How to Write a Killer 5-Paragraph Essay

While I do have plenty of things to work on as a student, and of course I can always improve, I do consider myself to be quite a good essay writer–all my teachers have tended to give me quite good marks on them. So I thought that I might share some tips and techniques with you all! Under the cut you will find my method for writing essays, as well as some tricks I use to get better grades on them. :P This format works especially well for persuasive essays, literary analysis, and generally any essay you would write 5-paragraph form, though of course you can adjust my setup in a way that works for you. Hope this is helpful!

Step One: Outlining

Before writing any essay, I write a highly detailed outline. This outline might as well be the actual essay–this means that writing my essay will be incredibly easy once it comes to that. I start out with this skeleton:

1. Introduction
1. Thesis:
2. Paragraph 1: [Topic/Content]
3. Paragraph 2: [Topic/Content]
4. Paragraph 3: [Topic/Content]
5. Conclusion
1. Thesis:

I find it helpful to be able to see a complete outline of how my essay will look, like this, before I begin. Next, I fill out topics and thesis. In general, it’s not a great idea to decide a thesis until you’ve accumulated enough data/information/textual evidence, but sometimes I like to have a preliminary thesis that I can revise later.

1. Introduction
1. Thesis: Buffy the Vampire Slayer is an incredible show because of its realistic characters, suspenseful writing, and use of the supernatural to represent and resolve real-life problems.
2. Paragraph 1: Realistic Characters
3. Paragraph 2: Suspenseful Writing
4. Paragraph 3: Use of the Supernatural
5. Conclusion
1. Thesis: Buffy the Vampire Slayer is an incredible show because of its realistic characters, suspenseful writing, and use of the supernatural to represent and resolve real-life problems.

From here, I begin to write any relevant information on all three of my main topics under paragraphs one, two, and three. Your informational bullets can be full sentences or just phrases and words that will jog your memory as you’re writing your essay–whatever works for you! You can also fill your conclusion and introduction sections with things like your introductory and concluding transitions and sentences.

Part Two: First Draft

I don’t have much to say on this topic other than use your outline! It’s okay to revise and cut things from your outline now and then to see if it makes it more readable. Don’t stress about how long or short your first draft is, since it’s a first draft. Just write!

Part Three: Second/Third/Fourth Draft

After you have a rough draft to work with, you can revise your essay to your liking. Here are some quick tips on how to revise–they’re tried and true!

1. Read your essay paragraph by paragraph from the end to the beginning–you’re more likely to catch mistakes.
2. Print out your essay and read it. Use a red pen!
3. Have someone else read your essay.
4. Read your essay out loud.
5. Put your essay through Hemingyway App, an app that picks up long or confusing sentences and helps you fix them!
6. Use PaperRater’s free paper grader.

Be sure to look over your work at least ONCE before turning it into your teacher or prof. However, also be sure not to over-analyze or over-edit! 

Welp, that’s all I have to say for now! If you have any questions, or if this helped you at all, feel free to comment below. Good luck!

How to Survive School Emotionally

Hey everyone! Hope summer has been good to all of you. Some of you may already be in school, and some of you, like me, may only be going back now. School can often be a huge stress--I know that it is for me. With both anxiety and depression, I have had to learn how to survive what can often be a grueling and tiresome process. For my benefit as well as yours, I have decided to make a post on some tips on how to survive school emotionally--some of these are academic, and some of them are not. No matter what, I hope they help!
Let me know in the comments if you have any tips!

1. Keep a calendar.

This can be on your phone, or in a planner. As someone who gets very anxious scheduling my time, I have a couple different calendars--I use google calendars to share my events with others, and a planner to schedule my schoolwork. Your planner can be anywhere from neat and color-coded, to so messy only you can understand it. As long as it keeps you organized, you'll feel a lot of stress taken off your shoulders.

2. Set aside alone time.

This is one of the hardest for me. Between school, extracurriculars, and wanting to hang out with friends, it can often be difficult to find time for yourself. Nonetheless, it doesn't have to be much. Make a list of relaxing things you enjoy, and do one of those a day. You can draw, write in your journal, take a bath, listen to music, and so much more! It can be as much as an hour or as little as ten minutes. I find this time is often best placed right when I get home.
3. Make an emergency list of things you can do at school to feel better.

I have one of these in the notes on my phone. Sometimes, anxiety or depression hits at the most inconvenient times, and with no game plan, it can be even more overwhelming than it already is. My list includes things like, "wash hands with cold water", "leave the room", "get a hug", and "doodle in notebook". Whatever you can do, no matter how little, can really help you release that negative energy.

4. Keep snacks in your locker/backpack.

This goes along with number three! Things sometimes suck. Those things will suck even more if you're hungry, and many of us can agree that school lunches aren't great. Packing a bunch of granola bars, and maybe some applesauce or fruit, can be a lifesaver on those days when you're close to meltdown. Along with this, I often keep a survival kit in my locker, with deodorant, tampons and pads, ibuprofen, and extras of my medication. Maybe even an umbrella or a change of clothes!

5. Stay on top of your work.

Ah, the dreaded one...don't procrastinate! This is an ongoing struggle for me in all pursuits, but if you can get your work done by when you're supposed to, DO IT. Having late work is NOT fun, and often makes you more stressed than you would have been doing it when it was due. Not only this, but if you have a mentally difficult day and you can't finish your work, your teacher will be more lenient if you have a good track record of doing good work on time.

6. Find study buddies or tutors.

These don't have to be people you pay. If you struggle in a subject, find a friend whose good at it, and stay after school or FaceTime. Don't let your work get the the best of you! Things will be easier later on if you understand. You can even make it fun--do it with people you like!

7. Get good sleep. 

This one is always difficult. Don't stay up until 3am playing Legend of Zelda, even though it makes you feel good! Pick a reasonable time (even midnight!) to go to bed, and try your best to stick you it. Create a sleep routine you can stick to, like drinking tea and reading your favorite book. If you have trouble sleeping, talk to your doctor--they can prescribe medication. When I struggled with insomnia, I ended up taking melatonin, a natural medication that really made a difference.

8. Make a School-Fighting Superteam!

What's going to work? TEAAAM WORK! Chances are, your friends are stressed about school as well. Make study groups! Hold each other to your deadlines! Encourage each other to sleep well and practice self-love! Recently, me and my friend were frustrated with college application essays, so we made a google document called "Essay Editing Squad" and looked over each other's essays, giving encouragement and constructive criticism. Having people you can vent to and get help from can be a lifesaver when you feel down or overwhelmed.

9. Stock up on hot chocolate, tea, or beverage of choice.

I don't know what it is, but drinking something while working always makes me feel like an aesthetically-lovely, productive studyblr blogger. And in turn, this helps me get my work done! On top of that, many teas are made to help calm you down. You can even bring a drink to school if it helps relax you!

10. Bring headphones.

Sometimes, the hustle and bustle of the school hallways can be too much. Don't plug into headphones in class, but once you reach the hallway, music is fair game. Listen to your favorite pump-up tracks if you need a pick-me-up, or calming things if you're feeling stressed. Music can be so helpful!

3 Easy, Comfy Winter Writing Looks

Hey everyone! If you know me in real life, you know that not only do I love writing, but I also love fashion. I tend to take pride in my skills, And as a writer who loves fashion, I know the importance of wearing something chic but comfortable when you're writing. Here are three looks that I wear on a regular basis!

For Days When You Have to Go Out: Dress + Earrings + Leggings + Bun

I love wearing dresses because they're (mostly) comfortable and take little effort to put on, but instantly make you look like you put a huge amount of effort into your look! The bun means your 2nd-day hair won't be as noticeable, and a scarf pulls the whole look together.

For Days When You're Writing In: Sweatshirt + Jeans + High Ponytail

I was very lucky to find a picture on Brandy Melville that perfectly encompassed the look I'm going for here! Effortless and comfy, the high ponytail makes this whole outfit look more put together than it actually is. The sweatshirt can be found here.

For Days When You're Doing a Bit of Both: T-Shirt + Leather Jacket + Skinny Jeans + Braid

Ah, the power of the leather jacket. It can manage to make even the most basic outfit look presentable! The addition of the braid also makes it look like you tried. This outfit will surely help you give a chic and effortless vibe, and transitions well from a casual day to a more dressy evening (when you let your hair down and add some makeup)!The t-shirt can be found here. The jacket can be found here. It seems the skinny jeans aren't available anymore, but they were from Closet Candy!

I hope you enjoyed these--honestly, these are my go-to outfit combinations! Please tweet me @m_kekai if you try one of these, or comment and tell me which is your favorite!

Comfy writing,
Kekai

Welcome to Hell: School and Stress

Hey everyone! I'm here writing to you all today sitting at home--on a Tuesday? (Ended up finishing and posting this on a Sunday. Woe is me!) Why? Well, I'm taking what I like to call a mental health day, something that I think should be quite a bit more socially accepted than it is now. I figured that I'd talk a bit about something that is very important to me and a lot of my friends: school, and the stress, anxiety, and pitfalls that come with it.

I'm a high school junior, which means they're hammering us hard with things about college, SAT, and our futures on the whole. However, the stress didn't start this year: it's been a constant since sixth grade, when homework started getting more and more intense. It's only gotten worse since then, and I finally started going to a counselor last year when I stopped being able to sleep because of prolonged anxiety attacks.

One of my best friends described it well to me last year. She said it's like we're running a race, and we're all running and running and can't stop, but some us just can't keep going and fall over from exhaustion, and the rest of us that are still running are seeing them fall and wish we could too, but we have to aim for the finish line. Another friend said it was like running a race as well, except that there were tall brick walls on either side of you, and the finish line kept getting further and further away. The same friend also described it like trying to catch a bunch of balloons as they float upwards, and only being able to catch a couple. What I'm trying to say here is that all kids are experiencing this stress, and most kids know that it's not healthy.

Here's what I think is the root of the issue: we live in a world that is highly competitive. Everyone wants to win. Everyone wants to get a good job, have a happy home life, and get into a good college. However, instead of pushing us to do our best in a healthy way, the American school system uses scare tactics to make us feel like if we don't give our absolute all, we're going to fail miserably. I've been watching PowerPoints and presentations on how to decide what I want to do for the rest of my life since middle school! I've been thinking about college since then too. I just think it's crazy that we're asking the same kids who have to get permission to go to the bathroom to make the weighty decision of what they want to spend the rest of their lives doing!

I digress. I'm getting a little ranty here, so I think I'll separate the rest of my conversation into a couple different sections. Hopefully you all will find it a little less cumbersome to read!

1. Homework and Grade Stress

I would generally consider myself to be about an A student, save the stray B that gets thrown in for a particularly tough class. I'm not going to lie, I'm a smart kid. However, grades still stress me out a ton. Schools have started to make us think that an 'A' is really what everyone should be getting, a 'B' is only okay, and a 'C' or below is as good as saying you're a failure. I think this is really dumb, because (at least in the American school system), an A is a 100-90%, a B is an 89-80%, and a C is a 79-70%! That means you're getting about 3/4ths of the content, which is a HUGE accomplishment. However, when I look at my grades, if I get anything lower than a B, I stress about getting my grade back up to an A or B, and if someone gets even a percentage point higher or lower than me, I feel worse or better, respectively. School administrators also seem to push this idea that you need a 4.0 to get into college, which is highly stressful, because most people don't have a 4.0! If we focused a lot more on improvement and actually learning things, rather than fact memorization and a grading scale, I feel like kids would actually be doing a lot better in school.

2. College/Future Stress

As aforementioned, I've been taking career quizzes through my school since 7th grade. I've always known that I want to be an author, but many kids have no idea what they want to do, or are down to a couple options and trying to decide between stability and passion. Junior year especially, all teachers can seem to talk about is college. I've had teachers say that my career goals should match my financial goals, otherwise I need to re-evaluate whether I want to do that career. I've had teachers say that if I don't get good grades, I won't get into a good college, and I won't have a job that I want. I think that it's just silly that they're asking us to decide what we want to do for the REST OF OUR LIFE over the course of a few years--a few years where our wants and needs are changing drastically and constantly!

I used to be so incredibly sure that I could make it as a writer. I used to think 'yeah, it's hard, but I'll work hard and get published in no time'. Now, because of all the talk of the crazy costs of college and the need for financial stability, I worry that I'm never going to be able to make it. I'm trying to come up with something consistent that I can fall back on, in case I'm not published before I graduate college. I'm afraid that I'm going to have to give up my dream in order to support myself, like so many others have had to.

3. Extracurricular Stress

Not only does school expect me to get perfect grades, but it also expects me to spend time doing things like sports or music outside of school. I'm sure you've heard people say that it takes more than grades to get into college--you need to show that you're well-rounded by participating in at least one (or, even better/worse, multiple) extracurriculars! If you don't, colleges won't even look at you!
I'm 100% for kids exploring their passions outside of academia. However, the issue occurs when school is already piling on so much homework that your extracurriculars become a burden and stressful.

Take me for example: my current extracurriculars are violin and yoga. I go to a two-hour orchestra rehearsal on Monday nights, the night I get most homework. I also have a private lesson for 45 minutes once a week. Not to mention the time I have to put in for practicing and concerts! Yoga is once a week, but honestly I should be working out more. I also love writing, but between everything else, it's difficult to make time. In the spring, I participate in Speech & Debate, which often takes up at least two Saturdays a month, a practice a week, and outside practicing. I would like to get tutored in my math and science, cook more, and write, draw, or just relax. But I have to prioritize.

I love all these things, but every time I have to go and do them it feels like a burden--I have so little time, that I wish that I could just stay home and relax. But I feel like I have to do everything, otherwise I won't amount to anything. I have to be a jack of all trades, or I'm worthless.

So What Do You Do?

I'm still trying to figure out how to handle the anxiety that school gives me, so I'm not sure I'm qualified to give very much advice. Here are a few things that I can think of:

• Get a counselor--I know it's one more thing, but I meet with my counselor once every two weeks, and it's so helpful to have an unbiased professional listening to me. She helps me come up with reasonable solutions to all my problems. It can take a little time to find a counselor that works, but I got lucky and found her on my first try though my doctor's office.
• Come up with coping mechanisms--I have a list in my bullet journal of things to do when I get anxious or stressed and need time to calm down. It's also good to make time where you're alone to just relax and do something fun and creative.
• Follow your heart--spend time reflecting on what you feel like you want out of life. You don't have to decide right now, and they can be as specific or general as you want. Writing in a journal can be really effective for this.

So, that's all I've got for you today. I hope school isn't as stressful for you as it is for me, and I hope that we can help our school systems become a less stressful place for everyone. How do you cope with stress and anxiety related to school? How have you experienced it? Let me know in the comments.

Thank you,
Kekai