march q&a answers!

hello everyone! elena here with this months q&a answers! thank you to everyone for you wonderful questions this month, we enjoyed answering them, and look forward to seeing you all ask some next month as well!

have you ever experienced difficulty choosing a major? // how did you know that major was the right one for you?

cord: I knew what major I wanted to pursue from when I was like 10 years old (In the fall I'll be going for Computer Science w/ an Honors Research Specialty && Chemical Engineering). I grew up with computers in the home so I'm very accustomed to them in my every day life. :^) I tried exploring different fields like finance, biology, literature, etc., but none of them ever brought me as much joy as computers did. I also really like chemistry, but I don't necessarily want to be a chemist, so I settled for chemical engineering. You know that you choose the right major once you start working with it; once you start taking classes, ask yourself: Do I enjoy this? Can I see myself happily doing this every day for my career? If either answer is no, you should reevaluate.

eden: for me it was easy to choose a major because I knew I eventually wanted to get into medical school. I just chose the major that was fastest for me and a course path that had classes I mostly already completed in high school. Another reason I chose biochem as a major was because I already had some summer internships and abroad programs I wanted to .

eli: originally i flip flopped between what i wanted to do, computer science or psychology. but i chose psychology because i weighed my strengths and weaknesses in the field and decided it was right for me. but some advice i’d give is to try taking some classes you’re interested in, and also ones in the field you plan to major in! i never would’ve known i loved psych if i hadn’t taken a class in it, and i also wouldn’t have known how hard computer science was for me if i hadn’t taken a class in it

What’s the best advice/tip someone has ever given you about studying or school related things in general.

kōshi: sounds really depressing, but nothing really matters in the end. whatever grades i got on math during high school no longer matter, since i'm studying english now. heck, even my grades on english don't matter. all what matters is that i graduated. so, learn for yourself. pick subjects you think are interesting and learn because you like it. don't learn for grades. learn for knowledge and skills.

eli: the best advice given to me was that a grade was just a letter. i was weighing myself too heavily on making Bs and Cs and putting myself down for it, but accepting that advice made it easier to handle school and not put myself down as much for not having perfect grades!

How to catch up on school work/get ahead?

cord: turn your phone off, isolate yourself. Everytime I get behind I have to use a private study room at a library and not talk to anyone for hours. Life is so hectic anymore that for me to focus like that, I need solitude.

eden: true staying after school and working there. It usually helps to be in an environment surrounded by other students. If you’re super behind or want to get ahead, go to tutoring !! Ask your teachers for help!!

eli: some advice that works personally for me and can hopefully help you is start on it as soon as you get it! you’ll have less to do in the end, and you then have time to ask the teacher questions instead of if you’re at home and have to send an email and wait on a reply

how to meet new people when you’re shy (or have social anxiety) in new classes?

cord: ok so i have general anxiety really bad and i hate meeting new people;;; but icebreakers really are the best way to go about this. you may hate it, but take it from someone who really struggles with this. Icebreakers are probably my favorite of new classes, because it's a way to let the entire class know about you at once. Then, you can just wait for people to come to you, you know?

kōshi: most people will be new and just as clueless as you are. so just sit next to someone that seems nice and a conversation will start eventually. sitting in silence is just so awkward, it'll eventually fix itself. trust me, i'm very shy as well, but met lots of nice people during my introduction day at uni!

eli: try first talking to friends of friends! i have social anxiety, and it’s been hard for me, but talking to people with your friends is a good way to make some new ones and also to have some from people you trust nearby!

What is the one thing you’d like to do before you grow old?

cord: I wanna make my own dress. I mean, like a really big poofy ballgown dress. It'll probably be yellow, because yellow is my favorite color. I just think it would be neat to show my kids (or really nieces and nephews) later in the future and be proud to say that I made it.

kōshi: i want to see more of the world! i've already been to so many places, but i'd really like to go to canada one day. norway, finland and japan are also high on my list!

eden: I would absolutely love to meet and hold a koala and maybe climb those mountain stair things in Hawaii. Traveling around the world would also be a dream but I’d really love to be able to build my own place, ya know? I feel like I’ve been planning my dream home since forever.

eli: this kinda sounds wacky but i’d like to play every video game available to me. i’m big on gaming, so i’d love to be able to play every game, but it’s a really unrealistic goal haha

what is your opinion on the current education system? Do you think it’s effective or not?

cord: I'm from the U.S., and I know every country has a different system, so keep that in mind;; I think on the collegiate level, it's effective dependent on the institution. I think having general education for college degrees is a little ridiculous, because students are attending college for a SPECIALIZED field of study. High school is for general education and exploration, but college is for specialty. If a student wants to explore while in university, they should have the option, but I don't think forcing students to take gen eds are the best option.

eli: not going to lie, i think the US education system needs some serious revision. i think that the system here really just benefits the gifted in sports or academics and spits the rest of us out into the world with very little preparation or knowledge of what to really do in college. it’s not super effective imo, because most kids i know went to college feeling lost and had a hard time in life, especially since our high schools teach to tests and not for memorization, so we don’t really learn anything.

how do you get over procrastination and get yourself to studying?

kōshi: i eh, don't. at some point the realization that i need to do something just kicks in and i start. my best advice would be to force yourself to start. grab a book and start reading. if you still feel like you wanna die, same, but quit and do something else for a couple minutes, then start again. do not go on your phone or any other electronic device! i know all too well how tempting it is, but don't.

eden: I try to start assignments as soon as I get them, that way, when I eventually tell myself to work, I’ll be motivated by realizing it halfway complete already! And like koshi said, just stay off your devices if you already know it’s a distraction.

What do you think about study tubes like study quill. Tbhstudying etc.

cord: personally I don't go out of my way to watch them but more power to you for watching and more power to them for putting the time and effort into a study tube. I will say though, if a video of that sort shows up on Instagram or Snapchat, I will sit there and watch it.

kōshi: they're great! love what they're doing, but just like cordi i don't go out of my way to watch them.

eli: i think they’re cool, i don’t personally watch them because that’s not my content style, but i love that they’re able to help people and inspire others!

What apps do you use for studying?

cord: I don't use apps for studying too much anymore, but when I did I was a really big fan of forest. I've thought about reinstalling it again, I really loved growing little trees.

eden: quizlet is my most used app and it’s really great for last minute studying and vocabulary.

eli: ngl i don’t use apps anymore but like cordi i loved forest! it’s a good investment if you struggle to stay off your phone, and really helped me when i used to use it!

How do you soothe extreme anxiety?

eden: When I was 15, giving public speeches would give me full blown anxiety and I would be a bouncing ball of nerves. I usually counteract this by practicing and preparing everything beforehand, that way, there are no surprises and it’s all smooth sailing.

eli: phew this ones hard, because everyone’s experience can be personal to them and not the same as everyone else’s. i personally try to use things to relax, things that i know calm me down or divert my focus like listening to a song i really love or playing a game i can focus on, so you aren’t as focused on what’s making you anxious.

once again, thank you for all your wonderful questions, and thank you for reading! have a wonderful day!