Do your work. Be responsible. Don't be a potato.

It's about the end of the semester, about that time where you reflect upon the past few months and think, "How did I manage to accomplish so little and why do I not feel like doing anything except mope around about how I didn't do anything?" Well, I know exactly how you feel.

In the beginning of the semester, you are all pumped about how this will be THE semester, the BEST one, how EVERYTHING will change, how you will actually LEARN in your classes. You will make new friends, find that close-knit group of friends, get promoted at a job, and perhaps discover a new cool hairstyle.


This is basically how my level of productivity/motivation has trended this semester.

In the beginning you are filled with hope, because you have all the time you need ahead of you. You attend every single class or activity rapt with attention, just imagining all the glorious knowledge you will gain. When people ask how your classes are, you say "They're really interesting! I'm excited." (True story)

But as time passes, you begin to miss one class, and then suddenly you've missed it twelve times. By then you're so behind on the material that there's no point in going back to class. You realize that the super-fun class that you were taking for fun used superb advertising materials to entice you in.

For me, at some point I just get so overwhelmed that I become incredibly lazy, not even bothering to go out to hang with my new group of close-knit friends. Learning becomes memorizing names for tests, fun classes turn into tedious useless work that I try to finish as soon as I can. I haven't gotten a better job, and I even got the same haircut I've been getting for two years. noes.


Don't become lumpy and boring and lazy like a potato.

But not to worry, kids! I am here to remind you that, however late it is in the semester, you can still decide to up your motivation and productivity. You can still decide to pay attention and go to class and get your work done. Don't flake out now - there is hope yet! For example, just today I stayed awake for 2/3 of a 1.5 hour class, when I only stayed awake for 1/3 of it the week before.

While for some things it may be too late, like joining a club, there are still a few weeks to the semester, and I challenge you to make the most of it! What a cheery and cheesy message - but it's true! Suck it up, be a man, be responsible. Sit down and think about all the things you want to do and all the things you still can do, then find the union of the two lists. Then do it.

Here's a motivational poster to get you started:

"When I get sad, I stop being sad and be awesome instead. True story."

Emo Blogging is Interesting Blogging

Having had my Livejournal account for quite a few years (since July 2003, to be exact), and having been members of various online publishing/blogging sites like Twitter, Tumblr, Blogspot, and the like, I have made this sort of conclusion.

People only care about what you write if it's emo.

Now I may be (and probably am) exaggerating, but hear me out. The reason is that misery loves company, and when you start ranting about your sad excuse of a life people read and relate and provide feedback. No one cares when your life is going awesome because then you will just make the emo people more emo.

"My girlfriend just dumped me."
"This guy I thought I was exclusive with flirted with other girls."
"Well my boyfriend is great and caring and just bought me a horse."

Then you feel terrible and bad but it's not your fault you're happy! Because when you talk about how crappy the feeling of rejection is - everyone can relate. Other people feel the need to support you and "be there for you" because you "need" them. They think that if they are available when you are feeling sad and down, you will form a closer bond because they're opening themselves to you when they're vulnerable blah blah.

Maybe the train of thought is that happiness is easy! You can take substances to induce endorphins and make you feel good. Loneliness and sadness is a more substantial feeling, one that requires deep thought. Strangers can party together but you can only be emo to close friends.


Emo-tinted coloring is artistic and deep.

Well I say, this is totally not fair. I am happy and I have nothing to blog about. Friends being happy should be able to induce happiness into their friends, not the other way around. Although there is still a limit. People (including me) don't want to hear cheesy cheery posts filled with happy faces as I'm talking about serious issues. But of course, that is not the point of this blog. The point of this blog is to not be emo and sad but instead be... thoughtful. Or funny. Or laugh and be happy about other people's sad issues. (Just kidding on the last one). Sometimes I forget just what I made this blog for and now that I'm relatively happy the posts should be flooding in.

What is a happy but not cheesy topic to write about? Suggestions welcome.