Im below average at maths, mocks I somehow got 50+% on my p2 but got 30% on my p1, we had another mock 17% p1, 37% p2, my teacher gave me an ordinary exam paper book and oh my god, you dont need to even learn theorems or other shite like identities and whatever the fuck, but I need h4 maths for my first choice.
If I drop I can guarantee get the 56, but lose out on four HL cao choices. No problem but the dilemma starts I had grinds starting a couple weeks before my first mocks, first month the money came from me, but then my parents covered for the rest and one more extra slot in the week, my parents are very over expecting, they are not gonna hear me out and I will get flamed for wasting money, I had covered a good bit with my grinds teacher like logs and indices, area, volume, financial maths, statistics, probability, complex numbers, integration. But I learnt so much statistics, probability and differentiation shite too late flr my second mock. If I drop the bits Im good at in some of the topics is not on OL like demmoivre, z scores, p values and so on. I would stick it out BUT I JUST SUCK ASS AT P1 AND THOSE THEOREMS, PROOFS AND IDENTITY USELESS RUBBISH. FUCK THAT COT AMMORTISATION SEC AUTISTIC GENIUS LEVEL GARBAISTE
3 weeks and cs test on this Wednesday. I have dcg on the 20th June with a week gap where Ill go over that easy points. Is the play that if I do well on cs, make irish 7th subject and use the dcg/irish time for maths, ontop of my maths grinds, which will be p1 focused? Ill watch exam learn, studyclix boost, examai and all, but then considering grade inflation, I should stick it out?
Say just a couple days before it Ill do one last exam paper for myself timed both p1 and p2 one I havent seen before and see if I can do it. If I flop Ill drop on the day. I need try atleast get a H6 maths, maybe even H3 for the top choice.
Anyone know a good exam paper which I can use like the final confidence test for myself?

Yuji is special grade level and has potential to be the strongest
I am going over a series of bullet points then explain more in depth with what he may be able to learn to really convince you that much like how I covered Mahito before if Yuji reaches his full potential he’d be the strongest character in Jujutsu Kaisen.
Major point 1: He matched Yuta while Yuta had a stat buff in his domain in their fight with Sukuna. And no Yuji wasn't playing support either he helped restrain Sukuna and was throwing straight hands combining his attacks with Yuta. Mind you this was before he awakened and began landing black flashes.
Major point 2: Yuji has lasted longer than basically anyone in the Sukuna battle. Aside right after the Yuta fight where he had to take a minute to heal he’s had the longest time fighting Sukuna. More than Yuta, Choso, Maki, Kashimo. I get Sukuna has not been giving Yuji his full attention every second and we can’t put all the credit on Yuji but it speaks volumes for how strong Yuji is.
Major Point 3: It’s stated verbatim Yuji has the potential to rival Sukuna by Sukuna’s Femboy and Gojo thought Yuji had the potential to surpass him.
Major Point 4: Yuji is very new even still. At max he had a month to learn blood manipulation AND shrine. And he had to stack that with soul swapping with Yuta and Kusakabe while learning RCT and simple domain. Give him more time to properly use convergence, have him take time to mimic things Choso once did while he was alive, maybe he pulls a Choso and remembers the two brothers he once killed and take wing king for himself. And shrine you don’t have to get me started.
Major Point part 5: Yuji has had the most training of anyone in this series under the largest variety of masters. Choso, Gojo, Kusakabe and Yuta, Todo, Nanami. Who else gets this level of training. Yuji lives by their will and their teachings all of them are high level combatants. Yuji is kinda crazy.
Minor Point 1: Yuji has two really good CT’s . Blood manipulation he has rct to help with and shrine. He’s not the best with either of these but they definitely help rise his stocks.
Minor Point 2: He is chosen by the sparks of black and is alone the only character in JJK that has the ability to throw black flashes at will with the highest level of black flashes in a row and highest level of black flashes overall in history. This shows Yuji is already a master of a hight in jujutsu that obviously being Black Flashes. Gojo and Sukuna may have domain expansion but they can’t claim to be able to black flash like Itadori can.
Now then with major bullet points and minor ones at the way. Can Yuji REALLY surpass Gojo and Sukuna- yes. He’s been stated that he can surpass Gojo by Satoru himself and Sukuna’s femboy acknowledged that Yuji could be equal to Sukuna. He has been a jujutsu sorcerer for less than a full year and has reached the peak of what may be able to do with a black flash.
Yuji already has a crazy growth rate. Understanding how to use cursed energy very fast and went from getting bodies by a Finger Bearer before cursed energy to throwing hands evenly with Mahito in goodwill. Yuji has went from getting kinda bullied by Yuta holding back to actually shocking 15F Meguna with how strong he was.
He has grown insanely already and has awakened as a jujutsu sorcerer just like how Gojo once did. Even still Yuji lacks a domain expansion but what if he just… gets one there is endless possibilities for Yuji’s domain expansion so it could be extremely busted maybe even more so than Gojo or Sukuna. Maybe it’s open barrier as well. He’s also got banger H2H skills even more so than Kenjaku or Gojo who before were noted as JJK’s best in H2H.
Yuji is stronger than let’s be honest most of the verse with better feats than most characters even before his awakening. Like I said keeping up with Yuta inside his domain meaning he has a stat amp inside his own domain. This makes Yuji stronger than a majority of the verse physically. This alone strength wise puts him on the special grade level at least physically. Now this is before black flashes not being in the zone or anything. Give Yuji a few years, use him post his awakening, he can use black flash at will, has a shit load of experience and skill now, he has mastered blood manipulation and shrine, he now has an open barrier domain possibly, he has a simple domain, he has reverse cursed technique. Nobody could step to Yuji.
Sadly there isn’t more to say about this aside he could learn some more abilities maybe even unlock a maximum technique while he’s at it. He could unlock more info on the soul perhaps and train his soul so that way if he ever meets Mahito like people again we know for a fact he’s safe.
Sadly while there isn’t a lot to go into Yuji definitely would surpass Gojo and Sukuna if he got time to truly let himself grow he’s already the strongest character in physical outside them most likely.
Now to watch the world burn MWHAHAHAHAHA

This is both a rant and not, as it's a complete introspective into the faction. This will be talking about lightspam as well, something that's a nonissue in this day and age but still exists, but nevertheless, is still apparent with a few heroes due to a number of reasons. Though I admit, there are exceptions to the rule I have established already. The exceptions would be Raider and Valkyrie, who I never feel cheated or unsatisfied if I win or lose against them. I could never hate these two, so my Raider and Valkryie mains, you are doing great. You hearoes could use some slight buffs or nerfs, but for argument sake you'll be excluded. With the two heroes pushed aside, I will now delve into the history of "lightspamming" and deconstruct every Viking hero one by one in order to deduce what makes them annoying.
As I have previously stated, lightspam is a non-issue in today's time in comparison to the past. You see, when For Honor first released, up until the CCU in year 4, lightspamming was real and efficient. Most were 400mls, near unreactable even in today's time and with the newer consoles for those not on PC. In addition to being faster and more stamina efficient when compared to heavy attacks, they also did much more damage by today's standards. Some went well past 22 damage, and some heroes even had 3 light chains to make spamming all the easier. Of course in reference to Orochi, which brings me to my next point in the past, and how the Samurai were primarily lightspammers. Orochi, Nobushi, and Kensei all had three light chains, Aramusha and infinite light chain, Shinobi had little other options, and Shugoki of course had the hyperarmord light to interrupt any and all offense. The stigma still exists of course against the Samurai for this, but only fools complain about lightspam from Orochi, who had the third light removed a while ago much like Shugoki's armored light. The CCU of course took care of the rest, and it made lightspam nothing short of ineffective.
But my dear reader, it never killed lightspam. Lightspam still exists, far weaker, but equally as annoying in today's time. For no matter if they work against you or don't, your opponent will be adamant to throw it out against you, due to the lack of a fully developed brain. My findings conclude the Vikings, ironic enough, house the defacto light spammer in the game. But my research (getting my ass slapped) revealed much more. Allow me to now dive deeper, and explain the basics of our remaining Vikings.
We shall start firstmost with Warlord, adequately named Borelord by some, with how simple and plain this grease stained Neanderthal really is. I have always stated that Warden is the white bread of For Honor, with how simple he is. If that's the case, Warlord would be equivalent the stale moldy bread some boogerpicking child left behind the bleachers during gym. He is a product of his time, forgotten, and both tasteless and unhealthy for you. Despite having absolutely zero redeeming qualities, as he fallen out of meta as of late, people still insist playing this hero. I will like to say firstly, I am not one to judge you harshly on your character choice, you are entitled to play who you desire. But in a game with 34 different heroes, you pick the most stale, boring, and bland hero for more than a single rep? I will question your tastes then, but I understand them. Warlord being a product of his time, has not aged well. I do not blame the veterans of this hero, but it does not have to make me enjoy him. His boring to fight as and to fight, since his kit is extremely limited. Most of the time, Warlord will try to light you over and over to shrink your health pool, so that for the first time in years they may use a heavy and perhaps get the execution. Any reactable maneuver you do, however, will be parried instantly. This means, of course, that your offense becomes that of Warlord, who now has forced you to play his sick twisted game of doing nothing but an opener bash and light attacks. Warlord, who I also like to call Warwar like I was speaking to a toddler incapable of higherthinking, is incapable of doing anything interesting ever. And for some reason, he is one of the last heroes who can easily put you out of stamina, since his parry riposte stuns and eats a chunk of your stamina, and his gb into wallsplat eats a third. For the reasons listed, I believe he is one of the most annoying, and unenjoyable heroes. I imagine most Warlord players wanted to play as a fatman, but didn't want to be funny or interesting like Shugoki, so they got second best.
Onto our next Viking, Berserker. Berserker is an interesting case, because unlike Warlord, Berserker is actually strong. Deemed as S-Tier for the past few seasons and still going strong, this hero is an extreme fucking menace that always makes me sigh when I see one. In some odd twist, I've also seen many grow an ego from playing someone so easy, and given a year or so, I imagine this number might grow exponentially and one day reach at least half the amount of Orochi's with ego, but I digress. In Berserker's case, we have another case of lightspam, even though he's not limited to it. You see, this homeless crackhead can feint intio 400 mls heavies that are armored. He can easily track dodges on the heavy timing, trade and keep his offense going, or interrupt any offense you have going as well. Most Berserks will throw this out 3-4 times in a row, and think they some masterclass good at the game. Despite how annoying this is, it's not as nearly as bad as the rest of his kit, who has no weakness it feels. You cannot outrade him, you cannot outrun him, you cannot outdodge him, and you certainly cannot outdo his absurd feats. His damage can easily reach 40+ on heavies, and his instant hyperarmor enables this easily. If you hated dodge recovery cancels before, then I'm sure you'll hate them combined with instant armored attacks. But while I also understand he's an excellent hero choice, I still believe there's way to many of them. Seriously, every other fucking game there is a Berserker. I've officially counted more Berserkers than Orochi. Orochi. A character whose nickname by the community was Roach, for being a bug you want to stomp and with how many they are. I genuinely wish they take this crackhead out back and break his knees. As a final note onto this mess of a hero, his marching fire armor is fucking ugly.
For our third, is Highlander. Personally, I have never ever enjoyed this hero. He has be a mess from day one, with high damage but no reliable way to acess it. However he's recently received a rework, so, what does this mean? Well, I actually believe his rework was okay. It granted him much more acess to his offensive stance, and gave him more tools to work with. This unfortunately, had the side effect of making him good. If there was any hero that should've stayed bad, it would be Highlander. The idea that his rollcathcer is a command grab that pins you and can easily set up a quick gank is ludicrous, and returning to the light-spam topic for a moment, Highlander can actually do it quite well. Once again, lightspam in this discussion isn't about if it's effective or not, but merely a playstyle of a bygone era most people partake in. That being said, Highlander's offensive stance lights are now 400mls, which, actually makes them an effective means to spam with. So this is our third viking who usually will lightspam you somewhat, which once again, is annoying.
Moving on to our fourth, is Shaman. Shaman is an interesting case, as the always delusional Shaman mains believe just because she's bad (she should be) that she can't be annoying (she is). Shaman, in my opinion, is by far the most annoying Viking. But she is not the best lightspammer. In fact, she rarely spams lights at all. Shaman is actually a very rare case of a zone spammer, as her shit is extremely annoying and effective. Some dodges will still be caught by her dumblooking flurry of blows. It's her spammiest move by far, and genuinely, Shaman is meant to be spammy. This is because in a stroke of absolute fbrilliance, Ubisoft decided to give her a lifesteal as an innante part of her moveset. Yes, the most complained aspect about Kyoshin, is just naturally apart of this ugly tweeker. Ensuring that once she gets an insane 17 dmg bleed 400mls stab, she has a healthswing on every thing she does. Her zone is perfect for this at it's four hits or yet another change at a 17 dmg bleed stab. But my friends, it gets far worst. For you see, her bite is even more absurd. Confirmed off GB or by an ally, Shaman's bite does a huge 35 damage, while also healing her for 50. This is a 50 damage healthswing, which is absolutely absurd, and should not exist in this games day and age. Especially when, an ally can easily sneak in a heavy during the bite's wakeup. Many stupid people defend this, by saying Shaman has to work for it through her bleed. But I must retort, does not every hero have to work for their damage? Does Shugo not have to for his hug? Does Jorm not for his slam? Well ignore what I just said, because not even Shaman has to work for her absurd bite. In some sort of unholy alliance, most Nobushi'a have started keeping Shaman's as pets. Any match with a nobu and shaman is most likely a duo, and you can bet they're going to be sitting in eacothers lap all game. One tick from bleed is all it takes for you to loose against them, as Nobushi's 35 damage undodgable against bleeding foes, allows shamam to get her bite with insane ease. Her bite also guarantees more damage from Nobu, so by being generous, we can say that a Shaman and Nobu gank can be nearly 70 damage. God, I hate this bitch and her stupid hair, and one day I wish Shaman mains may actually learn what good fasion is, so my eyes won't be assaulted while I'm being violated by genderbent Hannibal Lector.
Our fifth is Jormungandr, who actually stumps me quite a bit. His most annyoing aspect is his wallsplat, which frankly, I despise that this mechanic has become more common off attacks. But that's very little reason to place him with these.... other "heroes". No, I've noticed that most Jormunagndrs I come across, also prefer to spam lights. Depsite having an interesting kit, nine times out of ten, they will always light, light, zone, light, light. Even more odd, is I feel most I come across rarely let their unblocable heavy fly, instead, choosing to feint it for a light attack. I actually believe this has to be further researched, so it is here I humbly ask the Jormungandr council to investigate themselves, and found out why this might be. I see now I have the least to say about Jormumgandr, but never the less, I'd still consider him annyoing enough to be listed.
And finally we arrive, to the most, abhorrent, foul, despicable character ever conceived. The pinnacle, of how not to design a hero, the defacto lightspammer, who could make even Orochi blush; Vanrangian Guard. Varangian, is by far, the most annyoing Viking if I push my Shaman hate boner aside. Ubisoft Montreal was truly cooking, when it came to designing this dumbass character. We shall start firstly by discussing her ability to lightspam, which, is frankly uncontested. You see, Varangian has enhance lights, that also have the superior block property. This is not unheard off, what is, however, would be the fact both her dodge attack and her light finisher also have crushing counters. So, by pressing light and light other, she'd actually doing what she's designed to do by the devs themselves. You cannot simply block a light, as that won't stop her offense, and both starter and finisher light give her no reason not to lightspam, as her damage goes up to 20 with a CC. Her CC on dodge attack, is also vastly more generous compared to Tiandi or Zhanhu, who require more strict time. Yes, Virginia really is a lightspam machine, who is constantly rewarded by pressing the right bumper over and over. Even if you parry a light attack and get your punish, she'll surely do it again. But my dear reader, we are not done yet, for you see, that's not all that makes this hero annoying. In another stroke of brilliance, no doubt cooked up by Harvard graudates and other brilliant scholars, she can pin you constantly. In order to combat the meta of wide attacks and hitstun, they made a hero who has wide attacks and hitstun. By simply blocking an attack with her shield, she can pin you for a few second, easily preventing you from doing anythong more. To which, if she so wills it, can do a guranteed heavy, which, will pin you again for an additional amount of time. Vagina is designed, almost directly akin to Warlord, but a modern take that actually makes them a viable pick. Her other mix-up, the orange in to softfeint gb, is also taken from another hero, that being JJ. Unblockable softfeint to gb is not inherently annyoing, but it's extremely boring and effective, mucy like everything else about Vag. She's a brickwall who can also attack thanks to her constant CC's and pins. I also don't believe anyone like her or mains her because they find her moveset enjoyable, anyone who says otherwise is clearly a Ubisoft plant to persuade others that she isn't simply lazy design.
This marks the closure of my post, I hope I have enlightened some to the flawed and absurdity of these chosen heroes, and while I do hope they can be changed for the better, I also hope we can all collectively agree that anyone who plays these heroes are less than human, excluding Jormunagndrs, who are on thin ice. As always, I am open to debate to the comments, and will thoroughly explain any questions one may have.

Hey!
I'm a Canadian applicant studying bio + chem at UofT. I am applying next cycle (June 2025) but I really need to prepare my stuff from now because the upcoming year is going to be really busy for me. I am also on track to graduate in 2025 Here are my stats so far:
cGPA 3.70. Aiming for 3.75-3.80 by graduation
All of my grades are B- (70/100) and above, so I think I pass majority of the requirements for prereqs
science GPA 3.68 as per my calculations, could be slightly inaccurate. Aiming for 3.75-3.80 by graduation
On track to graduate in 2025; I did my HBSc in 3 years instead of 4
DAT: I have not taken it yet, but it's scheduled for end of August. I'm aiming to get 23 AA +
Shadowing (so far): ~30 hours. I was previously shadowing a dentist but got some issues with them so I'm on the look for a new one this Summer 😕
Volunteering: ~10 hours. Is this important? I'm not exactly sure where to volunteer. I've done some volunteering at my uni for orientation day once but that's about it.
Extracurriculars: ~50 hours for a knitting/crochet club at my uni (event planner), ~50 hours for a pre-dental club at my uni (president) – these are the 100% confirmed ones so far. In the upcoming academic year (2024-25), I expect to have about 200-250 total hours from those same clubs as I have been re-elected. If you guys also have some recommendations for more ECAs I'm happy to take them!
Work experience: none so far but I am starting a job on-campus for the 2024-25 academic year as an assistant to a supervisor. Expected hours are 100-160 hours.
Research: none. I'm not sure if this is necessary/favored for applications honestly. To be a part of research at my uni, it's a little more complicated than just emailing a professor you're interested to work with, instead there's a formal application to fill out at the end of the year where you "compete" with other applicants too. I did not apply for any research positions as I could not fit it into my schedule in the Fall/Winter 2024-25. However, I am thinking about volunteering in a lab... I'm not sure if I'll be accepted for that but I am drafting a bunch of cold emails to sent out to profs I'm interested in working under.
I'm not sure what else people usually list for their stats but this seems like most of it.
I'm gonna be honest, I'm doing this because I have no clue at all where I possibly stand a chance at in American schools. I was initially interested in only applying to Canadian ones but my second year really plummeted my GPA and I'm not competitive at all for Canadian schools now, so I'm basically scratching those off my list.
Also, please don't be mean :0 I'm genuinely looking for advice. I don't know anyone applying from my university/friends so I'm struggling to get advice from people in the same boat.
Some schools I'm interested in (but most I have no idea how favorable towards Canadian applicants they are) are:
Uni of Michigan
UCSF
UCLA
UPenn
Columbia
Thank you!!!

I got an invitation in the mail in a pretty purple envelope covered with flowers and shiny plastic gems. It was for a girls-only sleepover, something I'd never done before. At first, I was really excited, but then I saw that it was from Jane and Mary Bardell.
The twin girls were in my 7th-grade class. They were really quiet and rarely talked. Even though they didn't say much, you could still feel they were there. I remember sitting in front of them one day and feeling their quiet energy behind me.
The back of my neck started to tingle and feel hot. When I looked back, I saw Jane staring at me. Her deep-set dark eyes looked hungry, like she hadn't eaten in days and I was the meat dangling in front of her face. Mary also looked at me, and when she smiled, it almost seemed like she had fangs.
When they did talk, always in perfect unison, they sounded flat and without any emotion. But their serious looks and voices made me feel uncomfortable, and the room felt heavy. Luckily, they usually sat in silence at the back of the class.
One day, they just didn't come to school anymore and stayed home. Maybe their parents decided to school them at home. They lived across the street from me in a neat two-story brownstone house. Their lawn was well-maintained and protected by a sturdy five-foot iron fence.
The curtains in their house were kept closed tight. No light ever came out, even at night. But sometimes, on the second floor, a curtain would move, and I'd see the twins' pale faces looking out. We'd lock eyes for a moment before the curtain closed again.
After they stopped coming to school, some kids from our class started to go missing. First, it was Eddie, who vanished on his way home. Then Katy disappeared the same way. Both of them had walked past Jane and Mary's house before they went missing.
For some reason, I just had a feeling deep down that the twins had something to do with the disappearances. I even wondered if they were really human. Maybe they were vampires. Oh, yes, they were definitely vampires! It all made sense.
"You're going," my mom insisted at dinner when I told her I didn't want to go to the sleepover. I didn't see the point since I could sleep in my own bed. Why stay at someone else's house when I lived just across the street?
I groaned. "I don't want to go. They're so fucking weird.”
"Watch your language!" Both my parents warned me, giving me a serious look.
“It’s been difficult for that family,” Dad said, “The girls had to be pulled out of school because of an illness.”
“What kind of illness?”
“Their parents didn’t say what it was, but they said the girls would like to have friends.”
“Oh, those poor girls,” Mom sighed. “They just want to have a nice and normal sleepover party.”
I shook my head. “I don’t want to go.”
“You’re going.”
And that was that.
I wasn't hungry anymore and left my dinner unfinished. I headed straight to my room and glanced out the window. I saw their pale faces peeking through the curtain in their second-floor bedroom. I closed the blinds and turned off the light. There was no way I was going to their house without something to keep me safe.
XXXXXX
“Your house is really nice,” I remarked, placing my sleeping bag and pillow on the floor. I kept my backpack close, making sure the crucifix I borrowed from my parents was safely tucked inside one of its pockets. I really hope my mom doesn't realize it's missing.
I was the only one who had arrived at the Bardell’s house so far. Mrs. Bardell opened the door and greeted me with a big, never-ending smile that looked like it was permanently glued to her face. Her teeth showed through the wide grin, and her lips were covered in a thick layer of red lipstick.
“That's really nice of you," she responded with a smile. “I can see why you get along with my girls.”
Mary and Jane, seated across from me, both nodded and chimed in together, “Yes, she's great, Mom. We're happy we invited her.”
“So, when are the others getting here?” I asked.
“What others?” Mrs. Bardell appeared puzzled.
“Tammy and Harriette. They said you invited them too, and they promised they'd come.”
“Oh, they're not coming anymore. They called just before you arrived to let us know,” Mrs. Bardell explained. Her big, dark eyes moved between me and the twins. “Okay girls, just sit tight for a bit. Dinner will be ready soon.” Then she went into the kitchen.
Fantastic! Just fantastic! Some friends they are. Traitors!
“They didn't tell me…” I mumbled quietly, feeling betrayed. I quickly checked my phone and texted Tammy: So you're just not gonna show up?
The message was stuck on “sending…”
“Don't worry about it,” the twins reassured me. “We'll still have a great time tonight!”
Their idea of a good time was putting on a skit they had practiced the last few days. The twins disappeared upstairs, only to return dressed in their costumes. Mary had on a gray hoodie that I thought I'd seen before, and I noticed a dark crusty-looking red spot on the sleeve. Jane sported a baseball uniform. Mr. Bardell, wearing a smile like his wife, joined in the fun. He was down on all fours, wearing a dog mask that looked surprisingly lifelike.
I sat still on the sofa, feeling completely weirded out.
As Mary ambled around the living room, her hood shielding her face and her hands tucked in her pockets, Jane and Mr. Bardell engaged in a game of frisbee. Mr. Bardell crawled around like a playful pup, zooming across the room and even leaping over the couch. Quickly, I crouched down to avoid getting hit. He then sprang to his feet, his arms bent like a dog's, proudly holding the frisbee in his mouth.
Mary stopped and glanced back. “Cool dog,” she said.
“Thanks,” Jane said, mimicking a man’s low pitch. “What’s your name, son?”
“Eddie.”
My stomach sank. That was the name of our missing classmate.
“Would you like to play with him?” Jane continued.
“I should really get home, my mom–” said Mary.
“One throw won't hurt, would it?”
“I guess not.”
Jane grabbed the frisbee out of her dad's mouth and passed it to Mary. The frisbee soared into the dining room and plopped right onto a plate sitting on the table.
“Oh! It flew into my house,” said Jane.
“I'm sorry!” Mary said.
“That's okay, my daughters are getting a kick out of watching us.” Jane pointed up. “Do you see them over there? Second floor, window to the right.”
Mary waved.
“They told me you're a friend of theirs.”
“Not exactly friends… I mean, we went to the same school. I haven't seen them around in a while though.”
“Why don't you come inside and say hi?”
Before Mary could answer, Mrs. Bardell popped out of the kitchen, saying dinner was served. All eyes turned to me, waiting for me to make the first move.
XXXXX
Vote on the character's next move.

Hello everyone, I have 3 plot ideas set in the Jujutsu Kaisen universe that I'd love to play out. I'd prefer to do them with OCs (and have my own original characters in mind for them)
Plot 1: Foreign Affairs
While most of the history of Jujutsu Sorcery stems from Japan, there have been sorcerers and curses users from countries all around the world. Most curses however are found in Japan because of ancient traditions. And the strongest curse ever found outside of mainland Japan, was only a first grade. Thus the protection of humans in other countries was left to their small pool of local sorcerers. However... A special grade curse has appeared in the United States, already it's wiped out two 1st Grade Sorcerers. However, one American sorcerer stepped up and was able to defeat it, earning them the honor of being the first foreign Special Grade Sorcerer. Now they are tasked with starting a Jujutsu school to raise a new generation of sorcerers who can protect humanity.
-In this we would have a mentor character and a cast of students. I'm happy to play either the mentor and a student or two students if you have a mentor character in mind.
Plot 2: The Child of Prophecy
During the Heian period, the famous sorcerer clans were high and mighty above all others. The Zennin Clan in particular were quite powerful with their shadowy techniques. However in a small village a woman named Yuki Kura was born. Her cursed technique was called Luminance: the ability to generate and imbue light with cursed energy. While she was moderately strong, likely a second grade in modern rankings, the Zennin Clan wanted more from her. The potential of mixing a light based, and shadow based inherited technique had potential to make a sorcerer of legend. Yuki was forced into marrying a promising young sorcerer from the Zennin Clan, however Yuki made a heavenly pact that no child of hers would be a sorcerer, not until a descendant was born strong enough to live freely. Now a thousand years later... A descendant of Yuki was born with the power of luminance.
-This plot is based around a specific OC of mine, if you couldn't tell by her elaborate backstory. This plot/character could be added on to the other two plots, but I like the idea of this prophesized girl having to learn from an old master. With a focus on her getting stronger and learning.
Plot 3: Can a Curse be Allowed to Live?
Curses are seen as a natural evil, like earthquakes, and typhoons. A horrible threat to humanity that must be stopped as much as possible. However, could a curse... Help humanity? Could a new curse be guided from its distructive nature and become a sorcerer?
-This one also follows a mentostudent dynamic. I have 2 characters in mind for this RP a girl who's the daughter of a human sorcerer and a cursed spirit. Or a newly formed cursed spirit, the android-like Future Curse
Please message or chat me if any of this sounds interesting! Thank you for reading!

Hey all. I recently started a new playthrough of Metamorphosis. I'm running into a bunch of issues, though.
For starters and most importantly, my character's hands are invisible in first person. I'll attach a few images to show you, but the gist of it is the guns show up but the hands do not. Unarmed is completely invisible.
Secondly, the Vault 87 exit that should've been accessible after becoming a Super Mutant is blocked by the normal inacessible door, so I don't get the chance to remake my character as you usually do.
No cheating was used to get to Vault 87, I played the story normally and performed no skips. I have also patched Fallout 3 with the Anniversary Patcher.
Any help would be very much appreciated. Here's what I'm running:
Bloodless Mess FINAL CASM_v1_2_3 Clarity - A Green Tint Remover - Clarity 2.3 Command Extender FO3 Dialogue Expansion for Role-Players v1.1 FO3 NMC's Pre - Generated LOD FO3LODGen Resources Marts Mutant Mod 1-RC61 FOMOD Ready Metamorphosis - Playable Super Mutant Race - Metamorphosis MTUI New Super Mutant Perks - NSMP V3.2 NMCs Texture Pack PERFORMANCE Pack SINGLE FILE FOR NMM NVAC - New Vegas Anti Crash (Not sure how useful this is, but Metamorphosis lists it as a requirement) OneTweak but Really Updated - OneTweak Out Of Memory Fix Portable Personal Terminal v4_1 SmoothLight v1 Stewie Tweaks The D.C. Interiors Project - DCinteriors_combo Edition Total Merge Updated Unofficial Fallout 3 Patch - OGG Visual Objectives (FOSE) Vortex Archive Invalidation
Thanks in advance!

TLDR; Not doing a languages degree but love foreign languages and would love a job in that field when I graduate (thinking about something at the EU commission, travel journalism, translation in heritage work etc.) and not sure how anymore.
I'm a politics student with 2.2 average, going forward hoping for a 2.1 who has recently been diagnosed with ADHD. Before this degree, I started a degree during covid studying French and Spanish, two subjects that I love that I achieved As in at A Level and continue to practice to a B2 standard today (I've recently taken a placement test to prove this). I also love cinema, TV, history, literature etc. and really thought a language degree was it for me. However, during my first term I really struggled, I'm the first person to attend uni in my family, I was undiagnosed at the time and ended up depressed and unable to cope with the lack of structure and basically had a huge mental breakdown.
After that I decided I could only do something vaguely constructive as a degree. I applied for business management at my local uni so I could live at home and worked for 2 years in various hospitality and receptionist gigs while thinking things over. Eventually when it came to matriculating I changed my mind and I started a politics course instead bc I love journalism and thought politics could lead me there as my uni doesn't offer media studies. I moved out using the money I'd saved after deciding I needed the independence as well and got a part time position volunteering at a local radio station. Within the first term I was diagnosed with ADHD and anxiety instead though when it became apparent my problems were around time management not the course and gave up my media volunteering to focus on my course as I was getting too caught up in the work and neglecting my course.
I'm now coming towards the end of second year of university and have a 2.2 average (not good for a former straight A student but I bounce between barely passing an essay and getting 72% at my highest grade). I have networked my way into an internship in finance for the summer though and I somehow have a place on study abroad for a term in France next year (had some really good grades at one point before mental health took at a turn).
Where do I go from here to go back to languages and maybe journalism? I'm considering taking a language exam in both French and Spanish when I get the opportunity (DELF and DELE for C1 hopefully!). I'd also love to have a go at some print journalism, though I think I perhaps actually lean more towards being more of an art and culture critic than anything else more down to earth news based although perhaps that's because course wise all I do is dive into legislation and nitty gritty of politics which has dampened my love for political news a lot like English students sometimes start to hate reading for pleasure. I'd love to try for something like management consulting or diplomatic service/ EU Commission work using languages also but the primary thing is I want to regain fluency and have a career using them that includes travel and maybe something media/ culture related. Does anyone have any tips/ advice? Is this even attainable anymore? Was thinking I'd love to maybe a linguistics and translation masters if I can get a 2.1 and get onto a course but not sure if that would help long term either and if I'd be able to do it without a baseline foreign language degree. Would love any advice at all!

Based on the post i saw yesterday from @LucatIel_of_M1rrah. Did this for fun and tried my best to make the changes make sense and feel good. Basically an addon of their changes.
ASSAULT RIFLES:
AR-23 Liberator:

• Damage: 60 80
• Extra mags: 8 10

(This should make it slightly more attractive option, a good starter weapon with balanced stats. Assault Rifles are really mediocre now so they get most changes right after MRs)
AR-23P Liberator Penetrator

• Damage: 45 90
• Recoil: 19 20
• Fire rate: 640 540
• Extra mags: 10 9

(Now is more damage based and has slower fire rate as a result, still lower dps than Liberator)
AR-23C Liberator Concussive

• Damage: 65 75
• Recoil 28 20
• Fire rate: 320 560
• Extra mags: 10 9

(Now is the same to Liberator as is Pummeler to Defender. Worse stats with the addition of increased stagger. MUCH higher fire rate now. Actually better stats than the Pummeler now)
AR-61 Tenderizer

• Damage: 60 90

(Now ACTUALLY has more stopping power than Liberator. Should basically be Penetrator with Light Penetration but better dps and handling)
BR-14 Adjudicator

• Damage: 80 100
• Fire rate: 550 480
• Recoil: 40 25

(Lower recoil to make this weapon usable. Is now even more damage oriented. Should basically be harder hitting Penetrator, the bridge between the ARs and MRs)
MARKSMAN RIFLES:
R-63 Diligence

• Damage: 125 150
• Now is Medium Armor Penetrating

(Just an overall buff to make this gun more appealing. Finally able to work alongside Penetrator, Adjudicator and Counter Sniper as Medium Amor weapon option)
R-63CS Diligence Counter Sniper

• Damage: 140 200
• Recoil: 53 45
• Fire rate: 350 320
• Extra mags: 6 7
• Removed the "Fires a single bullet at a time" nonsense from the descritption

(Quite a bit of more damage to make it still pickable even though Diligence is Medium Armor weapon now)
R-36 Eruptor

• Damage: 420 560
• Now in the Marksman Rifle category (still has Explosive as a trait)
• Restored the sharpnel

(I'm sceptical about this weapon and think it was kind of mediocre even before the changes so I'm sitting this one out, reverting the changes and slightly buffing the damage)
JAR-5 Dominator

• Now in the Marksman Rifle category (still has Explosive as a trait)
• The scope can also be tuned for longer distances now

(This weapon has been and still is S tier, but is hard to use enough to not make it overpowered so no need for other changes. However this weapon can now also be used for longer distances like it should with the scope changes)
CB-9 Exploding Crossbow

• Damage: 420 480
• Capacity: 5 10
• Now in the Marksman Rifle category (still has Explosive as a trait)
• Now is Medium Armor Penetrating
• Restored the AOE

(With Eruptor being the insane damage on one target weapon, this should be more oriented on AOE damage)
SUBMACHINE GUNS:
MP-98 Knight

• Damage: 50 60
• Recoil: 20 10
• Fire rate 1380 900
• Extra mags 7 10
• Now receives full ammo back on resupply as other weapons do

(This gun simply had TOO much fire rate for its own good. Now is more controllable and more importantly will have mure more ammo just like other SMGs)
SMG-37 Defender

• Fire rate 520 580
• Extra mags 8 12

(A small buff to make this weapon good after AR buffs)
SMG-72 Pummeler

• Fire rate 475 540
• Recoil: 10 15
• Extra mags 7 11

(Same thing as with Defender)
SHOTGUNS:
SG-8 Punisher

• Unchanged

(Really good as it is)
SG-8S Slugger

• Heavy stagger added back.

(The good stagger is back)
SG-225 Breaker

• Damage: 330 360
• Recoil: 55 25
• Capacity: 13 15
• Extra mags: 7 9

(Buffs based on other Breaker changes)
SG-225SP Breaker Spray&Pray

• Damage: 192 260
• Recoil: 45 30
• Capacity: 26 30

(Now has slightly better stats than Fire Breaker, but doesn't have the fire effect)
SG-225IE Breaker Incendiary

• Recoil: 28 35
• Extra mags: 7 6

(A slight nerf since it's easily the strongest weapon on bugs and it's not even close)
ENERGY WEAPONS:
SG-8P Punisher Plasma

• Unchanged

(Other weapon that I don't think needs any changes)
ARC-12 Blitzer

• Fire rate: 45 60

(Pretty good as it is, but this should make it a really viable weapon among the other shotguns)
LAS-5 Scythe

• Damage 350 400

(Just increased the dps, really hard to balance this one because I don't know math)
LAS-16 Sickle

• Unchanged

(Perfectly balanced, as all things should be)
Plas-1 Scorcher

• Unchanged

(Just as Punisher Plasma)
Plas-101 Purifier

• Rework: 3 tiers of charge up.
• Tier 1: Trigger pull 200 damage 80 fire rate. (no splash)
• Tier 2: Trigger hold 1.25 second 300 damage.(small splash)
• Tier 3: Trigger hold 1.75 seconds 400 damage. (large AOE splash like currently)

(This idea is COMPLETELY stolen from the original creator since I have no better idea to balance this weapon)

This is a weekly reminder post of this sub's stance on potential copyright infringement. This is a serious issue that needs to be kept in mind when creating and listing NFTs.
Original post by u/HurleyBird1
Quick disclaimer: I AM NOT A LAWYER. THIS IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE - THIS IS SIMPLY INFORMATION WITH WHICH TO EDUCATE YOURSELVES AND PREPARE YOURSELF FOR LEGAL ADVICE FROM A LICENSED SOURCE.
Now that that's out of the way. My credentials are: MBA, with a bit of business law classes under my belt.
I want to give a quick explanation of how copyright works - and I'll do so through quick blurbs n some myth/reality bullets.
Source: copyright.gov (US)

1. Subject matter of copyright: In general28(a) Copyright protection subsists, in accordance with this title, in original works of authorship fixed in any tangible medium of expression, now known or later developed, from which they can be perceived, reproduced, or otherwise communicated, either directly or with the aid of a machine or device. Works of authorship include the following categories:(1) literary works;(2) musical works, including any accompanying words;(3) dramatic works, including any accompanying music;(4) pantomimes and choreographic works;(5) pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works;(6) motion pictures and other audiovisual works;(7) sound recordings; and(8) architectural works.(b) In no case does copyright protection for an original work of authorship extend to any idea, procedure, process, system, method of operation, concept, principle, or discovery, regardless of the form in which it is described, explained, illustrated, or embodied in such work.

- Myth: I can use any image/song/video/writing I want.
- Reality: No. Not true at all.
- Myth: Well they never said it's copyrighted.
- Reality: Upon publication (and even while a work in progress) a work is automatically protected via copyright under US Law.
- Myth: Well they never sold it.
- Reality: It doesn't have to be commercialized to be protected.
- Myth: Well it was a long time ago
- Reality: Possibly true...as long as the creator is deceased (or if multiple creators, the last living one is deceased) and the required time has passed...although this gets tricky with "estates."
(d) Duration of Rights.—(1) With respect to works of visual art created on or after the effective date set forth in section 610(a) of the Visual Artists Rights Act of 1990, the rights conferred by subsection (a) shall endure for a term consisting of the life of the author.
So what's this thing I hear called "Fair Use?"
Straight from the source:

1. Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use41Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 106 and 106A, the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright. In determining whether the use made of a work in any particular case is a fair use the factors to be considered shall include—(1) the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;(2) the nature of the copyrighted work;(3) the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and(4) the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.The fact that a work is unpublished shall not itself bar a finding of fair use if such finding is made upon consideration of all the above factors.

Uhh...help me translate that please... (here's a decent official translation: https://www.copyright.gov/fair-use/more-info.html)

1. above...if it's non-profit educational use, you're usually good to go...if it's for money or trade (commercial nature) then you're usually NOT...unless YOUR piece is "transformative"

Transformative uses are those that add something new, with a further purpose or different character, and do not substitute for the original use of the work.
- Myth: Well this is paid for in Algos, not USD so it's not "commercial"
- Reality: IT IS commercial. You could even barter for bacon and it'd be commercial. It's an exchange of one good/service for another good/service.
- Myth: My piece with Batman inside a card is "transformative"
- Reality: No, unfortunately, more-than-likely the courts would say it's not. A good litmus test is..."If Warner Bros Entertainment (owner of Batman) wanted to make an NFT/ASA "Batman card" would yours compete with it or be possibly mistaken (by a reasonable person - so in America think 8th grade education) for real merchandise? Probably...thus it's not transformative enough.
"nature" gets a little tougher. This looks at protecting the "creative process." Thus, using other works of art is less-likely to be protected than using factual sources - like historical photographs since it's easier to "create art" and thus "transform" factual pieces than other art pieces. This is also talking to things like "parody." Satire is NOT protected. "Parody" is. What's the difference? LegalZoomputs it well: While a parody targets and mimics the original work to make a point, a satire uses the original work to criticize something else entirely. Another way to look at it is that satire uses another work as a way to comment on something happening in the world that has nothing to do with the original work.
- Myth: I added a different border, extra planets, and some blur effect to MTZ's World of Light - it's a new piece of art.
- Reality: Not likely the courts will see it that way.
- Myth: This guy added a filter, some burn effects, and collaged a bunch of newspaper headlines together - isn't that a violation!
- Reality: Probably not...the courts would probably see this as a creation of art out of factual sources.
amount/substantiality in relation to the whole...this is where using clips of songs that are only like 5 seconds long works! But using more than that...runs into problems. This is tough to decipher too...as some songs are EASILY identifiable from just 5 seconds (Ice, ice, baby) - and thus NOT fair use. But some aren't. Usually you're safe using a very small clip of a song or video - especially if you're adding more to it. But this is a dangerous game to play - and there's places to get free audio (some sources below)
effect of the use - this is probably the biggest one. Courts will look at simply...does YOUR work affect the sales or potential for sales of the copyright owner. Of note...this is looked at at the time of the issue being brought to the court, not at the time of sale. For example, let's say my batman card sells for 10 Algos today, but Algorand BLOWS UP and soon every NFT is on Algorand. And now my OG Batman NFT is seen as one of the first Batman ones and official. Warner Bros gonna sue the shit outta whoever owns it at the time they sue to get the rights to all sales of that NFT. So that person is left holding an empty bag when Warner Bros wins in court.
- Myth: Well they're not commercializing it NOW so I'm safe.
- Reality: Technically, yea Warner Bros probably won't spend the money to go after the OG artist and the hands the asset passed through...HOWEVER, they may. That's their right. Who knows - the Napster days showed us the lengths companies will go to. EVEN BIGGER HOWEVER, the last person holding it when Warner Bros DOES decide to go after that Batman NFT...uh oh for them - they just lost their asset.
- Myth: Well it's been like a year, and no one has brought up copyright. So I'm good.
- Reality: If this was in a normal market...maybe this argument would work. If McDonald's let you sell a Ronald McDonald poster for like a year on Amazon with no issues, some court may say "bro, you took too long to bring this to us." HOWEVER, with cryptocurrency being so new (and Algorand being so little known/discussed), most courts would see it as "reasonable" that a copyright owner failed to exercise their rights within a year - possibly even a decade. (Updated because I realized last example dealt with trademark not copyright :o)
So what am I safe to use?
US Government works (mostly)...any deemed free to use by creator...and any a copyright lawyer says they have your backs on (cuz now they're liable).
Here's some great sources for free use items (please add to this list below if you know of some!!!):
Pictures: https://buffer.com/library/free-images/ (Unsplash is one of my faves)
Music: https://www.wix.com/blog/photography/2019/11/27/free-music-for-videos/
Video: https://blog.hootsuite.com/free-stock-videos-sites/
You'll notice there's a lot of "shoulds" "coulds" "probably" etc. This is because copyright cases are all unique and go to the courts. The best bet is to go with stuff you KNOW is free and fair-use. If not, I'd look up copyright law, consult supreme court cases concerning copyright, and ultimately, talk to a lawyer.
AGAIN: I AM NOT A LAWYER. I AM NOT PROVIDING LEGAL ADVICE. I AM SIMPLY PROVIDING INFORMATION. THERE MAY BE ERRORS ABOVE THAT COULD CAUSE SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGES - CONSULT A COPYRIGHT ATTORNEY IF YOU WISH TO RECEIVE LEGAL ADVICE.

Hello, i’m making this post and will update it accordingly to share, so others have another resource to read/look into, and maybe feel hopeful about their situation. This will probably be a lengthy post so i apologize in advance.
For some background, i’m a 23 year old male, slightly chubby/thicker, i’ve been competing in powerlifting and doing strength training since i was about 15, and very recently, started experiencing some ED with my partner.
So far it’s happened twice with me. The first time I had figured i was just tired in the moment, i had already taken my melatonin for the night and was half asleep when we decided to have sex. I went soft when the intercourse started. That night i had written it off as me just being tired and ready for bed. The second time, i was a little more embarrassed. There’s not much to it other than that - we initiated sex, and i again - went soft during intercourse. And i felt awful about it.
it’s been about a week, since the second occurrence happened, since then ive started taking my ashwagandha and magnesium taurate again, and last night i decided to throw some zinc into the mix. I also started drinking an 8oz mixture of organic beet juice and pomegranate juice, daily. I’ve also cut out ALL porn and masturbation, there will be more on this later. I have a HUGE history with porn and masturbation.
Since i started taking my supplements again, some mornings i have morning wood, other times, i don’t. im doing a very good job at not letting this deter my effort or wipe out my hope. this all takes time i’m sure.
I firmly believe porn is my culprit. I discovered porn back in the 1st grade. fast forward to 3rd grade, i learned how to masturbate. jump over to 7th grade and all through highschool, im doing it daily, a few times a day. And it only got worse as i got older, even after graduated highschool. So i’m led to believe that my habits are starting to catch up to me!
In recent years, i’ve had a habit of bookmarking porn videos to my pc, saving NSFW reddit posts, and eventually just casually watching it while i’m gaming. i’ll look at it in the gym parking lot while i wait for my caffeine to kick in, i’ll look at twitter porn while i drive home, or on my breaks at work. It had gotten waaaaay too casual for me. I’d be in discord with my friends playing games, if i died in whatever game, i’d load up google chrome and just browse a site, looking for a video that looked nice. All while touching myself too, not straight up beating it but just rubbing the head of my penis, and basically edging myself.
Recently, when my current girlfriend and i started seeing eachother, i remember i was erect almost ALL the time when we cuddled or kissed and got slightly intimate. And i think a huge reason for that is - when we had first started seeing eachother, i was always at her house, i wasn’t at home on my PC looking at porn, i wasn’t on my phone looking at porn, i wasn’t being stimulated by anything, AND i was also taking my ashwagandha + magnesium. At the time, i was taking ashwagandha an effort to reduce stress and have a clearer head. i was doing some testing for a job so i looked into ashwagandha and started taking it, turns out my mom already had some in the house and just gave me the magnesium to take with it. But i remember being fully erect ALL the time.
At some point, i had fallen off of the ashwagandha and magnesium, not for any specific reason. I would sleep at my girlfriends house and go straight to work in the morning, so i wasn’t stopping by my house to get my supplements. on top of that, as our schedules got busier and i had more time to myself at home, i would find myself playing video games, while browsing porn and touching myself. i had fallen back into that nasty habit, that i essentially had unknowingly dropped for a little bit.
So this is where i’m at now. ashwagandha, magnesium, and zinc daily. Plus beet juice and pomegranate juice, and no porn.
My break at work is coming to an end so i’m closing this out for now, i’ll edit and add more when i’m home, as well as answer any questions, if there are any! thanks for reading and good luck!

Warning this is a very long read without a TLDR
I left this sub and joined the ryerson sub in 2021. Leaving behind my big drive of notes which is what I assume keeps driving these posts talking about grade inflation to my feed. My last few comments were very similar to everyone’s posts as of now - grade inflation, unfair admissions, feeling close to your goals and it being taken away. 3 years later here’s where I came from and what I’m doing now, why it’s not your fault and to offer a bit of hope if it helps. :)
In grade 12 (end of 2021) I had an 89 average, I was rejected from the majority of life sci and health sci programs (if a school had both I applied to both of them) - mac, u of t, queens, western. I got into York psych, health, TMU bio, undeclared arts and psych (waitlist), Laurier health sci and ottawa health sci. (some of my programs might be off if it’s wrong, the overarching field is what I mean). My goal was U of T life sci and to go to medical school. Laurier and Ottawa were off the table after my family and I came to the conclusion that we don’t have the money for me to move away, removing my last two life/sci options. I honestly wasn’t a big fan of York leaving TMU as my last option. I really wanted a life science or health science program because the curriculum after first year was not simply bio, chem, physics so I veered from biology at TMU.
So I ultimately ended up accepting undeclared arts as I was waitlisted for psychology. At the end of June, I got off the waitlist for psychology and accepted that. At the time, I was seriously unhappy with myself I was angry at the fact that people were getting opportunities that I wanted that didn’t deserve them due to inflation and lack of standardization of monitoring of tests during online schooling and just overall how poorly my high school experience ended. I’m talking full breakdowns about how I worked so hard and got nothing in return. I had teachers who genuinely believed that I was one of the best students that they had in years and told me that I would go far. I had a teacher go as far as writing a letter for no reason other than to just say how proud they were of me and how they knew that I would do great - which at the time I truly didn’t believe after not achieving any of the goals that I had set for myself at the beginning of grade 12.
My first year of psychology was online for my first semester where I did decently well I got a 3.0 my second semester, ended up being entirely in person because the online sections of classes were full. At the time I wanted to do medicine this dream quickly got away from me when second semester in person classes left me with a 2.67 gpa for the semester. I had a realization looking upon my peers who were still completely online at TMU or at other universities had much much better GPA than me and I wouldn’t be able to get into medicine with my GPA. So again I felt let down by systems that ultimately led to further inequality in education. I let go of the idea of medicine and had no idea what I wanted to do after my undergrad.
After my first year, I decided to join the course union at my school, which was one of the best decisions I ever made. I met amazing people who encouraged me to do better, peers who were higher years than me and gave me advice when needed and from there, my grades got better. after joining the course union I joined the liberal arts union and from there I worked on about five more different positions over the next two years. TMU is generally not seen as the best school and it’s not necessarily “competitive” but that can work in your favour because there’s so many positions available whereas at other schools where people may be more inclined to take these these positions making them more competitive. Joining these course unions gave me so many opportunities and so many things that are now on my CV that continue to provide more opportunities, for example I was offered a job at the school based on all my experience. My CV is now what I would consider amazing with all the work that I’ve gained that is applicable to the field that I want to work in and because of my experience on my CV I got a research assistant position where I have a great academic relationship with a prof. And I got my gpa up enough it’s not near a 4.00 or anything crazy but it’s good enough for me to get into grad school.
I always knew that I didn’t want to stay in psychology after I graduated so I completed my degree in three years rather than four. I also want to mention you do not need to complete your degree in three years. There’s no need for it. Had I stayed for an extra year I would’ve had so many more opportunities with extracurriculars. It’s just I did not love the psychology curriculum enough to want to stay in it for another year. I had taken summer school courses before coming to this conclusion, and I had so many credits that I didn’t want to switch programs so I fast tracked. All that being said, do not rush your degree unless for example, you don’t like it and have plans to do something unrelated afterwards - for me it was a masters in a different field that the only requirement was a bachelor’s degree so I didn’t see the point in switching. Having gained all of the research experience and extracurricular experience in the field that I want to pursue is what made my degree nonetheless beneficial even though I wasn’t doing what I had originally planned.
As of now, I will be beginning my masters at U of T in the fall (not in psychology). I feel very accomplished and fulfilled with everything I’ve done and I feel like the person that all those teachers said that I was back in high school. While I didn’t go to U of T for life sciences, and become a doctor like I had thought I would I am going to U of T nonetheless for a field I didn’t even know existed. I found and great community and something I genuinely love by continually working hard after feeling like I was ripped off by grade inflation and online school. All of which is so minuscule to everything I’ve gone on to do.
Moral of my story is you might feel ripped off right now, that your hard work went unnoticed and you might feel like you’re never going to accomplish your goals. But the truth is, it's very minuscule to the potential that you have. And as long as you continue to use your work ethic and potential wherever you go, you will be successful. You don't need big fancy school. You can do just as well if not better at schools that are seen as less prestigious or competitive as long as you continue to put in the hard work that you did in high school. So please don't feel like you have lost something but feel that you have gained the potential to do more. If you’re truly uncertain about accepting a program, take the time off think about alternate fields and try applying again, it might be better than toughing it out in a program you don’t really care about. If you’re dead set on going to university this fall, don’t wanna take time off and want to apply again and didn’t get into the one you planned, join extracurriculars meet new people and keep putting in work and it will pay off.
And I’m not saying you’re wrong in anyway for complaining and feeling the way that you feel because I felt the same way. You’re all valid asf. All I’m saying is don’t beat yourself up and don’t feel like you’re the problem because there’s so many opportunities for you so long as you seek them out and take them and you will end up in a much better position in the end.

Hello,
I had an epiphany that civil engineering is what I really want but civil engineering is only offered at UBC.
After the current summer term is over, I will become a second year engineering student.
So far I have seen people saying transferring to UBC from SFU is super difficult... My GPA by the time summer term is over is likely going to be ~3.4, kind of low. Is it almost impossible for me to get in?
I'd appreciate it if you're able to answer whichever question you can:
1- Right now, I only have 27 credits from SFU courses, some of which are not transferrable to UBC. Does that mean I am ineligible to transfer?
2- Will waiting for an SFU coop help me improve my chances?
3- When do I apply for a transfer?
4- If I transfer, will I be in first or second year?
5- Should I just go to BCIT (I intend to work outside Canada in the far future)?
6- Will my high school grades matter? Will I have to fill a personal profile and talk about volunteering?

So I’m 18M and I have a half brother who is the same age as me. We’ll call him Cameron. Our dad got two women pregnant around the same time. I’m older by 6 months. My dad chose Cameron’s mom over mine and they’re married now. Cameron is his parents’ only child.
Anyway so I’ve always felt like I was just a backup son for my dad. I know he does love me, but not as much as Cameron. I live an hour and a half away from him but he would always make the drive to come see me when I was younger and still does to this day. If I ever need anything he’ll make sure I get it. He took me on trips all the time with just me and him. But still I felt like an outsider. He would constantly put me second to Cameron. If we both had sports games on the same day he would always go to Cameron’s with his wife. Once when I had an award ceremony he couldn’t come because Cameron was sick (it was just a cold btw). When I wanted him to teach me how to drive he said he couldn’t because he promised Cameron he would teach him first but that he’d help me after Cameron got his license. I could list off a bunch of other examples. My dad would show up to my stuff but if Cameron had something going on at the same time he wouldn’t come.
Cameron and I aren’t friends. We get along fine if we’re together but neither of us is going out of the way to talk to the other. I think he’s spoiled and obviously our dad’s favorite. Our dad and his mom did him no favors because his grades are bad and his life has no direction. He didn’t apply to any colleges and he won’t even get a part time job.
We’re both graduating high school this year. His school district released their graduation schedule after mine and of course our graduations are on the same day at the same time. We live an hour and a half apart so obviously our dad can’t make it to both. He’s known my graduation date for weeks before Cameron learned his. We already had plans for him to come and spend the day here. But I knew as soon as I saw that schedule he was gonna flake. At first he said he wasn’t sure what he was gonna do. He’s been avoiding the topic for weeks but our graduations are on the 29th so he has to decide now.
Well yesterday he took me to dinner. He told me that he was going to go to Cameron’s graduation. He said it was because Cameron’s grandparents weren’t gonna be able to make it and Cameron would only have his mom while I have my mom, stepdad, siblings, and grandparents all coming to mine. I’m not an idiot. It was just an excuse that I knew would be coming. He tried to soften the blow by promising me he’d make up for it by taking me on a graduation trip anywhere I wanted to go. Even though he had already promised me that months ago. He’s taking his wife and Cameron on a family trip to Hawaii in June. It’s supposed to be Cameron’s graduation trip but he promised he and I would have our own trip. Now all of a sudden that trip is supposed to also be a makeup for missing my graduation.
So I told him okay, I want to go to this one weekend event that is on the same week he’s going to Hawaii. He told me he can’t because that’s when they’re going to Hawaii. I didn’t actually wanna go to this event, I was just proving a point. I told him to postpone his Hawaii trip so he can take me to the event. He said he can’t because everything is already paid for and non-refundable. I told him that he’s missing my high school graduation. The least he can do is make me the priority when it comes to the graduation trips. He said I’d have to pick a different weekend. I told him he doesn’t actually care about making it up to me. He’s only okay with what I want so long as it doesn’t interfere with his real family. He denied it and told me to try to understand the position he’s in.
I told him straight up that he always chooses Cameron over me. For once I want to be the first choice. So I said I’ll have a ticket ready for him but that if he doesn’t come I’ll know where I stand in his life. I don’t care about a makeup trip. Either he shows up and we still have a relationship or I’m just done with him. He told me that I was being unreasonable and maybe I am, but I’m still standing my ground. I already know he’s not going to come, even after my ultimatum. So am I the asshole for throwing away our entire relationship over this?

I genuinely had no idea the depth this season would have. I just finished my second rewatch, watching edits, and reading people's analyses and metas. Nic was right when she said this season was romance because, wow, I’m speechless at just how much there is to their story. It keeps you going back, thinking, and pondering. To the point that I'm not as mad as I was about them splitting up the season. We're really able to take in these four episodes, unpack each scene, each character, and each expression because everything has been so purposeful.
On my second rewatch, it struck me that it wasn't the kiss that awakened Colin's feelings. I wouldn't have thought so until someone mentioned on twitter it wasn't the kiss Colin has a flashback of before he goes to the ball. it was the scene Pen wraps his hand with a cloth. I rewatched the show after that to pay closer attention and wow did so many things stand out to me the second time around. Maybe it was the candle that sparked that memory, but even then, was her wrapping his wound so significant to him that it prompted him to go to the ball, interrupt her dance, cause a scandal, and then chase her carriage?
Colin's behavior towards her has been odd the entire season. First, Penelope not responding to his letters messed him up. It made him realize that although he's always cherished her as a friend, she had a much more profound impact on him, and he didn’t notice until she was no longer there. He tries to talk to her, but she walks away, giving him the cold shoulder. He is left shook.
He sees her at the ball in her stunning dress. He keeps staring at her, so aware of her, constantly tracking her. Then she leaves, running up the stairs and passing him. He leaves his friends behind to go after her, despite their advice not to concern himself with her. They have that moment where he tells her he misses her, but in a much different way than he would have spoken to her last season or the season before that. "If you're going to make it, say it. I miss you." Not "I missed you," but "I miss you."
This distinction is crucial. "I missed you" implies a past tense, a temporary void that has now been filled. "I miss you," however, conveys a present, ongoing longing. It shows that his feelings are current and that her absence affects him deeply and continuously. This moment is pivotal because it reveals a more vulnerable and sincere side of Colin, one that he hasn't shown to others this season.
Colin is showing a different side of himself to everyone this season, including his own family. He's trying to present a more composed and assertive version of himself to the world. Yet, Penelope is the only one with whom he truly feels comfortable enough to be his genuine self. She makes him feel safe, allowing him to drop the mask he wears for others. With her, he can be kind, sensitive, and unguarded.
This sense of security that Penelope provides is significant. It’s clear that Colin values her presence not just as a friend, but as someone who understands him on a deeper level. She brings out the best in him, the parts he might be afraid to show others for fear of appearing weak or overly sentimental. In Penelope’s presence, Colin feels seen and accepted, which is why his declaration of "I miss you" carries such weight. It’s not just that he misses her company; he misses the person he is when he’s with her.
Then he seeks her out and comes to her house, gives her the big speech, and tells her he wants to get into her good graces. They go out, and he tells her to practice on those gentlemen. When she stumbles over her words, he just smiles so fondly at her. At this point, I don’t think he’s aware of his feelings, but I do believe he's starting to realize just how much he likes her. He really, really likes her. And he missed her so much, and being around her again is literally lifting his spirits.
One of my favorite moments is when they are at the market. Colin brings up the story of when they first met, leaning in and saying, "teasing me. Mercilessly, in fact." When he follows with, "I think I know why," it stands out to me because you can just see how different he is when he's with her compared to anyone else this season. Even with his family, his light is dim, and there is a cloud hanging over him. But with Penelope, especially in this scene, it's like a man who finally saw the sun after being stuck in endless rain. At this moment, I don't think he knows he likes her romantically, but he likes her even more than he did before. He notices how she makes him feel. He loves their banter and how clever and witty she is.
Penelope freaks out when he says this because she thinks she knows, and she keeps on walking. They are momentarily covered from each other by the rugs, and then Colin pops out and continues his sentence. Everything about it is so playful and flirtatious, even if unconsciously at this point. He’s just having so much fun, and it’s very different from how he used to interact with her before. That moment when Penelope says, "I should get back," leaning in and adding, "before we are noticed," is significant.
Then we have the moment when Colin says, "I've been eagerly awaiting your visit." By this point, he’s addicted to her. The interactions they had at the market, especially at the end, left a lasting impression on him. I see this as Colin testing his feelings, wondering, "Let me see if that was a fluke or if I actually like her." This moment is crucial because it reveals Colin's internal struggle and growing realization of his deeper feelings for Penelope. He’s no longer simply enjoying her company as a friend; he’s beginning to seek out her presence because it brings him genuine happiness and comfort.
This shift is evident in his behavior. Colin’s eagerness to see Penelope isn’t driven by a sense of duty or friendship; it’s a personal desire. His anticipation of her visit shows that her company has become something he craves. This is no longer about teaching her anything; he just wants to spend time with her, and you cannot convince me otherwise. Colin knows that teaching Penelope how to attract a husband doesn’t look right, as he mentions to Eloise. He is aware that his actions could be misinterpreted, and yet he persists. This indicates a level of emotional investment that goes beyond mere friendship or mentorship.
When Colin invites Penelope to the Bridgerton house and places a hand on her back, it’s a bold move that borders on scandalous. In the societal context of their time, such an action is highly intimate and could easily lead to gossip and speculation. Colin is well aware of this, which is why his decision to proceed regardless is significant. It shows that he’s starting to prioritize his personal feelings and desires over societal expectations and norms.
In Season 2, when he grabbed her hand and took her into a secluded room, he genuinely saw her as just a friend and didn’t see anything wrong with what he was doing. But this scene is different. Colin is aware that his feelings towards her are changing, and he doesn’t care about the impropriety. He just wants to be alone with Penelope. This awareness marks a turning point in Colin’s emotional journey. He’s beginning to accept that his feelings for Penelope are evolving into something deeper and more romantic.
His actions, such as eagerly awaiting her visit and ensuring they have private moments together, reflect a subconscious desire to explore these feelings further. He wants to understand the depth of his emotions without the interference of others. This need for privacy and his willingness to bend societal rules for her indicate just how significant Penelope has become to him. He values their time together, not just as friends, but as potential romantic partners. Colin’s behavior suggests that he’s on the verge of a profound realization about his true feelings for Penelope, setting the stage for further developments in their relationship.
Then we get to the moment that solidifies for me that he knows to some degree what he feels about her. When Penelope tells him his eyes are beautiful, he is visibly aghast, speechless. Jungshook. The compliment is so unexpected and disarming that he doesn’t know how to respond. Instead, he picks up his lemonade and chugs it down like a man who hasn’t had a drink in days. This reaction is significant because it shows how much Penelope’s words affect him on a deeper level. It’s not just flattery; it’s a moment of genuine vulnerability for Colin, revealing that her opinion of him matters more than he realized.
Now, let’s delve into the moment where I believe he realizes he likes her. I wouldn’t have thought anything of it and rewatched their moments with a different perspective if it weren’t for the flashback. The moment she wraps his hand is so intimate and romantic. She wraps his hand slowly, and he watches her intently as she does. There’s a tenderness in her actions that goes beyond mere care; it’s an unspoken connection. She continues holding his hand and slowly folds it, kind of caressing his fingers. This gesture is filled with unspoken emotions, and Colin feels it deeply.
She looks at him intensely, and he meets her gaze but looks down immediately, starting to fiddle with the end of the cloth like he’s nervous. This moment of eye contact is loaded with significance. Colin’s nervousness is a telltale sign that he’s starting to realize his feelings for her. He doesn’t pull away until she mentions his writing, and he gets overwhelmed. Despite all that, and even though he’s upset she read his journal, he asks, "Will I see you tonight?" This question is crucial. It shows that, despite feeling vulnerable and exposed, he craves her company. He just wants to spend time with her.
Even when he’s upset that she read his journal, his first thought is to secure more time with her. "Will I see you tonight?" is not just a casual question; it’s a plea for connection. Colin’s desire to spend more time with Penelope, even when he’s feeling vulnerable, underscores the depth of his feelings. He’s starting to recognize that his attachment to her is not just about friendship or companionship; it’s something much more profound. This realization sets the stage for the unfolding of his realizations and the emotional journey Colin is about to navigate.
Then the ball happens. Colin looks around the room for her and gives her a sexy smirk when he sees her. This smirk is significant because Colin typically reserves it for women he's flirting with, albeit usually in a fake and uncomfortable manner. However, this is the only time the smirk feels genuine and actually comes off as sexy instead of forced. The flirtatious "Good evening" from Penelope is everything, honestly. When she asks how his hand is, he replies, "All good, thanks to you." Sir, all she did was wrap it with a cloth; please be normal. At this point, he's fully aware he has a crush on her. He no longer views her as he did before. His entire demeanor is so much more different compared to their other lessons. There is an intensity to him when he's talking to her that wasn’t there before.
When Penelope talks with Lord Remington, it’s interesting that "Jealous" by Nick Jonas starts to play now and not after the kiss, when she converses with Lord Debling on many occasions where we know he's jealous. When Pen tells him she enjoyed her time with Lord Remington, he responds, "I'm certain he did as well," and he gets a bit awkward. Someone on Twitter mentioned that when Penelope was flirting and trying to engage with others, Colin wasn't jealous, but the moment she is herself and comfortable, his jealousy kicks in, as we saw in this scene. Someone said he's trying to gatekeep her lmao. He sees her smiling and enjoying herself—a part of herself she only shows him—and he can't handle it. Hence, why I believe they chose to play that song at this moment.
This moment is crucial because it highlights the shift in Colin’s feelings. His smirk, which is usually a façade, becomes real and filled with genuine affection when directed at Penelope. His awkwardness and jealousy when she talks to another man further emphasize that his feelings for her have deepened. Colin is no longer just a friend offering guidance; he’s a man who realizes he has a crush on her and is struggling to navigate these new emotions. The music choice underscores this emotional turmoil, perfectly capturing the internal conflict and realization he is experiencing.
And then everything else proceeds that leads to the kiss. I, like so many others, believed this is where he realizes his feelings for Pen. Someone on Twitter mentioned how his eyebrows furrowed and his lips quivered. When I first saw it, I wondered why this kiss would warrant such a strong reaction from Colin. At this point, it was just a kiss that Pen asked for in a moment where she thinks she is ruined and will never find a prospect. But upon rewatching, Colin's visceral reaction to the kiss, as evidenced by his furrowed eyebrows and quivering lips, suggests a deeper emotional resonance than he initially realizes.
Penelope tells him it would not have to mean anything, but for him but it did. He knows his feelings towards her have changed. If it had been just a kiss because she asked for it, it would have stopped after the first time. Just a fleeting moment of physical contact between friends. But they kiss a second time and it's from his pov this time. It's slow sweet and oh so romantic. It's a catalyst that triggers a flood of suppressed emotions and desires within him. In that brief instant, the walls he's constructed around his heart start to crumble, allowing his true feelings for Penelope to surface. it wasn’t a kiss that awakened his feelings; it was a kiss that confirmed it. And not just confirmed it, it made him realize it wasn't just a crush he developed this season but it brought all his dormant feelings to the surface from the past as well.
TLDR: I think he was aware that he liked her when she wrapped his hand specifically and the kiss made him realize that it wasn't just a crush—his feelings run much, much deeper than that.

Edit should be Adult, contemporary fantasy
Looking for help with this query letter for my manuscript 'Nonno Dangerosso'
“Rescued” from her peaceful life in the city, Sofia, a thirteen year old introvert, is thrust into the noisy thunder of her Nonnis’s cottage by the sea. Although determined not to change, convinced she must hide in Nonno's garage to work amongst the machines, there is still a subtle magic that sings to her from the forest, beckoning her to shed age old skins.
Once lured into the woods, and while investigating the fabled scooter kids, a group of miscreants known to upset the garage, Sofia discovers the dying body of a forest god. Convinced that the god’s death is a foreshadowing of danger to come, a danger that overwhelmed her home back in the city, she embarks on a perilous journey to break the ominous approach of a sweltering weather phenomenon that threatens her second life by the sea.
With the help of new friends and old, she must traverse an ocean, explore a mysterious Island, and complete an ages-old, elven ritual called “the night-sewing,” to save the cottage. But as her journey unravels its yarn, Sofia discovers that there is more than just the cottage’s safety at stake. She may have to make the choice that changes the world's future.
Nonno Dangerosso is a middle grade, slice of life/fantasy novel the explores the nature of change. Complete at 150k, it is reminiscent of ... The 'Howls Moving Castle' series by Diana Wynne Jones and (I haven't come up with comps yet).

Hi all, I’m a second year teacher. However, the class I student taught (10th grade in an alternative high school) keeps inviting me back for various things. Most recently, it was for their presentations. They give major presentations at the end of each semester where they can invite family and friends. These are usually a big deal for the kids, because they put so much effort into them. Out of the 16 students in that class, 9 have invited me so far. The same thing happened last year and I did attend the ones I was invited to (12 in total last year.)
This year my mentor reached out and told me I didn’t have to go to the presentations if I didn’t want to. Because it was over text it’s hard for me to read the intention behind it. Do you think she’s annoyed that I keep showing up? Does she think it’s a burden on me? It is about a 2 hour drive between my student teaching school and my current school, but as most of these take place after school, I’ve only taken a single half day off to attend. It’s not a major issue for me (or my current principal/colleagues). Should I still go? The students are now seniors and watching them improve and get more confident has been wonderful.

As the shiny weekend comes to a close, I and I'm sure many others have played a lot of endless the last few days. While I do love this game, I can't help but notice how much of a drag endless is. Endless is basically just one big gambling simulator where you get dopamine when you get a shiny or legendary and it keeps you playing long enough to get the next hit. As someone who enjoys both making and balancing games, I wanted to take some time to dive into why endless has the problems it does and how they can be fixed. My hope in sharing these ideas is that endless will eventually be revamped into something more fun in the long term instead of just a shiny grind. So strap in as we discuss the problems with endless and how to fix them.

Part 1: Why play RogueLites?

I think the first step to understanding what is wrong with endless is to understand why we are even playing this game in the first place. I hear the terms roguelite and roguelike used interchangeably a lot so I wanted to quickly address the difference between them. The short of it is roguelikes complete reset your progress in between runs while roguelites have some progress carry over. This puts PokeRogue firmly in the roguelite category, since you can unlock new starters, and as such, I will be operating under the assumption that having progress carry over between runs is important to the game for the remainder of this post.
As for what makes roguelites fun, I think there are a few different factors. First and foremost is replayability. Since a run is never the same as any other, the genre has infinite replays built in, so long as you don't get bored of the core gameplay mechanics. However, the enemies and rewards you get during each run are not the only thing that can change between runs.
This leads me to my second point which is the fun of trying new builds. Most roguelites have a wide variety of weapons and approaches to progressing that can either be chosen at the start or unlocked during the run. Because of the random nature of the genre, even similar builds will fluctuate run to run and trying to get your build to function perfectly like you want it to is a fun challenge. You may have an idea of what you want to use but then you get an item that changes the way your build works and so next time you play this build, you actively seek out this item because it was a cool adaptation. Being able to not only try, but succeed, with a variety of strategies and builds is incredibly important to the long term fun and replayability of roguelites.
The final factor in why roguelites are fun is because you can constantly push for a new record. This is specifically something unique to endless. The game can never truly be beaten. You as the player set a goal for yourself and compete against that goal, trying to achieve it. When you eventually do, you set a new goal and push for that one. These goals can be personal to you, like trying to reach a certain round or seeing how far you can progress with a specific build, or they can be more competitive, like trying to push for a record in the highest round ever achieved.
Roguelites are addicting and fun because you never truly beat them, you just find new ways to play them. Now that we understand a bit about why roguelites are fun, let's look at PokeRogue to see how it matches up.

Part 2: Endless is a Solved Game

First, let's look at the good parts of endless. Endless has good rewards for playing it. As you go deeper into endless, you get more and more rare starters. Right now, starters are the only thing that carries over between runs so endless is the best way to progress your account. In theory, this should increase replayability as you can do an endless run, get new starters, do a run with your new starters, rinse and repeat. In practice though this simply isn't true.
While the progression endless gives your account is good, it's ultimately pretty meaningless and most of the actual experience of playing endless isn't fun at all. When you get deep into an endless run, which is arguably where most endless players will aim for since otherwise you would play classic, the game becomes stagnant. You one shot everything or you get one shot. Type matchups don't matter. Stats don't matter. Nothing matters except being able to oneshot the opponent through whatever tokens or abilities they have. This isn't a problem in itself but if we look a little deeper it becomes one.
There's nothing wrong with different builds simply being different ways to oneshot. What is an issue though is when the core mechanics of Pokemon stop mattering and there is only one way to win battles. Type matchups are arguably the most important mechanics in Pokemon, right after catching new Pokemon. The fact that these eventually are rendered useless means that there's no reason for this to be a Pokemon game in the first place. Additionally, even just having a really strong Pokemon that can cut through everything with strong STAB doesn't work because the only late game strategy that works is fixed damage and sturdy. When you finally reach rounds that push the limits of where you've been before, these should be the rounds that your build is online and being tested. Instead, you are forced to transition to a Pokemon with sturdy and metal burst or fixed damage like salt cure plus soak. There is no room for trying different builds to push boundaries because the game has been solved. We know what the best and only strategy is and if you aren't using it, you can't compete.
The fact that only one strategy is viable means that any progress you make between runs doesn't matter either. Why use new starters when you're just gonna end up using gargancl with salt cure or metal burst blissey? This means that the only thing that endless is actually good for, making your account stronger, is made irrelevant by the same mode. This is the biggest problem endless has but there are a few smaller ones I'd like to quickly address.

Part 3: Smaller Endless Problems

I'll try to keep this section brief and run through these problems quickly.
First, generic encounters are too time consuming. There is no reason the random, non-boss Pidgeott should ever take more than 5 seconds to defeat. Generic encounters serve the purpose of giving you a few rewards to make you stronger before the next major fight. Endure tokens waste so much time. If I'm overkilling this raticate by 5000%, I shouldn't have to sit through 30 seconds of dialogue telling me it endured the hit, raised all its stats, flinched, and then need to select my move again. Even boss encounters don't need endure tokens. They are already gated by segmented health bars. These are actually good and mean you have to think about how to get through them. Why then, does the boss get to live with 1 hp when I've finally overcome it? Simply put endure tokens need to go.
Second, boss battles are too repetitive. I don't mean pokemon labeled "boss" but instead the bosses you encounter every 50 floors. These should be the rounds that test your build but instead, it's the same as every other "boss" you encounter in the run. These rounds need to be made harder and all other rounds should be easier, that way there's a clear distinction between fodder and challenge. The Eternatus encounters are actually pretty good from a challenge perspective since they regularly take a while to beat. If the 50 floor encounters were more like this, and the Eternatus encounters were varied with some other Pokemon so you need multiple strategies instead of just a fairy/steel to wall it, the boss fights would be pretty good.
Finally, if you can't oneshot an enemy, it shouldn't be able to oneshot you. Essentially, bosses need to not be able to be oneshot. What this means though is that you will take hits and in that case, you need to be able to survive them. Damage Reduction tokens are actually ok but damage multipliers just make every move a oneshot. Boss fights should play out more like VGC matches, where there's constant switching of your Pokemon to have an advantageous type matchup. Your switches need to be able to survive hits when they come in, or else you need a way to correctly predict when you can make a switch for free to get a better Pokemon out.
I could go more in depth on all these problems and maybe I will sometime but for now just know they are there and will influence what the fixes need to fix.

Part 4: The Fixes

Now that we understand what's wrong with endless, let's talk about fixing it.
The first and easiest change is that endure tokens need to be removed. This speeds up the game and gets you into boss fights faster. Simple, done, this one change makes the game so much more fun and less tedious.
For some bigger changes, let's take a look at the rest of the tokens. Status tokens mean nothing since your Pokemon will always have infinite lum berries once you get 3 berry pouches and a mini black hole. Fusion tokens are cool. These throw wrenches at you and are fun and should stay. Damage reduction tokens are ok. These tokens prevent you from oneshotting the boss and as we discussed before, that's good. Damage multipliers increase the problem of oneshots though and for that reason need to either be heavily nerfed or removed. If my defensive Archaludon is getting onehshot by vine whip, that's a problem. Finally, recovery tokens are alright. The make it so you can't just stall out a boss completely. You have to constantly be damaging them so they don't heal back to full. I would limit these though to heal a smaller amount. Something like 1/16 of max HP every turn should be the maximum that recovery tokens can do. This is the same as leftovers in the main series and that is one of the best items for survivability in the entire game.
I would make the following changes to tokens: remove endure tokens, remove status tokens, remove damage multiplier tokens, heavily nerf recovery tokens, keep fusion tokens, and keep damage reduction tokens. Also, remove all tokens from any Pokemon without a boss health bar. You may think this is too big a nerf to enemies but in conjuction with this, I think the mini black hole also needs to be changed or removed. With status tokens gone, it's more important than ever that status is meaningful when it is inflicted. Without the mini black hole, you need to actually think about what to do about status instead of just letting your infinite lum berries solve it for you. Maybe now you need to spend some of your post encounter rewards on lum berries or items other than rare candies since you can't just steal them off wild pokemon for free. Of course, things like magician and thief still exist but these are ok because they are niche. The grip claw is also alright since it isn't guaranteed to steal something, it just gives you a little more breathing room.
Next up on the list is boss fights. For this section, I'm only referring to the every 50 floor ones. The token changes I believe would solve a lot of the problems with this fights but there are two big changes I would implement. First, these fights should all be 2v1 double battles like the final battle of classic. This gives room for more strategy and makes switching out more of a viable option if you can predict which slot the AI will target. Second change is to increase the movepools of all bosses. This may be controversial but I think bosses should not be limited to 4 moves. Bosses having a wider variety of options makes them much more formidable and means you need to prepare for more threats. As for what these movepools would be, I would say any egg moves or level up moves should be fair game. Maybe some tms as well but those would need to be hand selected which is harder to implement.
The last few changes I'd add focuses on making starter choice important and allowing for cooler builds. There needs to be more variety in held items. The main series has so many cool options to draw from and adding them makes for a lot of variety in what a given pokemon can do. Imagine a Pokemon with sniper and 3 scope lenses to always crit. Or a Pokemon with a bunch of leftovers and rocky helmets and rough skin. In return for the wider variety, there would need to be some limit on how many non-berry, non-consumable held items a pokemon could have. Without a limit, the best strategy would still be to just stack all the items on one Pokemon and let it sweep. I think 20 would be a good place to start though this could be changed. It also adds an opportunity cost. Your sweeper can't also be tank with 3 leftovers because you need to use those item slots for offensive items.
Finally, I would add one new item to the game with a unique effect. Similar to the DNA splicers, this would allow you to combine two Pokemon to get a stronger one. The new item would be ability capsule and here's how it works. The ability capsule allows you to select a pokemon from your party, sacrificing said Pokemon and adding its ability to another Pokemon. The catch though is that the ability can only be added to a Pokemon that was selected as a starter for the run. Some abilities would have to be non-transferable like wonder guard or stance change but I think this goes a long way in making really cool combinations to aim for late game. It also makes your starter selection more important since you can think about what abilities you want to add to your starter later.

Conclusion and TL;DR

If you've made it this far, thanks for reading. To those of you who just scrolled to the bottom, here's the TL;DR of changes

• remove endure tokens, status tokens, damage multiplier tokens
  
• nerf recovery tokens
  
• remove mini black hole
  
• remove tokens from non-boss Pokemon
  
• Make every 50 floor encounter a 2v1 battle
  
• Increase the movepools of 50 floor encounters
  
• Add more held items from main series
  
• Limit non-berry, non-consumable held items to 20
  
• Add an item that allows you to sacrifice a party Pokemon to add its ability to one of your starters
  

I want to be clear that I love this game and am not trying to be super negative. I just want to see it do well months and years from now and believe these changes are the first step towards doing that. I have a lot more I could say but this post is already long so I'll leave it at that. If any devs happen to read this and want to hear more in depth explanation or thoughts on solutions to problems with the game, I'm happy to talk more. In the meantime, I'm gonna go back to my endless run and keep trying to get a shiny Rayquaza.

I (21 m) am 7 weeks post breakup and the pain is unbearable right now. I was dumped over text. We’ve been together since right before 11th grade (4.5 years) and she told me she felt compliant to me for 3.5 of them. I was controlling in some ways (so was she) but I also cared for her when nobody else did and We both were long distance for college and that was a strain but we also got so excited to see each other and I thought we had such fun every summer when I’d stay with her.
The day of the start of the breakup was Easter. Two weeks before she had seemed distant but played it off as that she was stressed about school. That was the first time I’d ever questioned anything. Our goodbye was still drawn out with lots of hugs and a long goodbye. Felt nothing abnormal as I drove back. We talked normal on Easter about our plans for her spending a week in TN (fam moved there) and what we’d do in Maine. That night she sends me an insta video and I realize I’m out of the picture and lost it. That turns into her admitting later after I gave it time to cool off she doesn’t have feelings, but then said we’d call tomorrow. We never did
Next day she slowly starts removing everything and when she finally texts it’s just quick “I don’t want a relationship anymore” and I spiraled after this.
3.5 weeks later after that I finally got her to talk (over text again) and we had what I thought was a productive conversation about what happened. We agreed to talk again in two weeks and added each other back on insta. We talked ab a lot of stuff but a big thing was her not feeling comfortable with my family. And I said it was a bit harsh to use that as an excuse but unfortunately, I agreed my family while loving to her and me was a bit much. Led me to want to stay at my college in NC for a whole month in June because I resented everyone and everything for making me the way I am. I’m also autistic so my brain is stuck on this life I thought I was gonna have with her.
Ofc I text after two weeks and she says she never wants to speak to me again. And at first I went off for good and was okay. I went on a solo trip, I finally had another pics with friends to post there, and I even was happy to go home. I mailed the stuff back she didn’t want too and that felt so relieving. But idk what happened but this past week has destroyed me for no reason. I feel dead. I can’t get out of bed, I have no joy in anything, and the last couple days, I’ve started looking ups ways to end it all. I’ve realized that the pain I have is much worse than the pain of those who’d miss me. I’ve rlly started to actually consider how I would do it.
I’ve been depressed my whole life, but this is something I’ve never gone deep into. I was happy a week ago after she shut me down. I was happy the two weeks in between our texts when I finally found reason to work on myself. I was actually somewhat content with just being friends for that time I was praying for that bc I just needed good friends. And I have some of them, but everyone is so sick of hearing about her. I have nobody to talk to. And my parents got pissed when I mentioned how I felt earlier on bc my uncle took his life. But I can’t do this. My autism caused me so much social pain growing up. That girl was my escape from it all for YEARS and now it’s gone. And I don’t feel the same around my family anymore. The only thing I can do is cry and long for her back.
She would always say she loved me more all of these years and stuck by me through it all. But she made a friend in December and when I visited her they texted like crazy. And now she is visiting this female friend in June a 4.5 hour drive and she despises driving. I literally got replaced by a friend. She struggled socially like me but the second she met anyone to take the pain away, she leaves me and now is so happy because I was the one holding her back in life. It’s such delusion. When we briefly texted she said she cried bc she felt bad but who knows.
She has always had trouble facing things and speaking up, so this could be her way of not wanting to know my pain or get feelings for me again. I don’t even think she’s the one who texted the break up.
So I’m done. I hate my future. I hate my major. And I don’t enjoy my life anymore. Doing the things I love brings me pain. Is rehab an option idek what there is for that but I’m done. I could keep texting her but 50/50 chance that just goes to hell. I loved her like crazy and while she was suffering too, her escape was dumping me when I was the one who loved her the most and more than my family the past couple years. I can’t do this. Help.

TL;DR. I bought an Owala Bottle for $35 last fall, took a small drop out of an open car door, tiny ding, stopped insulating, reached out to Owala, got nothing but a run around by every level of their customer service. Out $35 and a functioning product.
I purchased my 32oz Owala Free Sip in September of 2023 at a local Walmart. I have long preferred to drink water cold so I have owned a wide variety of bottles and tumblers over the years from many manufacturers. I bought the Owala knowing nothing about the product or their "color drop" marketing strategy. I found the lid system to be interesting and innovative, and the product appeared to be well made. So I picked one up, and was quite satisfied by its overall performance.
Fast forward to April 2024, I am putting some things back into my (non-lifted) F150 pickup after an outing, including my Owala bottle. I placed it on the bench seat while I put a few things down in the bed. I walk back to the cab, my son gets in the back seat and knocks if off the bench seat, rolls onto and across the carpeted floor, out the door and onto the parking lot surface. I pick it up and there's a small ding and some very minor scratches to the paint. I don't think anything of it the minor damage to it, the ice I had added over 24 hrs prior had long since melted.
I get home a few hours later, and put some ice and water in the bottle. After about 15-20 minutes the exterior of the bottle starts to sweat like an ordinary, uninsulated glass. Probably an hour or so later, most of the ice I had put inside had already melted. Usually I could get at least a good 12-14 hours before ice would completely melt away if I repeatedly filled the bottle during the day. If I put some ice and water and just left it it wasn't uncommon for it to keep the liquid cold for 20-24 hrs.
I fill out the warranty form on Owala's site, expecting a company advertising a lifetime warranty and selling what appears to be a well made, quality product, having no qualms over replacing a bottle that isn't doing what it is supposed to over such a minor mishap. I, and any other reasonable individual understands that sometimes a company's product doesn't perform quite the way that it should.
But, I guess I was expecting too much from Owala. Within a couple of days, I received a boilerplate "we are sorry, but our warranty does not apply to products that have suffered accidental damage"
OK. If I had driven off with the bottle on the roof of the car, it fell off, got hit by another car, or thrown off a cliff, I'd see their point. They aren't running a charity. But a small drop from less than table height?
I call Trove Brands, Owala's parent company, hoping to get some resolution there. They look up my warranty ticket, and automatically give me the same "Sorry, but..." response. I ask to speak to a manager, and none is available. I ask to have my call returned when one is...and as you can see where this is headed, I never get a call back. I try again the next day, this time I am at least permitted to leave a voice mail for the "manager". Again, call not returned.
Fast forward a couple of weeks (I'm not going to waste my time on vacation trying to deal with a non-responsive company) and I try again. This time, I finally get a manager on the phone. I spell out what happened.
"I'm sorry, but accidental damage is not covered...." Oh boy, here we go again.
(Following is paraphrased, of course)
I ask the manager "does Owala test their products for expected mishaps?"
"Yes we do."
"I am correct in reading that Owala warranties their products for manufacturing defects? Is it possible that the issue I experienced is due to a defect in the product that resulted in a failure of the product where it should not have failed"
"Yes, we warrant against defects, but we cannot foresee every possible situation, and unfortunately in this case cannot warranty your product"
"So basically, what I am being told, is that Owala doesn't stand behind their products. That a minor ding, less than 1/8" in diameter, from a fall less than the height of a normal table, is enough to render it unfit for the purpose it is sold for?"
*Crickets for about 30 seconds* Then the "manager" goes into regurgitating the warranty policy again. I stop him mid sentence.
"So you are marketing your product as a premium product, and are charging a premium price for it, but it can't stand up to what should be a foreseeable mishap by your product engineers?"
"We cannot foresee every event, and cannot warranty against accidental damage"
Same basic exchanges go on for another 5 minutes or so, I ask to speak to his boss, who of course, is not available. I offer to wait, and get the explanation that "he's training new employees and will not be available today". Exasperated (and that's being kind) at this point, I just hang up.
Take this as a warning to not buy an Owala unless you have $30-40 to burn should you do anything to the bottle that happens in everyday life. You WILL NOT get any resolution from their customer service, just endless run arounds and a lighter wallet. Buy from a company that doesn't try to hide behind legalese when someone has a problem with their product.