for forgetting everything under pressure.

🖇 better study strategies:• teach the material → pretend you're tutoring someone who knows nothing about it. if you can explain it simply, you truly understand it. • apply what you learn → don’t just read about a formula, actually use it in practice questions. don’t just memorize historical dates, understand their impact. • switch up your methods → your brain loves novelty. use diagrams, study cards, summarization, and active recall instead of just rereading notes.

✧ homework: find one concept you’ve been struggling with and try teaching it to yourself out loud as if you were giving a TED talk.

✧˖° ➼ 04. start believing you deserve high grades

subconsciously, a lot of people don’t actually believe they’re the kind of person who gets top marks. they might think: ❝ i’ve never been a straight-A student, so why start now? ❞ ❝ my past grades weren’t amazing, i probably won’t do much better. ❞

but what if you let yourself believe otherwise? what if you fully accepted that you deserve to succeed just as much as anyone else? because you do. and the moment you believe that, you start acting in ways that make it true.

✧ homework: visualize yourself receiving your dream grade. feel the confidence of knowing you earned it. then ask yourself: what would my future self tell me to start doing right now?

✧˖° ➼ 05. control your environment like a top student

your surroundings play a huge role in your academic identity. A+ students set themselves up for success by designing an environment that makes focus effortless.

🖇 small shifts that make a huge difference: • keep your study space clean & minimal (no distractions) • use a dedicated study playlist to trigger focus mode • have a go-to beverage (tea, coffee, water) to make studying feel like a ritual • wear comfortable but put-together clothes to signal to your brain that it’s time to work • remove your phone from your workspace entirely (or use app blockers)

✧ homework: make one intentional change to your study environment today. observe how it affects your focus.

✧˖° ➼ 06. stop waiting for motivation

A+ students know that motivation is fleeting. they don’t rely on feeling “in the mood” to study. instead, they: ➝ create systems (set study times, routines) ➝ make studying automatic (habit, not a debate) ➝ use momentum (just start. five minutes can turn into an hour)

✧ homework: set a 10-minute timer and study right now. no overthinking, no debating. just start.

✧˖° mindy’s personal tips

💌 your identity is everything. if you don’t believe you’re an A+ student yet, start acting like it anyway. your mindset will catch up. 💌 make studying feel aesthetic. wear cute study outfits, light a candle, make it a whole vibe. enjoyable studying = effective studying. 💌 romanticize the glow-up. your academic transformation is a story. imagine looking back and realizing this was the moment everything changed. 💌 you are not behind. you can reinvent yourself as a top student at any time. even now. even today.

xoxo mindy

the day i get rid of my crazy fear of failure and my procrastination, it will be over for you all.

when you start having an academic comeback and it’s like oh. oh. oh. the sun actually does still shine

gentle reminder you can rise up from everything. you can recreate yourself. nothing is permanent. you are not stuck. you have choices. you can think new thoughts. you can learn something new. you can create new habits. all that matters is that you decide today and never look back.

Do bad people deserve good art?

'High Fidelity' follows Robyn, a music fanatic, on her mission to understand why each of her exes broke her heart. More precisely, she plans on retracing her ‘All-Time Top 5 Most Memorable Heartbreaks’-as she calls them- and confronting each one to better understand why she always gets her heart broken. The show was produced by Hulu and released in early 2020, and a few months later the news broke out that it hadn’t been renewed for a second season despite substantial critical acclaim. ‘High Fidelity’ is an adaptation of the 2000 film by the same title, albeit with a switch of the protagonist's gender, with John Cusack playing the original Rob.

We meet Rob (Zoe Kravitz) just as Mac- her fiancé- is breaking up with her and packing his bags before leaving their shared home. A one-year time jump shows us that she hasn’t gotten over him, and still hopes that they will eventually get back together. In the meantime, she turns to her friends Simon and Cherise, with whom she runs ‘Championship Vinyl’, a record shop on the brink of bankruptcy. In a show of false bravado, Rob goes on a date with a random guy named Clyde to try to prove to her friends and family that she has gotten over her fiancé. She actually ends up liking Clyde, but her lingering feelings for Mac inhibit her and Clyde's connection from going any further. As the story unfolds, Rob progressively checks off each ex from her ‘All-Time Top 5 Most Memorable Heartbreaks’ list, before she getting to Mac- the one who broke her heart irreparably. Besides the diverse plotlines and outstanding soundtrack, ‘High Fidelity’ raises thought provoking questions about music worthy of litmus tests.

A recurring moral dilemma, beyond the show, is that of wondering whether it is politically correct to enjoy art made by morally corrupt people. The ambivalence in the “right” answer is at the root of “separating the art from the artist”, that is, when you consume a work of art without considering the context of its creation. This means that in your consumption, you completely ignore the artist's view on the subject, their character traits, or past actions. With an increasing number of artists being called out for their polemic behavior, their defenders often resort to saying that they simply “separate the art from its creator”. That’s how you get people saying: “I don’t agree with Kanye recently, but he still made ‘College Dropout’!”. This seems feasible, as a lot of people don’t bother with investing in the person behind the art, and simply enjoy art for art’s sake. However, there is insurmountable hypocrisy behind the idea that you can detach an artwork from the artist.

This argument is only ever used when it comes to defending the enjoyment of art made by “bad” people. A simple example is that of fans of Kanye who continue to promote the rapper despite his antisemitic statements in 2022. His fan’s don’t out-rightly defend his actions, yet they continue to listen to his music, generating excitement for his upcoming music and in general engaging with him online and sharing their support for him. 

It seems obvious that you wouldn’t be willing to give up your favorite music just because you discover that the person behind it isn’t respectable. I’m not saying that you should, either. Especially today, when the criteria for being deemed a “good” person is becoming increasingly strict. It also doesn’t help that we are connected to artists more than ever because of social media. A single post is enough to have people throwing stones at you and condemning people with a substantial internet presence. 

Having known the height of his fame over 40 years ago, Michael Jackson’s legacy as the king of pop will live on forever and override the significant accusations made against him late in his career, as well as posthumously. He faced his first criminal charge in 1993 and continued to garner more for the next and last decade of his life. The lawsuits against him were especially brought to life by the 2019 documentary ‘Leaving Neverland’. The film covers in great length all the crimes he was accused of, with exclusive intake from the victims themselves. As soon as the documentary was released, it sparked massive outrage, with most of the viewers bashing it for spoiling a deadman’s image as a great artist and others praising it for revealing the skeletons in the closet. This release also led to a dip in Michael Jackson’s streaming numbers, proving that for some usual listeners, this new perception of the artist directly impacted their consumption of his music. 

In episode two of ‘High Fidelity’, Rob is summoned to settle a debate between the shop clerks and a customer looking for a vinyl of ‘Off the Wall’ by Michael Jackson. The lady explains that she wishes to give it to her boyfriend, but as she goes up to the counter, Cherise refuses to sell it to her because that would be supporting him knowing the horrible crimes he was charged with. Rob is then called in to decide whether or not they can sell it to her in good conscience. 

Rob initially sides with Cherise and politely turns down the customer. But just as the lady is about to walk out the door, she remembers a particular song that made her so fond of the album: “oh, but those fucking horn charts on ‘Workin’ Day and Night’!”. With this in mind, she ushers the customer back and reassures her that she can purchase the vinyl. When criticized by Cherise for betraying her values, Rob defends that those “horn charts” were written by Quincy Jones, not Jackson himself. By saying this, Rob is implying that by refusing to sell the vinyl, she would be depriving someone of enjoying the work put into the album by other artists besides Michael Jackson, because he didn’t create it on his own. 

As a rebuttal, Cherise sarcastically offers to play music by Charles Manson, the 1960s cult leader who drove his disciples to commit cold-blooded murders. This is meant as a hyperbolic joke, but Charles Manson actually did make music, however, his notoriety as a ring leader will always override the possibility of appreciating his prolificness in music.

Lastly, Simon, the other shop clerk, chimes in and suggests that it would be borderline impossible to limit ourselves to music made by irreproachable artists: “we’d have to destroy every record in existence except for..”. Each person in the store then suggests an answer and it quickly becomes apparent that not more than 5 artists fit the mould. 

Moreover, we are only partial to separating the art when it is made by people who have done bad things. Conversely, when the creator is virtuous, or at the very least not despicable, we accept their personhood in our enjoyment of their art. Vincent Van Gogh’s paintings and legacy is a perfect example. 

No fan of Van Gogh bothers to separate him from his art. His mental illness plagued him throughout all his life and it remains an intrinsic part of all his paintings. Everyone knows that behind those vibrant yellow flowers and mellow landscapes lies a man troubled by his borderline personality disorder. We know that his stunning paintings were sometimes created during bouts of depression and anxiety, or “crisis” as he called tem. are a direct result of his struggles and that he suffered during the entirety of his career. Vincent was ahead of his time. His contemporaries couldn’t see past his experience with mental health issues and his work only began to be revered posthumously. Today, he is deemed as a tortured artist with a big heart who was snubbed of praise during his lifetime. Furthermore, his struggles are constantly addressed in analyses of his work. The contemporary fan sympathizes with his Van Gogh, they consider his experiences as a frame for his paintings, and have no problem doing so, because he was a “good” person. Likewise, we don’t systematically separate the art from the artist, only doing so when it is convenient. This showcases our hypocrisy and the convenience with which we apply our opinions and values when faced with moral dilemmas. 

This example vows to bring nuance to the idea of consuming art made by “bad” people. Here, we focus on the artist’s ethics, not the consumer’s. If we decide to reverse the role and question the consumer’s morals, we’re met with a question seldom tackled: “do bad people deserve good art?”

In episode 5 of ‘High Fidelity’, Rob travels to Uptown New York City alongside Clyde, with the intention of purchasing a rare vinyl collection from a private collector. Once they get there, they are met with an eclectic woman who explains to them that she recently found out that her husband cheated on her, and that she is in the process of ridding her house of all his belongings. Rob finds out that the expansive record collection up for sale is actually his own and he is unaware that his wife is attempting to sell it for the symbolic and laughable sum of 20$.  His passion for music is transparent in the enormous stack of vinyls. Some even stand out amongst all the admirable records: she spots a limited edition David Bowie vinyl she’s been after since the 8th grade. While Rob is looking through all the records, the seller details all of her cheating husband’s flaws, including the fact that he never seemed to care about anything besides music. 

Having eyed some extremely rare records in the stack, she decides that she would be justified in taking them, because their owner is a lowlife man-child who cheats on his wife with young girls in pretentious bars. However, when reminded of the 20$ price, she understands that the collection is collateral damage in a failing relationship. The lady is instrumentalizing a possession she knows is so near and dear to her husband’s heart: “a dagger through his rotten heart”. By selling it at such a low price, she is getting revenge in showing just how little regard she now has for her husband and anything he cares about. Despite the once-in-a-lifetime bargain, Rob tries to negotiate the price upwards in an attempt to justify the betrayal she would be committing to the man. But the lady insists on accepting no more than a crisp 20$ bill in exchange for the records. On one hand, she is ecstatic at the thought of owning such an impressive collection, and on another, she feels like taking the records would essentially be stealing from a fellow music aficionado. 

So, she becomes resolute on meeting the guy and assess whether or not he deserves to suffer this daylight robbery. Clyde and her go find him at a nearby upscale bar, predictably on a date with an disgustingly age-inappropriate date. Clyde manages to strike a conversation with him and soon enough, the four of them are sitting at a booth and listening to him rave about music. He goes on and on about his expansive and niche knowledge on the subject. Sharing this passion, Rob tries to chime in but promptly gives up because it’s clear the man only wants to listen to himself talk. During the entire afternoon spent at this bar, she only manages to get a few hours, being constantly interrupted, ignored and shut down by the man. She calls him out for getting the release date of ‘Wings Over America’ wrong, but he seems willing to die on the hill of that faulty information. Moreover, he only talks to Clyde and excludes both Rob and his date from the conversation. Overall, he comes off as a misogynistic, mansplaining and self centered man going through an overdue midlife crisis. However, towards the end of the conversation, his loftiness momentarily leaves place to earnestness when he admits that “music saved [his] life”. This stands out to Rob and becomes what she takes away from the interaction. 

Clyde and her then go back to the lady’s house with a crisp 20$ bill in hand, ready to take the vinyls. Just as she’s about to hand the seller the bill, the thought of the man’s reaction to this ploy leaves a bitter taste in her mouth. Regretfully, Rob tells the lady that she can’t purchase this collection in good conscience:  “I don’t think I’m qualified to decide who deserves to get what they get”, “I get that he’s a bad guy [...] but he loves music, and I love music!”. The lady seems quite confused by this sudden change of heart, and Rob goes on a tirade about the importance of music in people’s lives, especially hers. She reveals that similarly to the husband, “music has saved [her] life, so many times”. She continues to explain that music is an invaluable element of her life and that everyone should have access to this art, regardless of their moral corruption:  “I think it should be for everyone, you know? It should be for good people and for shitty people, and just for everybody, you know, like wifi or.. healthcare.”. The lady tells her that if she doesn’ buy the vinyls, another person will come get them right after, meaning that Rob is just a pawn in this game. She knows that the collection will end up being sold regardless of whether or not she is the one to purchase it. The only question that remains is whether she is willing to be the one to plant the dagger in the man’s heart. 

Clyde and her leave the lady’s house empty handed and Rob is having a hard time processing everything that happened throughout the day. A small part of her feels as though she ended up siding with the bad guy and she’ll never forgive herself for letting an amazing opportunity go to waste. Seeing how down she is, Clyde suggests that her decision wasn’t just about the guy. Maybe deep down, Rob thinks she is also a bad person and therefore undeserving of music. Clyde suggests that she is worried that when her skeletons come out of the closet, her music will be someone else’s for the taking: “It seemed like you were thinking : “if they can take away this guy’s records just ‘cause he sucks and made some bad decisions”, then you’re wondering: “when are they coming for mine?””

This episode raises the question “do bad people deserve good art?”. On one hand, it seems futile to question if everyone deserves access to art. Why would someone’s ethics rule their access to music, visual arts, fashion etc? Art serves a great purpose at enriching our lives, regardless of our moral standings, especially when we enjoy art for art’s sake, not because it might have a certain influence on our behavior. Art allows us to expand our consciousness, it is also a breeding ground for vital personal and social development.

Contrarily, you can argue that “bad” people aren’t worthy of enjoying themselves, or of enriching their lives. By depriving people of art, we would be concomitantly denying them of cultural understanding. This is because art provides insight on the cultural zeitgeist and thus allows us to foster a sense of community and shared experience. By missing out on the art, we would essentially be denied access to a greater human consciousness.

I present to you all… My face claim for Trick from Bistro Huddy

And yes, I know I’m heavily projecting my obsession with Holder (Joel)

(Not my gifs)

it's crazy how normalized misogyny is like you find out a man doesn't believe women are people capable of equitable rational thought and logic reasoning as men and you're considered weird if you express discomfort associating with him

Vanilla sex is hardly spoken about but it’s cute like imagine whispering I love you to someone and hearing them moan and being so caught up in the pleasure and endorphins that you basically melt into eachother while holding hands and kissing eachother

New Romantics Masterlist.

Summary: You and Stephen had an agreement—no strings, just sex after a long day. You set rules to keep things simple, laughing as you both fleshed out the details over cheap takeout and a notepad. At first it was a joke made by two colleagues who didn't have time for a relationship; but one by one, you find yourselves breaking every single rule. Sleepovers, secrets, meeting family, getting jealous—it all slowly crept in until there was only one rule left. And then suddenly, neither one of you were laughing anymore.

Warnings: 18+, Smut, Swearing, mentions of past drug use. Pairings: Stephen Holder/Reader. Chapters.

Rule 1. No Staying the Night. Rule 2. No Texting Unless Its About Hooking Up. Rule 3. No Meeting The Family. Rule 4. No Gifts. Rule 5. Don't Get Jealous. Rule 6. Don't Fall In Love.

A Fan Fiction Master List for The Killing

The Killing (TV Series 2011-2014)

A Master List

Emoji Guide:

🌶️-Sex

Stephen Holder X Reader

Meet Cute 🌶️

Coffee, Crime and Clothing Choices 🌶️

Stephen Holder X Caroline Swift

Eye of His Storm

Holding Together

Stephen Holder X Sarah Linden

One Shots:

A Little Less Commercial 🌶️

Unseen Horizons 🌶️

Mutli Parts:

Souls Embrace

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three 🌶️

Afterwards

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three 🌶️

Other:

Warmth and Comfort on Long Cold Nights 🌶️

In Between

Taking Care

I present to you all… My face claim for Trick from Bistro Huddy

And yes, I know I’m heavily projecting my obsession with Holder (Joel)

(Not my gifs)