How I write papers

March 31, 2015March 31, 2015 karenalin6Leave a comment

Everyone has a different approach to writing, and I would like to share my own process for writing papers, articles, blog posts, and essays. Whether you have or haven’t already perfected a system for approaching papers, this post merely provides my personal perspective. Here’s how to write papers, bunny style:

Disclaimer: This method only works if you have ample time to edit your paper. If you’re taking an essay exam, throw this method out the window and draft an outline before writing anything.

How I became an “outgoing introvert”

March 24, 2015March 24, 2015 karenalin6Leave a comment

P1050639 — “Introverting-” a great picture I found in Budapest.

For years, I exhibited all the signs of a textbook introvert. I refused to approach authority figures on my own or answer the phone at home when it rudely interrupted my thoughts. I brought books to parties and dinners, even when my mother pointed out that I was being antisocial. She felt sorry for me whenever I trailed behind other people or kept to myself in the corner of a crowded room. Not only was I introverted, but I was also painfully shy.

I’ve read more articles than I can count that nobly attempt to dispel myths that introverts are “shy,” “don’t like to talk,” or “always want to be alone.” Many more articles attempt to guide the poor misunderstood introvert through a society that favors extraversion. Among the general population, introversion is often associated with crippling shyness, lack of social skills, and solitude. The introvert is the proverbial turtle, ready to retreat into his shell without a moment’s notice. Thus, many teachers make the special effort to pull introverted students “out of their shells.” Amusing animal metaphors aside, people often forget that each individual is a human being with a wide spectrum of personality traits, skills, and dispositions, as well as a capacity for change beyond his identification of “extravert” or “introvert.”

新年快樂, 羊年行大運! Happy Chinese New Year (of the Sheep)

February 19, 2015February 26, 2015 karenalin6Leave a comment

每一年, 快到新年的時候, 我會開始緊張. 雖然在中文學校學了好多關於新年的成語, 到了新年的時候我一定會忘得一乾二淨. 我和弟弟收到紅包的時候也只記得 “新年快樂,” “恭喜發財,” 和 “紅包拿來” 這幾句. 好丟臉喔. 我們到底是不是台灣人呢?

Chinese New Year makes me nervous as it approaches each year. Though I learned many New Year related idioms and sayings in Chinese School, I seem to have forgotten them all. When my brother and I receive our red envelopes, all we can remember is “Happy New Year,” “Gung hay fat choy,” or “Hand over the red envelope.” How embarrassing. Can we even call ourselves Taiwanese?

Why my blog posts are so infrequent

February 17, 2015February 17, 2015 karenalin6Leave a comment

desert — Infrequent and rare, like this piece of vegetation.

When I started this blog, I set a goal to post at least twice a week, on Sundays and Thursdays. That didn’t happen, so my goal became to post once every two weeks. Now I post twice a month.

So what happened?

Only one week after starting the blog, I realized just how unrealistic it was for me to publish twice a week. I would love to say that I was merely drowning in schoolwork and other duties. The truth is, I spent my free time getting addicted to new phone games or re-watching all nine seasons of How I Met Your Mother. Instead of writing, I immersed myself in other people’s worlds because I needed a break from my own.

I have long since accepted that as much as I love writing, I will still hate thinking about it. Sure, I enjoy it when the words start to fall in place, and I enter a magical flow where I’m inspired by everything I write and can’t stop typing out sentence after sentence. But pulling up the WordPress site on my computer? Tapping the WordPress icon on my phone? That’s usually another chore for tomorrow.

Why this second semester junior still loves back to school week

January 26, 2015January 26, 2015 karenalin6Leave a comment

I love the first few days of a semester, when there are no expectations for me. I just walk into a classroom with the anticipation of seeing a familiar face in the back of the classroom, or noticing someone I’d want to meet.

I love looking over the syllabus for each class and marking all the dates of midterms and deadlines in the blank pages of my planner. During the first week, my panic levels are at a minimum. I can worry later about that one day when four assignments are due at the same time. Much later.

I love having the time after school to stroll down Telegraph Ave and buy old, used books for my classes just to spite the outrageous textbook prices at the Cal Student Store. Then I scroll through the DeCal website and show up to every random class that I find interesting. Exploration is my favorite pastime.

This semester, Spring 2015, is different from the rest. For the first time, I’m taking one of the technical courses that gives Berkeley a reputation for being a difficult, competitive school. I’m one of 1,000+ students currently enrolled in CS61A, the “introductory” computer science course that challenges even experienced programmers.

What my wall calendar means to me

January 5, 2015September 4, 2016 karenalin61 Comment

Without getting too personal, I’m going to admit that 2014 was an important year for me. I experienced a growth spurt in every way except physically. And it seemed not too long ago when I was scouring the malls to find the perfect 2014 calendar to decorate my wall.

My annual wall calendar shopping ritual can sometimes be annoying for my family. As New Year’s Day approaches, I drag them to every calendar-selling mall or bookstore, picking up twelve-month compilations of puppy or Harry Potter photos before setting them back down on the stands. I show each contender to my family, asking “should I get this one? Or this one?” The process is as delicate as choosing a prom dress.

Why I’m an “expert” on everything

December 18, 2014September 4, 2016 karenalin6Leave a comment

While I was researching some ways to improve my blog content, I found that many experienced bloggers propose “sharing your expertise” as a good way to gain more page views.

I wasn’t quite sure how to follow their advice. With only twenty years under my belt, I’m reluctant to call myself an expert on anything. I thought I knew a lot about music and writing, but UC Berkeley has managed to convince me otherwise. In fact, college has taught me that I know little to nothing about anything.

Fortunately, I still managed to compile this list of my “areas of expertise:”

Why I left the UC Berkeley Symphony Orchestra

November 12, 2014November 27, 2014 karenalin61 Comment

P1050591 — UCBSO Percussion Section on tour in Eastern Europe: Miriam, Alex, Ben, Jihoon, and me.

After I left the UC Berkeley Symphony Orchestra in the fall of 2014, I had to answer the question, “Why did you leave?” many times. The simple answer is that I need time and space away from the orchestra to grow as a person and as a musician. Allow me to elaborate.

As you may know, orchestra percussionists generally spend more time counting rests and waiting for entrances than playing actual music. Despite getting relatively good parts during my time with the UCBSO, I still encountered rehearsals where I sat for two hours and only played eleven notes on the tam-tam before cleaning up and going home. The few times I played in a high school orchestra, people urged me to switch to band because the percussion parts were better. I defended the orchestra back then, pointing out that even if I was sitting around for most of the piece, I got to listen to grand symphonies and the lush sounds of strings.I joined the UC Berkeley Symphony Orchestra my freshman year without a second thought. I had been playing in ensembles for all my life and joining orchestra in college was only the natural choice for me. During my two years with UCBSO, I still enjoyed incredible masterpieces while counting my hundreds of measures of rest. But as one semester stretched into four, each 7:30-10 pm rehearsal that I attended on Tuesday and Thursday nights began to feel longer and longer. I would look down at my watch after what felt like fifteen minutes and discover that only five minutes had passed.

Thoughts on Uncharted, Day 2

November 12, 2014November 12, 2014 karenalin6Leave a comment

Here are my notes for the second day of the Uncharted Festival, Berkeley. For Part 1, click here.

Thoughts on Uncharted Festival, Day 1

October 31, 2014October 31, 2014 karenalin6Leave a comment

One of the main perks of working for the Daily Cal is attending mind-blowing events, such as the ~$300- per- ticket Uncharted Festival of Ideas, for free. A quick description of Uncharted, courtesy of their website:

OCTOBER 24-25 2014: “Uncharted brings you together with some of the world’s great thinkers for two thrilling days of discussion, debate, and workshops designed to engage and inspire. Hosted in downtown Berkeley’s thriving Arts District and highlighted by a hilltop bash in UC’s exclusive University Club, Uncharted promises to be stimulating, surprising, and fun.”

Here were some thoughts I had about the talks I listened to on Friday, Oct 24.

Oops, I'm a rabbit

On being human

Author: karenalin6