08.23.17 // So it turns out that my school cafeteria actually has the best brownies in existence

🎵: Really Really - Winner

My room ✨

21/100 days of productivity

Study snacks & a sideways photo.

When you guys have visited potential apartments, what kind of questions did you ask besides the basics like what rent and utilities include?

Here are questions I didn’t ask but should have: what does the basement look like?

What measures are taken to secure the building ?

Are the walls thin? Brief info of who lives in the building. Are they college kids? People that work through the day? Elderly? Is it a mix? Where does the garbage go?

Can I pay rent bi-weekly? What kind of fuses does the apartment use? (My fuse box is in the basement. If I blow a fuse I have to replace it myself. They screw until the box. All of which I didn’t know until it happend and I was sitting in the dark suddenly)

Who do I call for repairs? (If it’s a private rental) Am I allowed to paint the walls? Is there any additional storage? Do you do regular pest control?

count the outlets, ask about recycling policies, ask if there’s a noise restriction (nothing loud after midnight, everything goes on the weekend, etc)

LAUNDRY FACILITIES Definitely ask about security Whether subletting is allowed (esp if you’re in college and might want to sublet for the summer) If you have a car, whether there’s parking/how much it costs What kind of heating/AC there is Procedure/response time for any maintenance How mail/packages are received/protected from theft (seriously people stealing your packages can be a huge problem) What kind of verification of your salary will they want, and in what circumstances will they accept a guarantor instead? Whether the apartment is furnished

Assuming you are in the middle of looking at/choosing between places: When does the lease start? Are you going to give preference to people based on when they can move in? Whether groups of a certain number of people get preference Really anything about who they prioritize for applications, it can save you a lot of trouble in trying to apply to places you’ll never get into

not something for asking the realtors, necessarily, but important rights you should be aware of as a tenant:

when and for what reasons are your landlords allowed to enter your home? how much of a notice should they give you before entering?

can the landlord make modifications to your home or apartment without your approval? to what extent?

what are the options and conditions for breaking your lease early if there’s an emergency? (this is ESPECIALLY important for anyone moving to a new state/considerable distance where you are not able to visit the apartment/home before you rent – students get taken advantage of ALL THE TIME with this shit)

if your first or last month at the property is a partial stay (i.e. you move in on july 15th, and rent is typically due on the first) make sure you don’t pay the full first month’s rent before you know the area laws! in many states, you are only legally required to pay for the time you are occupying the property

is renter’s insurance necessary? many apartments want at least 30k coverage, which can run a couple hundred dollars extra per year

are the landlords/property management liable for crimes on the property? for example, if your car was broken into. if not GET RENTER’S INSURANCE

-ask if there’s any property upkeep you can do to get a bit off the rent (aka, can they take 100$ off the monthly rent if you maintain the lawns/garden, etc.) 

-ask if there’s been any consistent/frequent trouble with electricity/internet connectivity/cable if you have it

-what KIND of electricity? 

-what kind of heating (hot water/electric)

-how secure is the neighborhood (if you don’t know) 

-ANY PLUMBING ISSUES? check ALL the fucking taps, the showers, EVERYTHING WITH WATER to make sure it all works right. 

-ANY PLUMBING ISSUES? check ALL the fucking taps, the showers, EVERYTHING WITH WATER to make sure it all works right. 

I CANNOT SECOND THIS ENOUGH.

ALSO

- who last lived here? why did they leave?

- Do they charge an “amenities fee” (Around here you can’t avoid them at all now, but some places you might still be able to)

- Do they have a policy on rent increases? (Also check if there’s a legal limit to rent increases in the area).

- Are utilities paid in a separate check or with the rent?

- Are utilities metered or pro-rated (in older buildings it’s common to be charged by square footage and/or number of occupants, which can leave you subsidizing the people who turn the a/c down to 60 in the summer or the heat up to 80 in the winter - you may not be able to avoid this but it’s worth trying).

- Are there any switched circuits in the apartment. Buildings built in the late sixties through the early eighties often have switched circuits. If they do, then with the number of devices used these days you will probably have to have something important on the switched circuit - tape the switch in the on position! (Trust me).

- What are the rules on hanging pictures?

- Who is responsible for paying for and replacing bulbs in permanent fixtures? If it’s you and there’s a fixture with weird/unusual bulbs (globe style, chandelier style, etc) ask where you can buy the bulbs.

- What are the rules about pets? Do they have breed specific restrictions on dogs? Size restrictions on fish tanks? (Believe it or not that’s not uncommon).

This will be so useful once my lease is up thanks tumblr ☺️🙏🏾

shoutout to international students who didn’t grow up speaking english but are now doing complex readings and writing essays in their second/third language and being held to the same standards as native english speakers, i never hear anyone talking about it but that’s hard as fuck

1 • 17 • 18

Classes start tomorrow so I’m getting as prepared as I can with my readings and supplies. Also, an internship for a publishing company that I really want to work for just opened up, so I’ll be trying my best to apply for that as well! I have a meeting with the career center on Friday so I’ll have my cover letter ready for revision then. Another goal for today is to submit more things to my college’s lit mag, I already sent in two things but I don’t think they’re the best. So I’m going to send in a few more things just to be sure I have an okay-chance of getting accepted.

🌿 Best wishes to everyone starting classes soon!

archive mb     @sunnypatch

finals.

@architstudy ‘s aesthetics on the background.

This is it: this is your sign. You’re brand new, refreshed, empowered to change. Your calmer, softer times are coming. Your confidence, your happiness, your bliss, is arriving. Self acceptance is easier, and taking care of yourself is no longer a chore, but something you look forward to. You start to feel replenished - you’re *you* again - and the next chapter of your happier life begins now.

Hello! So I’ve just finished my first semester of my second year at University, and this was the first time where I had more essays than exams (5 essays, 1 exam). As a result, I would like to share some tips regarding essays and I hope these can help!

-Disclaimer: I study Politics and International Relations, so some of the advice I give may not be suitable for your discipline/subject of study, so please bear that in mind.

-Look at the questions at the beginning of the semester! If you are able to access a syllabus or course guide they should be listed! It gives you an idea as to what to expect from your lectures and seminars and can allow you to relate the content you learn back to the question. 

-If you have chosen a question you want to answer, start preparing once the corresponding lecture and seminars have taken place. This can be through additional readings, looking over your notes so you can make a plan. Preparing early was one of the things that stopped me from having burnout when I was writing up my assignments. 

-Talk to both your lecturer and seminar leader. I can’t stress enough how important this is!! They are there because they want to help you, and are open to answering anything you may have to ask, especially if you aren’t confident enough to ask questions in lectures! For my second International Politics essay, I was able to discuss both a plan and determine what I wanted to study for my final year dissertation. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

-Make a plan. Some tips I learnt in order to make a good plan was to ensure that every point I covered had a sentence at the end that relates back to the question you are answering. Also, the plan should be brief and quickly go over your arguments. In addition, you should have a rough introduction and conclusion that states your thesis and how your essay intends to prove this. 

-Additional Readings. I was privileged in the sense that for the modules I was taking, there were tons of additional readings available to me each week in the syllabi, which helps immensely regarding both exams and essays. So, if you also are lucky, look through the lists! Most of the time, you don’t need to look further for scholarly sources to cite in your assessment. However, if this isn’t the case for you, you should look at your required readings and see who the scholars have cited, which has also provided useful for me. Also, consult your library for help on any databases or search engines that might be useful for your discipline/subject of study. 

-Write your conclusion first. It always helps to know how your essay should end. Being able to reflect on what your arguments should achieve allows you to remind yourself of your thesis. It stops you from losing focus on the question you are answering.

-Your introduction should be a roadmap of your essay. By this, I mean clearly state your thesis and the arguments that will be discussed in the essay.

-Write out your argument on paper first, then type it up. This by far became the most important thing for me when writing out my essays. What I did was state the argument at the top of a piece of paper, and went through the details using bullet points. With a different coloured pen, I would add the necessary citations underneath the bullet points. This helps you to understand what you’re trying to say before actually saying it, and can stop you from looking at the computer screen for a while without typing anything. 

-Remember that to think critically, you need to establish a dialogue between you and the scholars. Whether you agree or disagree with what they are saying, their inclusion should mean that there is something important that supports your thesis. Question what the scholars say: what are their underlying arguments for a particular point? Do they subscribe to a particular ideology/theory? This can all impact on your thesis and its strength. 

Additional tips:

Thank you for reading and good luck!🌙

A quiet moment today, working in an empty coffee shop whilst I waited for my film to be developed

I have lots to study today. First, I’m going to go over my notecards. Then, I will write a rough draft of my essay to see how many pages it will roughly take up. Then, depending on if I need to write more, I’ll add things to my essay. My first final is tomorrow in my earth science class. I feel a bit prepared, but I know I need to buckle down and study a lot today in order to feel well prepared. 📝📚

Today I’ll be reading some papers, meet with our research group and go to my lecture for psychodynamic consultation. It’s going to be a very productive day! Also; isn’t @emmastudies her October wallpaper the prettiest?