Free From My Student Loans!

A little while ago, I tweeted that I paid off my student loans. I don’t know if this post will be useful to anyone, but here’s how I did it.

I just paid off all of my student loans. I AM FREEEE OMG pic.twitter.com/OgMcPe054Q

— rose🌹 (@melo__nsoda) February 15, 2022

I have two university degrees (one was 4 years and the second was 2 years) and graduated with a debt of $31,827.00. My parents contributed a portion of it through RESP (Registered Education Savings Plan). Otherwise, my debt probably would have been around 50k.

Another thing worth mentioning is that I commuted four hours each school day (2 hours each way) because I live far from the university. I chose not to live on campus because I didn’t want to increase my debt.

I paid off almost 32k in 15 months.

Right before I entered the repayment period, I paid off $10,000 from my savings. I’ve worked part-time jobs since graduating grade 12. In my final year of university, I had three part-time jobs so I had saved up some money. I paid off 10k right off the bat because it would make interest payments a lot easier.

However, I wish that I had started to pay off my student loans when I was still a student. If I had started budgeting really early on, I probably have would have paid off a significant portion of my loans before my graduation date.

I graduated in 2020, back when COVID was still relatively new. After five months of making repayments, the Government of Canada canceled interest payments because of COVID. However, this is temporary so my goal was to finish paying my loans before interest payments returned. Instead of making the minimum payment of $250-350, I made bigger payments like $1000, 2000, or 3000 a month whenever I could.

The biggest thing that helped with repaying my loan was living with my parents. I still live with them. Rent is really expensive in Vancouver, and I have a good relationship with my family so there was just no big reason to move out.

Another thing that helped was that I was super, super serious about paying my student loan debt as soon as I could. It was probably my main focus and goal at the time. That being said, I made sure not to splurge. Well, it’s not in my personality to spend a lot of money in the first place. That’s just not who I am. However, knowing that I had debt made me feel even more so because I felt really poor. “The money in my bank account does not belong is me” is how I felt the entire time. I think that this attitude helped a lot.

My debt wasn’t too large, though I think the average student loan debt for a Bachelor’s degree is 30k. It was manageable, and I feel lucky that I can live with my family. Although living in a pandemic sucks, I didn’t have to pay interest for almost a year which was really beneficial to me.

Present day

Now that I am debt-free, I am planning to open a TFSA but that’s another story (Probably should have done this earlier, to be honest). What I want to say is that my spending habits haven’t changed at all. I record everything I spend in a notebook and calculate how much I spend every week and month. I prefer writing it out but Excel spreadsheets are probably more efficient, haha.

I don’t have a budget, and I don’t really limit myself from spending. I will buy a bubble tea if I want it. However, I just don’t spend that much money so I don’t really see a need to budget right now. If my spending over a certain period was higher than an amount I’m comfortable with, then yes I would absolutely budget. Keeping track of my spending is more about knowing how much I’m spending and where that money is going.

This was kind of a personal post but I don’t mind sharing. I think I’m pretty open in general so I hope that at least one person finds this helpful.

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Thanks to my boyfriend for the congratulatory gift.

I’ve been busy

I’m watching seven shows from this season so… the Spring 2019 Anime First Impressions post will be up within the next few days. Sorry for the delay.

I’ve been busy these past few weeks. I’ve been studying for finals and working on final assignments for uni. The thing is, I’ve been working four days a week and went to practicum two days a week. I also interviewed for a research assistant job. It’s kind of tiring to write papers after an eight-hour work day…

The good news? I finished my practicum hours yesterday and I got the job I interviewed for. Now I have two jobs. I still have a final exam and an assignment to finish, but I’m excited for future cosplays and blog posts. I have a list of cosplays and blog posts I want to write.

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Listening to: 毛不易 – 消愁

How I Stay Focused Throughout the School Term

A lot of people seemed to like my Study Tips & Uni Advice post so I decided to blog about school again! I’m currently doing a Social Work degree at UBC, so I’m taking five courses while doing a practicum. I can still blog and watch anime because I usually finish all my assignments early.

1. Use a calendar to record all your due dates and make a to-do list. Check these very regularly! 

I try to minimize my to-do list all the time because I know that it will get longer. If I see that I have a lot of due dates in the next couple of weeks, I start working on my assignments whenever I have free time. Thinking about the future will help you to not procrastinate. I don’t mean, think about your future career because that is a long time. Instead, think about your future weeks and how tired or stressed you might feel if you procrastinate now.

More importantly, I think the key to not procrastinate lies within your habits. Working on assignments early is a simple task for me because it’s so ingrained in my daily routine. It doesn’t take much willpower. It just happens on its own.

2. Self-care is super important. 

Taking care of yourself physically and emotionally is important because if you are sick or feel a lot of stress, it will be harder to focus on school. To a lot of people, self-care is jogging or doing some sort of exercise that makes them feel good. Honestly, exercise just makes me tired and I don’t enjoy it at all. Self-care really differs from person to person. To me, self-care is watching anime and getting a lot of sleep. Watching anime is not a waste of time if it helps you relax or take your mind off of school work. We all know that self-care is important, but also understand that it will look different for every person.

3. Understand what your priorities are. 

I prioritize school, doing a good job at practicum, and this blog. When your priorities are clear, it’s easier to say “no” to procrastination with your inner voice.

4. Live a fulfilled personal life, while maintaining balance with your school life. 

My personal life consists of being a cosplayer and blogger, and eating foods with friends. These are important to me because if my identity was only tied to being a student, that would be a very sad life. Your hobbies, interests and friendships give you more purpose and you’ll have fun outside of school.

It’s dangerous when you focus too much on your outside interests and not enough on school, so always do self-reflection and think about these different roles.

I write myself letters whenever I feel dissatisfied with my life, and I make an action plan on the things I can do to immediately change my current situation. It’s generally pretty effective. Take comfort in knowing that no one will read these letters except for you, so there’s no need to filter your thoughts! Be as vulgar, petty, or shallow as you wish, given that you do some reflection afterwards. 🙂

5. Know your self-worth. 

I feel like I am going off-topic but this is also related at the same time because if you feel good about yourself and view yourself as a person of value and importance, you might not procrastinate as much. I feel that often times, procrastination stems for feelings of insecurity or dissatisfaction with some aspect of life.

Every person is important and every life matters. Your grades are NOT an indicator of your worth as a person. Please don’t let negative thoughts get the better of you. Each day is a new day, full of possibilities.

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Every person is different, so maybe just one thing on this list will help you. Maybe all five are helpful, or maybe none at all. I also procrastinate sometimes. However, when I do, I forgive myself and move on. It rarely happens but I’m only human.

I graduated!

As some of you know, I studied at the University of British Columbia in British Columbia, Canada. I am from BC and I finished my Bachelor’s degree in four years. I majored in Psychology and I will be continuing my studies at UBC because I was accepted into the Social Work program.

I do feel proud of myself because I graduated at the age of 21 by taking a full course load. I started university right after high school and you need a high average to get in. The Social Work program was competitive as well and the interview was three hours! Anyways, that’s enough bragging. I have bragging rights on my own blog, right? Right??

I wore my Kiki’s Delivery Service dress from my cosplay.

I like how the horns come out of the graduation cap. Thanks friends for the anime figures!

Thanks R for the flowers, card and presents! The graduation mug is very practical.

Study Tips & Uni Advice

I’m graduating this month! Sometimes younger readers ask me questions about university so I decided to write a post about study tips. Hopefully this post will help some of you!

1. If you fail an exam, forgive yourself. 

I actually did very poorly on a paper this term (barely passed) because I misunderstood the purpose of the paper. There was the initial shock when I checked my grade, but within ten minutes I was back to normal. I’m not going to let a bad mark define who I am as a person. I know my own worth. This is something I love about myself because I am able to forgive myself immediately. I am not working against myself, but with myself.

For my next paper, I got an A. Before I wrote it, I emailed the Teaching Assistant a lot of questions. I knew that I wasn’t dumb – I just didn’t understand the purpose of the first paper. For my final exam, I got an A and my final grade was an A-.

2. When choosing electives, pick courses you are interested in.

I’ve taken German cinema and Japanese cinema as two of my electives. No surprise, but I got a higher grade in Japanese cinema. The class average for Japanese cinema was lower than German, but I still did better. My final grade was 12% higher than the class average. I firmly believe it’s because I am more interested in Japanese culture and cinema. I know almost nothing about Germany!

3. Do not enrol in a class just because your friends are in it. 

This is something a few of my friends can agree with. Make sure you’re interested in the course too! I didn’t take a Psychology course because a couple of my closest friends were taking a different class. To this day, I still don’t think I learned anything in that class. I wasn’t interested in it at all and similar to #2, your interest in the course will probably affect your final grade.

4. Make flashcards. 

I did better on exams when I used flashcards. I use Quizlet.com because 1) it’s better to use less paper for the sake of the planet, 2) it’s more convenient because you don’t have to carry a stack of cards, 3) it’s easier in the long-term because if the final exam is cumulative, the flashcards are in one convenient location. You don’t have to worry about misplacing them.

5. It’s okay to say “no” to a social event because you have to study. 

In my second year of university, I went to a birthday party during the weekend and my exam was on the Monday. I did horribly… In my third year of university, I didn’t go to the birthday party and I got something like a 97% on the exam. When I told my friend, she was happy for me. I know that birthday parties are important, especially if the other person is a close friend, but sometimes you have to put your grades first. Make sure you actually study during that time!

6. You can still do your hobbies.

I only recently started to watch anime again during the school term. Prior to this year, I used to go cold turkey on my hobbies like watching anime. I do not recommend doing this because I felt miserable, like I was missing a crucial part of my life. Anime makes up part of my identity. Of course, you still have to study. This is not an excuse to not study or not do your assignments. Hobbies are healthy to do, but you still have to do work. My grades improved after I watched some anime. It’s not the sole cause, but it probably contributed to my wellbeing and overall happiness.

7. Treat yourself. 

If you feel proud about an academic or non-academic accomplishment, treat yourself! Buy yourself that ice cream cone or thing you really want. You deserve it! You worked so hard and it’s time to thank yourself because you are important and you matter.

8. Try taking power naps. 

I like to take 10-15 minute naps when I have to study for long periods of time. I don’t know about you, but I can fall asleep very quickly so I always feel refreshed after I wake up from a nap. I use an alarm on my phone.

Another Update

I borrowed a few DS games from a friend. I played the first Ace Attorney game and finished the first case in 5-10 minutes! I’m not sure if it was just super easy or if I am just good. It’s probably just easy.

I am proud of myself. I took a full course load (five courses) and on top of that, did lab work as a Psych research assistant, held the title of Vice President Internal of an international psychology honours society, and mentored a child on a weekly basis. I woke up at 6 AM every Monday to Friday and one of my classes ended at 8 PM. That’s not what I’m really proud of, though. Lol. I have my final grades for all my courses this term and I didn’t get anything lower than an A-. I’m proud that I did well on top of all of those extracurricular activities. Some days I got four hours of sleep because I had to study. u_u

Remember my Bubble Tea review post? I would like to make a couple of changes! Firstly, Little Tea House in Metrotown – I did give it a poor review and I don’t regret it. I never sugar coat my reviews. HOWEVER — one of my close friends went there recently and said that the bubble tea taste improved a lot. They renovated the place and I think it’s worth giving a second chance! I know I’ll be going there again to see for myself.

Secondly… Big Orange in Metrotown – I didn’t talk about this bubble tea place much in that blog post so I’ll talk about it here. It used to be my favourite bubble tea place in Metrotown. Unfortunately, I had a poor experience there. The manager was highly unprofessional and I don’t see myself going there in the near future. Of course, this is only specific to the Metrotown location so I’ll still be going to their other franchise locations. You know me guys… I am generally pretty nice but I will say something if I feel like it. I do what I want on my blog!

Listening to: Abnormalize – Ling Tosite Sigure

Last day of classes

I bought these games yesterday. I hope I like them.

I treated myself to a matcha ice cream cone. It’s the last day of class for my Bachelor’s degree (Arts) in Psychology at University of British Columbia. After finals, I’m graduating! 🎓 If you look at my Archives, I post the most when I have a break from school. I woke up at 6 AM every Monday to Friday this term. I have a full course load as well, which is why I am graduating after four years of doing my undergrad at the age of 21 (I went to university right after I completed high school).

Readers of my blog (mainly girls in high school) sometimes email me or message me about university inquiries. That’s why I feel compelled to write about my experience, especially since I don’t show the student side of me that much on my blog.

I enjoyed university a lot more than high school and elementary school. I didn’t have great experiences in my high school and elementary schools though… I made great friends and I feel comfortable being myself around them. They are supportive of my anime and cosplaying hobbies and they are very nice to me. As a young adult, I have a lot of freedom and therefore I am able to engage in my hobbies. This blog is a space where I basically show a glimpse of my personal life in terms of anime fandom and other hobbies. Hobbies are very important to me because they allow me to take a break from school and other commitments and responsibilities. Anime and my other interests make up part of my identity.

I was accepted into a UBC program so I’m continuing school in the Fall. ^_^

Life Update

I’m in a couple more polaroid photos but I don’t have good photos of them.

For my electives this term I’m taking Comics and Anime. I’m excited for Comics because I will have a chance to improve my sketching and have it actually count as homework. Anime class is good too because reading manga (ex. Ouran High School Host Club) is my homework! Plus, we will watch some anime films during class time like Kimi no Na Wa.

I also got the Kiki’s Delivery Service cosplay from my Secret Santa. ^^ I don’t have the Kimi no Na Wa bracelet/hair tie but I will still cosplay as Mitsuha one day. I’m still waiting for my eyeshadow to arrive so makeup for cosplays will have to wait.

Thanks to everyone who wished me luck on my search for strawberry water. I found it again, and bought 12 bottles, lol.

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Listening to: BiSH – GiANT KiLLERS. My favourite girls idol group is BiSH (Brand-new idol SHiT).

Fall

Fall is pretty cool because of 1) my birthday, 2) Mid-Autumn Festival and of course, 3) Halloween!

I got some cool stationary on my birthday. I love it because I am a very practical person. I want to be able to use all my gifts. I got other gifts, but they aren’t shown here.

Happy belated Mid-Autumn Festival! The moon was so big and bright yesterday. A friend gave me this mung bean snow skin mooncake.

My Week in Pictures

More like two weeks. I have lots more photos but I’m just going to post these ones.

January 11

I watched One Piece Film: Gold. It was awesome! It was really funny and Robin made hand puns. Brook made alive jokes again and Zoro was as strong as ever! Also Lucci and Spandam made their appearance which made me so happy. The message of the film (from my interpretation) is that gold/money can’t buy you everything. Friendship is more important!

January 14

Excited to eat ramen!

Time for bingsu!!!

January 17

California roll and miso soup. Yay

January 19

Bubble tea after class! I got roasted milk tea