I don’t care how silly it sounds, Bob Ross is absolutely part of my pop culture pantheon, so I made this tarot spread in honor of his wisdom.

“The secret to doing anything is believing that you can do it. Anything that you believe you can do strong enough, you can do. Anything. As long as you believe.”

When You Want To Refuse || 断りたい時・ことわりたいとき Hey guys, long time no post! Today’s post is going to focus on the different ways of refusing someone. Whether it be refusing plans, refusing more drinks or food, or refusing an annoying retail employee that won’t leave you alone! Sometimes straight up refusing someone can seem rude if you’re not close with them, that’s why we’re also going to explore some different ways of politely declining an offer. Vocabulary・単語・たんご：

Parties・Events || パーティー・イベント： No, I can’t. 無理です。・むりです。 No, I’m not interested. いいや、興味ないんだよね。・いいや、きょうみないんだよね。 Well, I don’t want to go. ええと、行きたくないや。・ええと、いきたくないや。 I really want to go but… すごく行きたいけど…・すごくいきたいけど… I’d love to go, but I have something else that day． 行きたいのは山々だけど、その日は別の予定があって。・ いきたいのはやまやまだけど、そのひはべつのよていがあって。 I’m sorry I can’t. 残念だけど行けないや。・ざんねんだけどいけないや。 I already have plans tonight. 今夜はすでに予定があるんだよね。・こんやはすでによていがあるんだよね。 Thank you for inviting me, but I can’t make it. Maybe next time. 誘ってくれて嬉しいけれど、どうしても都合がつかないの。また次回！・ さそってくれてうれしいけれど、どうしてもつごうがつかないの。またじかい！ Food・Drinks || 食べ物・飲み物： I don’t like that. それは好きじゃないんです。・それはすきじゃないんです。 No thank you, I can’t eat this. 結構です。食べられないので。・けっこうです。たべられないので。 I’m good/I’m fine. 結構です。・けっこうです。 I’m good, thank you. I’ve already had enough. 結構です。ありがとうございます。もう十分頂きました。・ けっこうです。ありがとうございます。もうじゅうぶんいただきました。 Thank you, I really want to try but I’m allergic to prawns. ありがたいのですが、エビアレルギーなんです。 I’m happy with water, thank you. お水で結構です。ありがとうございます。・おみずでけっこうです。ありがとうございます。 I don’t like coffee very much. コーヒーはあまり好きじゃないんです。・コーヒーはあまりすきじゃないんです。 Thank you, but I think I’ll pass. I get drunk easily. ありがとうございます、でもやめておきます。酔いやすいので。・ありがとうございます、でもやめておきます。よいやすいので。 I don’t like to drink. 飲むのは好きじゃないんです。・のむのはすきじゃないんです。 While Shopping || 買い物中・かいものちゅう Um, no thank you. ええと、結構です。・ええと、けっこうです。 Well, I think I’ll leave it.  ちょっと今回はやめておきます。・ちょっとこんかいはやめておきます。 I really like it, but it didn’t fit. すごく素敵ですが、サイズが合わないので。・すごくすてきですが、さいずがあわないので。 I’ll think about it. ちょっと考えます。・ちょっとかんがえます。 I can’t decide at this moment. Let me think it over. すぐには決められません。ちょっと考えさせてください。・ すぐにはきめられません。ちょっとかんがえさせてください。

Hey guys, so just as a heads up, I don’t think that highlighting your already made notes is that effective unless it’s for aesthetic. However for many subjects like English classes or humanities, you are often given a bulk amount of readings and I believe that highlighting not only helps you digest the content but it also makes note taking easier afterwards. Though some people find it hard to figure out what they need to be highlighting so I’ve come up with a few ideas.

Terms often come into play when digesting a lot of textbook readings where ideas are being explained to you and often you will want this definition to be readily available when revising too so its good to highlight these when you come across them.

Key concepts can be really good to highlight when trying to understand scientific concepts within research articles or when reading persuasive texts as you can relate the material back to your core unit of work. Alternatively you can use concept to highlight the main idea of paragraphs or chapters to give you a quick reference of summary when studying.

I find examples to come particularly handy in studies which are applied to everyday situations, for example a law textbook may discuss a concept and give an applicable example which I would then highlight. Or in math you may highlight an example problem to help you if you get stuck later.

This highlighter was a godsend in my last exams, especially for history because I’d be reading so many historians and articles and when it came to writing essays it would only take me seconds to find a good reinforcing quote as I’d been highlighting them all along. Or even in English you can highlight quotes from reviews or scholars to be used to back up your argument.

This one is mainly for English and literature studies because when analysing devices and giving examples of these it helps when they are already highlighted. It’s all about studying smarter not harder and getting things done efficiently so this step really has helped me out.

Again another more humanities point as you often have to create a mental catalogue of people involved and the context of situations to understand the severity of moments in history. Though in science and other subjects it’s always good to know what pages are talking about what professors or scholars or historical figures.

Finally, in many subjects you are expected to produce a mental timeline of events especially in history and it becomes confusing to pinpoint events and dates together so this step helps to take the labour out of that situation.

I hope this helps you guys out. I also like to just make a key for my highlighting that I use for a bookmark, that way I can constantly refer to it. Message me if you have any ideas or things you want me to post about.

Has anyone else had a Professor that was set out to ruin your GPA? Tell me about it!

I dropped a Computer Science Teacher two years ago who gave a failing grade to pretty much everybody in the class. I’m an Honors student I try beyond my best to keep my title and everything I did was apparently wrong. He told me that I might not be cut out for this degree path. He wasn’t even an actual programmer. So I dropped his class and took the class with another professor who gave me a 98 in the class. I guess someone else thinks I’m cut out for it.

Welp, where I live you can’t switch teachers. We have like 20 subjects (which we are obligated to take) and we cannot drop. But yes, I’m going trough a similar thing myself.

to anyone who has an oily face 🌸

this is something i have learned from a facial spa, it’s an advice for anyone who has an oily skin :) there are a lot of different skin types and sometimes the oily ones are the worst, why?? because our pores are always open and it causes acne and pimples specially if it’s not treated well, an oily face is just as having a sensitive skin!! so here are tips to avoid breakouts

1. if you have oily skin, do not!! use!! moisturizer!! or any face products that contains bazillion amounts of moisturizer, because it triggers pores that are open causing to have more and more breakouts. our skin is already moisturized by the oil it produces, your face is oily because it is not dry!! therefore using moisturizer while having layers of oil on your face is definitely a big no! your pores will not be able to breathe, it will feel sticky and hot but– if it’s cold in your area, a thin layer of moisturizer might help to soothe your skin, the best i can recommend is “cetaphil” it’s the mildest and most smoothing, perfect for every skin type. u should always find the right product to stick with!!

2. air pollution and dirt is the biggest enemy, ever!! so if you are in the streets, avoid exposing your skin to the smoke of the vehicles and also don’t touch your face if your hand isn’t fully sanitized

3. if a part of your face is itchy, don’t scratch it with your nails, scratch it using the back of ur fingers instead, nails aren’t always clean and there are dirt stuck in them

4. facial cleanser are the best, it cleans inside the pores, leaving your skin a fresh and icy feeling but you don’t have to use them everyday, 3 times a week is fine, toners are also great but you have to choose them wisely since we’re talking about the skin on your face, apple cider vinegar is one of the best i can ever find to tone my skin :) 

5. washing your face in the morning and at night is important for a normal skin type, but people with oily skin types should wash theirs 3 times a day, since oily faces are sticky– dirt are easy to stick, causing lots of unexpected breakouts 

and that’s all! i have oily skin and kept putting moisturizers because i didn’t know what it could do to my skin plus it’s always summer in my country, i didn’t know it was the ones causing me lots of breakouts specially on the forehead and cheeks so i stopped doing that so my skin wouldn’t snap!! but now, i only use a facial cleanser and wash my face with kojic soap, it’s crazy i only get breakouts when i am on my period. that’s all! hope this will help!! 🐝 🌺

The Benefits of Taking a Skin Vacation 🐾

Or- Why You Shouldn’t Overload Your Skin

When it comes to a skincare routine, you’ve got to face it- less is more. There’s a limit to how many cleansers, toners, moisturisers, serums, essences your skin can take, especially if you have sensitive or oily skin. 

One of my skincare rules is to not layer too many products in one day. Do you really need to use four serums in the evening? Because that was me before I started to realise that maybe a simple routine would see the best results. 

Reasons why maybe using fewer skincare products is better for your skin 💛

When Should I Start Cutting Back? 🤔

Honestly, your skin might be showing some warning signs if you’re overloading it. Oily skin, for instance, might become dry and prone to breakouts. Dry skin, on the other hand, may produce more oil than usual as using too many products washes off the natural barrier your skin has. 

What Should I Do Instead?

Like any detox, simplifying your skincare routine is difficult, like how I had to cut back on moisturizer (I used to moisturize religiously). But don’t quit skincare products entirely- there might be a high chance of clogged pores and blackheads if you do. 

Stick to the basics. Cleanser, moisturizer, SPF. And in that specific order. 💁🏻‍♀️

When I overworked my skin, products weren’t absorbing properly and my face was left with an oily sheen. Seriously- don’t be like me and instead allow your skin to chill. Your bank account will also thank you. 🙏🏼🙏🏼

THE BARE BASICS

1. CLEANSING

This step can literally make or break your routine tbh, if you get a cleanser that’s too drying, it will cause major damage to your skin. Your skin has a pH of 4.5-5.5 and most of the popular cleansers recommended on skincare threads you might see on say twitter etc such as Castile soap is actually too alkalic for your skin! It strips your skin of moisture and leaves it super dry. I know most of y'all love that squeaky clean feeling these kind of cleansers give your skin but that’s not necessarily the case. (side note: if you use makeup I’d highly recommend double cleansing where you remove your makeup with an oil based cleanser followed by washing your face with a water based cleanser)

Some good oil based cleansers ;

Low pH water based cleansers;

Cleaning waters (optional, can be used to remove residue of dirt and debris after cleansing and also as a quick cleanse if you’re in a rush) ;

2. MOISTURIZING

Moisturizing is a crucial step in skincare (yes, even for oily skin!) to help keep your your skin youthful and it hold water in the outermost layer of your skin to act as a barrier. It protects your skin and helps improve texture. Studies have shown that people who moisturize their skin accumulate wrinkles at just a fraction of the rate of their dry skin counterparts.

Moisturizers for oily skin;

Moisturizers for dry skin;

Moisturizers for combination skin;

3. SUNSCREEN

Do I really need to explain why this is super important? If you’re not wearing sunscreen, especially if you’re outdoors (side note: please reapply every two hours), you’re more prone to forming age spots, wrinkles, blemishes and we’ll ask hyperpigmentation meaning this can also cause any acne scarring etc you might have to get darker, making it harder to get rid of.

Sunscreen recs for oily skin;

Sunscreen recs for dry skin;

Sunscreens recs for combination skin;

THAT’S ALL FOR THIS POST! I’LL BE MAKING ANOTHER SEPARATE POST ON TOPICAL SUPPLEMENTS FOR INDIVIDUAL SKIN NEEDS. HOPE Y'ALL LEARN A THING OR TWO FROM THIS POST AND FEEL FREE TO SEND ME AN ASK IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ♡

(side note: as a POC myself, I am aware of the whitecast most sunscreens leave but I couldn’t reccomend many that don’t since I have yet to properly research good products in that category. I will do my homework on this and make a separate post on that for you guys)

Those were 2.20 minutes well spent!

A magical place

— The United World College Mission Statement, founded in 1962

Serb-Croatian Kiss Is The Bravest Thing Ever (PHOTO)

When asked why she was walking next to a Serb, a Croatian girl responded by kissing him.

The moment took place during a parade in Mostar, Bosnia-Herzegovina. Students from the United World College, Mostar, were walking through the town with flags for a cultural parade.

“My Serbian friend was walking hand in hand with his Croatian girlfriend,” Reddit user EvolvedBacteria explained. “When an old lady asked her how she could dare to walk next to a Serb, she kissed him.”

UWC Written Application Tips

This is based off my experience applying through UWCGB but I think it’s relevant for other NCs too!

Before you start writing

Reseaaaaarch everything about UWC, make sure it’s right for you because the application process requires lots of work. I mean read about all 17 colleges, the history of UWC, funding, UWC’s values and mission etc.

Talk to your parents about it asap. They may not be very keen at first (mine weren’t) but it’s important to start the convo early as without their support you’re not gonna get close to a UWC. The NC won’t let you apply without your parents declaring their support.

Show them all that research you’ve done and make the case for how it’s an amazing opportunity. Tell them what you will get out of UWC and how it is so much better than your current options.

Don’t expect them to say yes straight away. Give them time to discuss it privately and hopefully, they’ll say yes. Stress that you have nothing to lose by applying!

Tips for the written application

The application starts with a written form which came out in early August. Email selections@uwcgb.org for more info.

My application consisted of about four 250 word questions and a 400 word essay question from a choice of three. However, it may have changed this year.

Here are some quick fire tipsssss

I hope my not so quick fire tips were helpful, please message me if you have any questions I’m happy to help! I’ll write another post around November with tips for the assessment day for those who make it that far.

GOOD LUCK!!!

friend messages me: so what’s this college thing you interviewed for all about

me *cracks knuckles*: rookie mistake prepare for 3 hours worth of reading

So… the “leaks” are acutall leaks that we ignored… I cant believe this

Is Pidge a Disney Princess? 😂

You won’t be able to unsee this now. *cackles and runs away* 😂💦🌱💙💚

2 gals… chillin’ in a hot tub,, no feet apart cuz they’re gay af

Enemies to Lovers my favourite trope ❤💜💙

(Seems like red, blue and purple are the colours for this trope)

Catadora

Lotura

Kacxa

Reylo

Zutara