Edu-ma-cation Part Dos

As a senior in high school, I have seen many of my friends be accepted into colleges (including myself). Since I was young, I have been brainwashed to understand that after high school, I go to college. There was no talk of a gap year or a jumpstart career. However, as the fall draws closer, I begin to wonder...is college really worth it?

Higher education is becoming more expensive than ever. And student debt is growing larger and larger. Sure, schools are offering financial aid. Yes, I am from the middle class and should be able to support my education (so no scholarship for me thx). However, my family will most likely still take out loans and I shall graduate in debt. Perhaps I shall take a stable job thanks to my alma mater and pay it all back. Perhaps not. Regardless, why is college so expensive?

The list of payments goes on: tuition, room/board, dining, textbooks, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. Jesus. I have not even mentioned all of the additional extracurricular activities college students enjoy aka the booze and the clubs (don't kid yourself okay everyone does it). All of these distractions combined in a world-class institution...the result can't be anything but questionable.

We watched Good Will Hunting in school today. And I can't help but notice Will Hunting has a point: you don't need a fancy elitist institution to teach you all the necessary knowledge, you just need a will and a way. We Americans all consider education to be a right, but the system we have today is not right. 

Anyway, regardless of all this, I do plan to attend Harvard College this fall. I know, hypocrisy. Really, I'm buying into the Ivy League Experience (ILE as I shall now refer to it as). I mean it's Harvard for crying out loud. Even typing it out gives me chills. And that's exactly the kind of mentality the Ivy League feeds off of. That is why this college education hype is so dangerous. We all believe that Harvard, Princeton, Yale, etc are the only places that can offer us everything. And we are wrong. Disillusioned. And yet, even though I know this, I am buying into it.

I'll keep you posted on my college life. In the meantime, visit your local public library. See what you can learn without paying $60,000 every year. It might be better than you expected.

Social Media part dos

Oops. It's been a while. It's been a combination of college apps, school and well, social media (perfect segway I know, thank you thank you)

I recently ranted to my boyfriend about how harmful Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter etc are. They are inescapable platforms that allow others to broadcast their lives in your face. They force you to obsessively refresh your newsfeed, to think of the best hashtags for the most likes, to care about how many (meaningless) "likes" something gets, and worst of all: to feel horrible about being excluded. I know I'm not alone when I say this - seeing a Snapchat story of all my friends at a party I wasn't invited to SUCKS. If I didn't have a smartphone or if I lived in the '90s, I wouldn't even know, and I would save myself the pain (at least the immediacy of such pain).

Social media is degrading my self-esteem. I feel like I need 40+ likes on an Instagram picture to feel redeemed. That's bullshit. It's gotten so bad that I purchased an app to get more followers. I know. I hate myself too. But that's my point! Even I, who is well aware of this black hole we are all getting sucked into, allows myself to be dragged down. That's how powerful this multi-national phenomenon is.

Plus, everything is done on the interwebs now. I found out about my college acceptance from the internet (I thought you were better than that Harvard). I like handwritten letters thank you very much. And, alerting the college that I will be attending is completed with just the simple click of a button to indicate a check. How sad and impersonal :(

I've been thinking about getting a flip phone or deactivating Facebook (I already deleted it from my iPhone) and I may end up following through with one or both of these plans. For the time being, I am focused on being more aware. And may you be too!

*p.s. thought I would point out that my favorite english teacher (but also, my favorite teacher ever) once told me to avoid parentheses but I think they give a nice aside/comedic effect (look at me now Ms. Jamison - ironically, she was the first person to introduce me to blogger)
*p.p.s. Yalies, I hope this doesn't change your mind about my blog. I'm a good person, I promise (#gocrimson)

Edu-ma-cation

Oh jeez, have not posted in a while. School caught up to me…and what a perfect segue-way into today's topic: education!

I met a girl over the summer who is home-schooled with her sister. They educate themselves through an online program created by Brigham Young University (for those of you who do not know, that is a Mormon college - and yes, Mormons are lovely people; do not be judgmental okay). They have lots of freedom when choosing courses and are able to learn at their own pace.

I have always toyed with the idea of home-schooling. The only realistic way I think it can be achieved is through the internet, because my parents do not a) have the qualifications to teach me all I know (I mean, whose parents can) and do not b) have enough time.

People always envy the seemingly endless free time home-schooled children have, but I don't think that is a true stereotype. If a child is serious about earning an education the non-conventional way, s/he will work for it. And that is exactly what my friend does. She makes a master schedule for the amount of work she needs to do per class and finishes a course in about 6-8 months, like a normal school year. Her tests and grades are calculated through BYU, who send her a transcript and eventually, her diploma. But think about how much extra time she has to focus on learning what she really wants! Studying for the SAT or ACT more, completing DIY projects, decorating her bedroom, all the activities I could do with more time (including writing more entries on this blog).

Home-schooling is something I have given a lot of thought about - that maybe if I could repeat my life, I would choose to not attend a school for my early education. But how do I govern what I learn? How do I know what I actually want to study? Because even as I enter college next fall, I am still confused.

Ah, college. Which triggers an entire new train of thought. This home-schooled friend of mine is planning on applying to college when she has been studying via the internet for about seven years! She is "succumbing" to the mold society tells her to fit by registering at a structured educational institution! I don't know if that is the irony of ironies, but one certainly cannot find a job without proper credentials i.e. earning a degree that is not online.

Lord knows if anyone actually reads these entires, but let me know what you think about public/private vs. home schooling. Any personal experiences?

Hope to be posting more regularly soon!

Social Media

Since social media is all the rage nowadays, I thought I would provide a personal guide for choosing the right social platform to focus on. You are by no means entitled to follow this. *

*Note: social media can be very addicting. You have been warned.

Facebook is the place to start if you are new to the internet scene. Almost everyone has an account and it is a convenient way to connect with people you know, or stalk anyone you want to know. You will end up "friending" people you don't actually know in person nor ones that you care about, yet they will clog your newsfeed to no avail. Sorry.

Instagram is essentially Facebook for pictures. But these are artsy pictures, so be sure to: never look directly at the camera lens, keep a journal of song lyrics to use as captions and upload using the highest quality possible. Don't feel bad if your friend has 2000+ followers -- they're lying to themselves.

Twitter is for the individual with a fast-paced life. Updates are made in seconds, not minutes. It is the ultimate place for the fangirl but beware, fandoms can go batshit cray. Make sure to get your hashtags straight aka start googling now.

Blogs and a youtube channel are very different beasts altogether (I'm actually not even sure if they count as social networking but here we are). It involves exposing parts of yourself to the internet (hello, world)  and we all know nothing on the internet is private. Be prepared.

Tumblr, in all honesty, scares me. However, I do enjoy .gifs (short clips of moving images that repeat) and tumblr is full of them. From what I understand, it is like a blog but in pictures/videos but one that should be used by only the most advanced of social networkers as an in-depth understanding of internet memes and the latest social trends are necessary.

I realize there are more platforms of social media but these are the major ones I decided to touch upon. Let me know which one is your favorite in the comments below!

Youtubers

There are countless youtubers out there I have yet to discover but these are just a sampling of those I enjoy. I have separated them into categories based on the content of their videos. Let me know who you're subscribed to in the comments below!

BEAUTY/FASHION:

Michelle Phan: queen of the beauty/fashion gurus. Taught herself how to apply makeup and started making tutorials for fun. Now owns her own makeup line, em cosmetics (available for order on her website and amazon!) with a store in Times Square. Makes videos once a week that are usually too editorial for daily wear but always beautifully filmed.

Jenn Im aka clothesencounters: my fashion idol. Has killer style and a down-to-earth attitude. You will want her to be your best friend. Films once or twice a week and her editing skills are flawless. Graphics are beautiful and the music is unreal. 

Sammi aka beautycrush: curly haired gal from the UK. Very genuine personality and cheerful disposition. Recently lost some weight and looks amaaaazing. Great sense of style that is sophisticated and tastefully promiscuous. Apart from youtube, also runs a blog: beautycrush.co.uk. Owns a Frenchie named Captain Riley and lives with her boyfriend Jason.

EVERYTHING ELSE:

Grace Helbig aka itsGrace (previously known as DailyGrace): makes videos every weekday. Each day is a different category of videos but since launching a new channel (because the company she used to work for apparently owned all the content she ever created and did not tell her clearly in her contract sorry I kind of hate them), they are yet to be 100% determined. Very awkward (on purpose) and sometimes slightly inappropriate, yet extremely smart (although you can't always tell). Definitely an acquired taste but you will grow to love her.

Mamrie Hart aka youdeserveadrink: loves consuming alcohol. Used to work as a bartender and concocts amazing beverages for whomever she believes most deserves a drink that week i.e. George Clooney, Lil Bub etc. Enjoys making puns but they can veer on the side of flippancy. Best friends with Grace Helbig (see above) and Hannah Hart (see below, not related).

Craig Benzine aka wheezywaiter: impossible to describe in a few words. Has many quirks/inside jokes with his viewers, whom he calls beardlovers, that will take some getting used to. The most notable ones are his singing carpet, cloning machine (he has created various clones, including Sexy Clone, Quiet Clone, Corporal Clone) and love for his beard. He is definitely an acquired taste and may not be everyone's cup of tea.

Ryan Higa aka nigahiga: the first youtuber I ever watched. Ever since his "how to be…" series, Ryan's career has catapulted. Once the most subscribed in history (until the title was turned over to Ray William Johnson and then Smosh and now, pewdiepie), he remains an iconic video content maker. I find most of his videos are geared towards a younger audience i.e. middle school, but occasionally, I watch them.

Jenna Mourey aka Jenna Marbles: crazy yet hilarious bombshell. Makes the most random videos that will make you confused and cry with laughter. Loves her two dogs, Marbles and Kermit, very dearly. Used to be an exotic dancer and went viral with her "how to trick people into thinking you're good-looking" video -- it was her getting ready for work. 

Natalie Tran aka communitychannel: underappreciated Aussie. Makes videos once a week usually to rant/explain a phenomenon she experiences. She then proceeds to act it out with herself (via special effects, unlike Craig -- see above) with sometimes ridiculous costumes and accents. Is hilarious and you will not regret watching a video of hers.

John and Hank Green aka vlogbrothers: usually very thoughtful content, sometimes silly and occasionally educational. Uploads twice a week. Started vidcon so they're practically gods. Hank sings professionally, sometimes in a band, and runs the DFTBA (Don't Forget To Be Awesome) record label. John writes novels, most notably The Fault in Our Stars, and along with his brother, produces videos on other youtube channels: mentalfloss, crash course (topic include US history, english, biology, and chemistry), scishow and more. Call their viewers Nerdfighters and their internet niche, Nerdfighteria. Their goal: ridding the planet of WorldSuck.

HONORABLE MENTION:

Karen Yeung aka iamkareno: beauty/fashion youtuber with very similar style to Jenn 

Claire Marshall aka heyclaire: beauty/fashion youtuber with an edgy and casual style, similar to Jenn

Hannah Hart aka harto: friends with Grace and Mamrie, known for her "my drunk kitchen" episodes once a week that were mentioned in a Jenna Marbles video

Collegehumor: a group of creative minds that create a variety of video content. Sometimes inappropriate and even gross but certain segments are quite funny

Net Neutrality

I know I said my next post would be on youtube personalities, but I would like to pause and mention a hot topic today: net neutrality. 

The Federal Communications Commission is hoping to pass a bill that will enable wifi companies -- i.e. Verizon, Comcast, who bundle wifi and cable -- to charge you different prices for different websites. Essentially, the internet will be treated like television. Like cable, which allows you to choose from basic programming (just news channels) up to millions of channels, the proposed bill would allow companies to charge consumers extra for webpages such as google or youtube (my love!). 

Net neutrality is the idea that companies should provide consumer equal access to all websites -- charge one fee for the entire internet. 

The internet is a free place and I should not be charged if I want to use youtube! Many people believe that this is simply a way for companies to make more money, and it sure looks like it. Others argue that the current billing method excludes the 99%. 

Net neutrality promotes information flow and increased innovation. Small starter companies will not be able to compete with the internet powerhouses! The internet is a privilege but it is a right for us to freely explore what we choose. Great, now I'm starting to feel that television channels should all be equally priced...

If you are still confused, check out these two videos. I am giving you the liberty to choose between two very informative videos: collegehumor (sarcastic, sometimes inappropriate -- you have been warned) and vlogbrothers (talks fast, quirky)

There are many petitions out there here is just one you can sign: https://www.change.org/petitions/tom-wheeler-save-net-neutrality

And leave a comment down below -- let's have a debate :)

Youtube

I would like to kick off this blog by discussing my first love of the internet: youtube

I spend some time on Facebook, I no longer use twitter and I never joined tumblr (because honestly, tumblr scares me) but when I say I live on the internet, I mostly mean I live on youtube.

I watch videos when I wake up, when I brush my teeth, when I eat breakfast, before I go to sleep -- constantly. It's probably the reason I can't sleep (that melatonin though) and the reason I don't have time to do anything else.

I've subscribed to so many youtubers that my sub box is almost always active…what a life, I know.

My dream is to attend VidCon. For those of you who don't know, it is THE conference for video content creators and viewers in America. It was launched by the vlogbrothers (John and Hank Green, god bless, although TFIOS was so depressing I can't even look at their posts on Facebook without crying but that's a whole different blog post) and takes place for 4 days every year in Anaheim, California. All the youtube stars convene. I don't know what I would do with myself if I went -- probably die.

If you've been watching youtube for a while, you have probably gone through the "man, I want to make videos" phase as I have been in for the past year or so. I actually adore filming and editing videos. It's the first thing I lean towards for school: physics extra credit music video, wellness movie trailer, junior class president campaign video, senior class vice president music video, biology final project… the list goes on forever. However, there are already videos out there in every category imaginable -- beauty, vlogs, comedy, film, cooking, music… if you can think of it, it's probably already been done. I would just be one of many million and never go viral, because, trust me, youtube is a commitment that only gives back once you start hitting about 100,000 subscribers or so. Which could take years. You'd have to start making content in 2008 to be big now.

Let me know in the comments if any of you are as addicted to youtube as I am. And, if any of you have ever attended VidCon!

I plan to dedicate my next post to describing the personalities of some (and by some, I mean perhaps 20) of my favorite youtubers. I will try to include ones who are not as well known and deserve to receive some attention.