If you haven’t noticed, I’ve been largely absent on here because I’ve been very busy with my dissertation, work, family and friends visiting… you get the idea. But, I just defended my dissertation yesterday and am enjoying a weekend off before I finish writing my paper, due in at the end of the month! I use a journal to stay organized with my content and on track.

First off, a little disclaimer: what I have isn’t really a bullet journal. I tried to bullet journal once and my perfectionism was having none of it. I was never satisfied with my layouts and content and was constantly tearing pages out, it was a real source of anxiety for me. However, it does somewhat resemble one and these ideas might fit nicely into bullet journal layout for the organized student.

Without further ado, here are page types I have:

Contact information: Because I would be kind of in the shitter if I lost it. For obvious reasons, I’m not including a photo.

Table of contents

38422384_1796769893770719_7098662560315998208_n.jpg

Timesheet: So I can see how much I actually work on my dissertation so I know whether to celebrate or pick up the pace over the weekends.

38252584_237949203515700_186676583107395584_n

“Braindump”: Basically just my ideas pages.

38524194_2036369723343721_8343133616414392320_n

Dates to remember: An overview of when deadlines, meetings and my holidays are until my final report is due in.

38471789_699376790407131_1192393834605051904_n.jpg

To do list: This is the biggest one… small tasks to be done to chip away at my monster of a paper. My tasks will often fill two pages every week!

38469365_661154254246975_544371312173252608_n

Meetings and workshops: Notes from my meetings with my supervisor and any other useful information I gather from workshops that can help me with my dissertation.

38458647_253738911914736_8948778246292373504_n.jpg

Tables and graphs: I like to print out up-to-date tables and graphs as it helps me visualize my data and keeps me from going from document to document and sheet to sheet looking for one particular set.

38448887_1003247596509736_937250559356829696_n

Back-up log: An addition that should have come much earlier… I keep track of the date and where I’ve most recently backed up all my work if, God forbid, my laptop craps out on me.

38448925_242679449686939_4339135631570501632_n.jpg

Photo by Jess Watters.

Follow:

I have never meant this more than I do now: this month was hectic.

I’ve been under quite a bit of stress. With my dissertation presentation on Friday and my paper due at the end of the month and working 25+ hours a week, there’s no time for much else, especially since my correspondence with the local fisheries authority has been slow for data I need.

However, I did get some time to cut loose when my friend Lisa visited from Salt Lake City! I showed her around Brighton, hit London to see Buckingham Palace, Westminster, Abbey Road studios, Trafalgar Square and more before seeing The Gaslight Anthem in concert, visited Beachy Head and Stonehenge, and spent a few evenings just relaxing with a few drinks.

Now, I present on my dissertation tomorrow and will work hard through the rest of the month to get the paper done. I can’t believe I’ll be free in just four weeks. See you on the other side!

What I’m watching: A Quiet Place, Love Island (season 2), The Silence of the Lambs, Snowpiercer, Million Dollar Baby, Get Out, Queer Eye (season 1)

What I’m reading: The Shining by Stephen King

What I’m listening to: Happiness in Self-Destruction by The Plot in You, Dirty Computer by Janelle Monae, High as Hope Florence and the Machine, Hoizer by Hoizer, Prequelle by Ghost, Losers/Lovers by Orchards, Ultraviolence by Lana Del Rey

Follow:

Better late than never, hey? As usual, I’ve been super busy with dissertation stuff, work and friends. However, in a bit over a month, whether I’m ready for it or not, all this craziness will die down once my dissertation is handed in and I can breathe and get back into my blogging game.

But without further ado, meet the lovely Alicia from Live Pulchritudinously. No idea what that means? You’re not alone).

Tell us a bit about yourself.

thumbnail_IMG_3705I’m 21 years old, studying international business + Spanish at Ohio University. I live with my mom, dad, sister, bird and dog (who is the LOVE of my life). I’m from the Chicago suburbs and have lived there my whole life. I’m also vegan and love traveling!

How did you get into blogging?

I started my first blog when I was 14. I love writing but struggle to find motivation to do so. With a blog, my readers are my motivation.Seeing people comment saying they enjoyed my post or related to it is all the motivation I need to keep writing. I started writing this blog my freshman year of college to document my college experiences and my transition into veganism!

Tell us about your favorite blog post.

I think I have 2 favorite blog posts. One of mine was commemorating World Mental Health Day. I loved it because I got soo much off my chest and a lot of friends and family resonated with it and enjoyed reading about my mental health journey. One of my other favorites was about the Women’s March in Chicago, he day after Donald Trump was inaugurated. I loved this post because I felt proud to have participated in history and made my voice heard despite feeling so helpless just months prior when he was elected.

What are you doing when you’re not blogging?

I love cooking, baking, anything with food. I’m also a student so I’m trying to figure out the rest of my life. Finally I love fitness, so I spend a lot of time working out and planning for my student org CHAARG that I am the Treasurer of.

What’s the hardest part about being vegan?

Probably nonvegans ignorance and judgement or having to cook for myself most days (unless I want fries for dinner if we take out)

If you weren’t in your current major, what would you be studying?

This really hit home as I just had a sort of mental breakdown the other day from wondering if I was doing what I really wanted to be doing. I would be studying English or Math (complete opposites I know) but even if I wanted to change there are far too many classes for me to take in order to graduate at a decent time…

Where else can we find you?

Twitter || Instagram || Bloglovin’

Follow:

It’s the time again! Since I haven’t been able to keep up with blogging as much as I would have liked to recently, I don’t feel I have enough posts this month’s to select my top five posts, sorry! They’re all great.

Science, sustainability and veganism

General travel and study abroad

Travel destinations

Lifestyle

Photo by Andrew Knechel.

Follow:

A few weeks ago, I went to the biggest gig I’ve ever been to: Foo Fighters at London Stadium sold out at about 80,000 people at London Stadium. I’ve got to experience music from all sorts of genres in a range of venues holding a a few hundred people to tens of thousands… some bands in both small and large venues!

Here are my three largest and three smallest gigs (check out this page for a list of all the concerts I’ve been to and have coming up):

Foo Fighters | 24/06/18 | London Stadium, London, United Kingdom: This one is quite recent in the books.  I accompanied one of my clients to the gig as they weren’t comfortable going on their own and we had a blast together despite the shit-show that was public transport with a wheelchair. When we arrived around 17:30, it was quite sparse, but filled up at an exponential rate as the time for the Foos to takes the stage drew nearer. There was not a single square foot of free space on the floor… I couldn’t image being in the middle of all that! All in all, the stadium built for the Olympics and now primarily used by the local Premier League football team held 80,000 concert-goers in the stands and on the field.

36374529_10216615952380842_2727703226831863808_n

Icon for Hire | 17/05/17 | The Rock, Tucson, Arizona: One of the staple venues in my hometown, I’ve been to The Rock about half a dozen times, including for my very first gig ever in 2013. However, this show felt especially empty. While crowds of a few hundred fill the venue in past shows, there couldn’t have been more than 150 people at this gig. It was so much fun being in the front row for my first time seeing a band I’ve come to like quite a lot and experience it with my brother, although at 6’2″, he couldn’t bring himself to stand in the very front with me.

IMG_0389

Blink-182 and A Day to Remember| 24/09/16 | Ak-Chin Pavilion, Phoenix, Arizona: These next two shows are at the same venue, but I had two different experiences at each of them. It was hard to tell how well-sold it was as I didn’t pay much attention, but I’m guessing pretty damn near sold out at 20,000 people. It was my first time seeing Blink and we had decent seats on stage left about halfway between the nosebleed and stage.

IMG_8508

Rise Against and Thrice | 09/07/17 | Ak-Chin Pavilion, Phoenix, Arizona: This time around, Sydney and I were in the general admission standing area closest to the stage. Again, it was hard to tell how well-sold the show was, especially this time as we were standing in the bottom of it all with our backs to the crowd. I’m sorry to say that this time, it wasn’t quite worth it. Tickets were upwards of $90 and virtually nobody else around me knew Thrice (the opening band I like quite a lot) so I felt like a twat singing along passionately and even for Rise Against, the crowd was quite weak. If Sydney wasn’t there, it wouldn’t have been worth it. I would have rather not gone.

Senses Fail | 14/10/15 | Talking Heads, Southampton, United Kingdom: My long-time friend Alex and I were really looking forward to seeing Senses Fail together at a small pub in Southampton with a capacity of about 250 people. However, it wasn’t everything we thought it would be. They played mainly new songs, which aren’t our favorites, and as they were an opening band, not many other people knew them. The show wasn’t my favorite, but it was nice to meet up with Alex.

Lady Gaga | 30/07/14 | U.S. Airways Center, Phoenix, Arizona: Now renamed the Talking Stick Resort Arena, this venue holds over 18,000 people. My friend Brett and I were in the queue to go up to our nosebleed seats, when someone offered us free standing tickets. It was one of the happiest moments of my life! It is one of my favorite gigs to this day as I’ve been a fan of Lady Gaga since Poker Face and the set, dancing and production are so different from the typical rock concerts I attend.

IMG_6787

Chon | 15/10/17 | Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar, Brighton, United Kingdom: Diego and I saw Chon in the sweaty basement of a pub in town with about 200 other people. The stage was no more than a foot off the ground and the ceilings were no more than 8 feet high. You couldn’t really see the band unless you were in the front few rows. Nonetheless, I enjoyed listening at this chilled out gig and didn’t get too hot.

IMG_2684

Follow: