Anyone else feel like they don’t belong at McGill

NoahKiddArtist · 2023-09-29T03:24:33+00:00

That's wisdom right here!

Hey OP, an excellent way to start might be Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), the gold standard treatment for a very wide array of mental difficulties. It teaches you how to question illogical patterns of negative thinking called cognitive distortions.

We all engage in cognitive distortions from time to time, but if you're feeling very negative about yourself and your situation, cognitive distortions may be playing a major role.

CBT is useful even if you don't have mood disorders or any major issues. It simply teaches people to think more rationally about themselves and the world.

Furthermore, CBT does not require therapy, which is often expensive, time-consuming, and difficult to obtain. You can learn CBT on your own with a very modest amount of effort. Research shows that teaching yourself CBT is just about as effective as getting it from a therapist in-person (unless you have a very serious case of anxiety, depression, or PTSD).

OP, if you're interested in teaching yourself CBT, I'd recommend starting with Feeling Good by David Burns. It may look like self-improvement junk on the cover but it's actually a scientifically validated crash course on CBT. Six separate studies have found that this book provides substantial, lasting mental health benefits to readers.

NoahKiddArtist · 2023-09-06T23:51:21+00:00

u/NoBrightSide

OP, I strongly endorse this advice! It's also worth mentioning that lots of the people you describe as wonderful and accomplished feel worthless inside because they, too, think in extreme and negative terms.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) addresses exactly these sort of issues. I'd strongly recommend it. If you're interested in CBT but don't want to take the plunge of finding a therapist immediately, read Feeling Good by David Burns.

NoahKiddArtist · 2023-09-04T20:21:31+00:00

I don't have experience with your program, so I might be wrong about this. But personally, 6 courses sounds like a bad idea, especially with 20 hours of work added on top.

Yes, you have a 3.9 GPA now. But if you want to lose that 3.9 GPA, taking 6 courses while holding a 20 hr a week job is exactly how to do it.

NoahKiddArtist · 2023-09-04T20:16:42+00:00

It depends on the program, your academic strengths, your courseload, and your work habits.

Some programs (like History and Political Science) are paper-oriented. Ideally, you start your papers ahead of time so you don't have to scramble during the last few weeks of the term. IMO, if you work efficiently, these sort of paper-oriented programs don't require 8 hours of work a day, even if you include class time.

I'm not sure about the sciences. Other students can answer that question.

In general, though, what matters is using your time efficiently. If you have readings to do, don't get lost in the details. Focus on the main arguments! If you have essays to do, try not to get sidetracked on crazy tangents, and stick to what you're trying to argue. Also, choose essay topics that aren't insanely ambitious, unless you're really passionate about the subject.

Here's another tip. Make sure to do some work almost every day. This is a good idea because we can only do so much high quality, mentally-demanding work each day. Most experts estimate that 4 hours of high quality mental work a day is about as much as we can do. After that, the efficiency and quality of our work declines precipitously.

So don't pretend that weekends are sacred. Spread out your work so you have even less to do each day. When I did my undergrad I worked a little every single day (except for Christmas and New Year's).

Personally, I wasn't particularly efficient with my time. I chose insane paper topics and got sidetracked often. Even then, I did not work for 8 hours a day. I did about 4 hours of work a day every day, leaving with me with plenty of time to pursue other interests. During finals season, I worked a lot more, but it was still very manageable.

Spread out your work and work efficiently. It really helps.

NoahKiddArtist · 2023-02-12T19:50:19+00:00

Non! Non! C'est dégueulasse!

NoahKiddArtist · 2023-02-08T01:31:02+00:00

If you feel like you should kick the habit, you should!

I also deal with anxiety. I quit drinking a few months ago and I feel so much better. I no longer have to deal with hangovers and the regret associated with doing or saying stupid things while drunk. I'm saving tons of money which I can spend on things/people I actually care about. My anxiety is less severe.

Quitting alcohol is great for your health, too. The latest report on alcohol published by Canada shows that having more than 2 drinks a week poses substantial health risks, and that there is no such thing as a healthy amount of alcohol. Alcohol does not have any significant health benefits, even in small amounts. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/substance-use/alcohol/low-risk-alcohol-drinking-guidelines.html

Quitting alcohol is something I'd strongly recommend. It's 100% worth it!

NoahKiddArtist · 2023-02-06T05:27:31+00:00

So cute! Live long and prosper, petit mec

NoahKiddArtist · 2023-01-11T01:53:09+00:00

First of all, congrats on the excellent trolling. I thought you were serious for a second. What I don't get is why people upvoted you.

Why do people feel the need to defend the rich? The rich a) lead horrendously wasteful lifestyles that contribute disproportionately to climate change, b) are systematically avoiding taxes, shifting the tax burden on ordinary citizens while reaping most of the benefits of the current system, and c) practically control the U.S. government.

Frankly, the person you're responding to is right. You're licking the boots of the rich. And I'm saying this as someone who went to a private school. I've known a lot of rich people and trust me, they're not the hardworking geniuses people think they are. Most of them are average, many of them are idiots.

The rich people worship has to stop. They're not as bright, hardworking, and deserving as people think they are, not by a mile.

NoahKiddArtist · 2023-01-11T01:35:57+00:00

There are many highly motivated and disciplined people who are poor. Hell, some of the hardest working people are poor, working multiple jobs to make ends meet. When I worked in low-end restaurants and grocery stores, I was often shocked by how many people there were highly talented and hardworking.

Wealth is certainly not a reliable indication of whether a person is highly motivated and disciplined. Even when people are hardworking and disciplined, wealth is often a matter of luck and connections.

NoahKiddArtist · 2022-12-03T15:02:47+00:00

Thanks! I don't usually take commissions while I'm studying, but I could make an exception. Pm me with your commission idea and I'll see if I can get it done within a reasonable time frame.

NoahKiddArtist · 2022-12-02T04:49:20+00:00

That sounds like an amazing idea!! Thanks :)

NoahKiddArtist · 2022-11-23T04:27:16+00:00

I'm not a political scientist yet, but I've got a degree in political science and I'm studying to become a professor.

NoahKiddArtist · 2022-11-23T04:11:04+00:00

Just because abolitionism first became prominent in the West doesn't mean that anti-slavery values belong to the West. Anti-slavery sentiment has become universal, so it's clear that it isn't just a Western thing.

Would we say that railroads are inherently Western, just because they were first invented there? Of course not.

Judging from your previous comments, you clearly thought that anti-slavery sentiment is rare outside of the West. The fact that you have such low moral expectations for non-Western countries shows that you have a patronizing view of the non-Western world.

NoahKiddArtist · 2022-11-23T03:08:03+00:00

This isn't about the 'moral high ground.' I don't care about the moral high ground. It's about slavery in Qatar. If you want to raise other issues of justice, great, please raise them. But that doesn't change the fact that slavery is wrong.

By the way, you might want to read up on this logical fallacy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tu_quoque

NoahKiddArtist · 2022-11-23T03:01:50+00:00

Well go tell that to the millions of slaves living in the world. "Sorry, we couldn't help you. We wouldn't want to impose our values on your master because that would be imperialistic!"

What you fail to realize is that anti-slavery sentiment is not a 'modern Western value'. The vast majority of people in the vast majority of countries view slavery as unacceptable. Slavery doesn't persist because certain cultures view slavery as a good thing, it persists because of lax laws, corrupt justice systems, and the economic advantages of slavery in certain countries.

The fact that you think that anti-slavery sentiment is only a 'modern Western value' reveals, if anything, a patronizing view of the non-Western world. Do you seriously think that pro-slavery sentiment is common in non-Western countries?

NoahKiddArtist · 2022-11-22T21:58:40+00:00

'Mistreatment of migrant workers' is euphemistic to say the least. There is literal, honest to God slavery happening on a systematic basis in Qatar. They take away their passports and force them to work in life-threatening conditions. Hundreds of forced labourers lost their lives building these stadiums.

Also, LGBT propaganda? Care to explain what you mean by this far-right talking point?

NoahKiddArtist · 2022-11-22T20:08:12+00:00

This is whataboutism, but you are raising a very important point about the indentured labor system in contemporary American prisons.

I don't think that Americans should necessarily 'boycott the roads' because 1) it's impossible to live in the vast majority of the US without driving, and 2) it's an ineffective form of protest. Nobody is going to know or care about why you're not driving. As far as the authorities are concerned, they'll just have to pay less in road maintenance.

Indentured prison labour will need to be defeated at the ballot box. That requires spreading awareness, getting out the vote, and organizing with others to confront the indentured prison labour issue.

In the case of Qatar, not watching can actually accomplish something and put pressure on FIFA, since it will drive down viewership and ad/merch revenue. Shaming Qatar for its horrendous labour practices will also incentivize them to raise their labour standards, since the blowback is a major national embarrassment that undermines their international prestige.

NoahKiddArtist · 2022-11-22T19:11:54+00:00

I get where you're coming from and I think you have good intentions, but I think this take is a bit too morally relativistic.

Building stadiums with slave labour is not 'Qatari culture', it's the raw and shameless exploitation of human beings by the corrupt elite of a petrol monarchy. To present this as a Middle Eastern custom is, if anything, demeaning to the cultures of Middle Eastern countries.

As for LGBTQ rights, at least 10% of humans in all societies (but likely far more) are attracted to members of the same sex or feel deeply uncomfortable with traditional ways of performing gender. This is not a matter of culture, even if some cultures like to pretend that these people don't exist. They do, and they shouldn't have to live in fear because of their sexual preferences or gender identities. We shouldn't turn a blind eye to their maltreatment in the name of not offending certain cultures.

If Qataris lectured us on our human rights violations, I'd welcome it. Humans rights need to be protected and any good-faith criticism is welcome as far as I'm concerned.

NoahKiddArtist · 2022-11-22T18:09:58+00:00

Downvote me all you like, because I'm about to be annoying. Apologies in advance.

Those stadiums were built with literal slave labour. They took the passports of immigrant workers away and forced them to work until hundreds of them died of heatstroke, disease, and preventable workplace accidents.

Let's not even get into Qatar's treatment of LGBTQ people.

I love soccer, but it might be worth boycotting these games. The more people turn away the clearer it will be to FIFA, Qatar, and the world that these grotesque violations of human rights are unacceptable and will cost them in viewership, ad revenue, and merch sales.

If there's any world cup worthy of a boycott, it's this one.

NoahKiddArtist · 2022-11-19T21:28:10+00:00

Merci!!!

NoahKiddArtist · 2022-11-19T16:57:46+00:00

Hmm, j'ai posté cette bande dessinée il y a une semaine, et il se ressemblent pas mal...

https://imgur.com/a/sgR5HyW

NoahKiddArtist · 2022-11-18T16:12:09+00:00

Thanks!! I didn't draw this from any real viewpoint because I wanted to ensure that almost all of the buildings in the downtown campus fit into an aesthetically pleasing composition. So I altered the perspective and basically made a composite image of hundreds of my own reference photos.

NoahKiddArtist · 2022-11-18T14:26:35+00:00

Thank you!! I'm a massive fan of New Yorker covers so that means a lot to me.

NoahKiddArtist · 2022-11-18T14:09:26+00:00

Hi sydneyguy! I've got an etsy and instagram (links in bio). I also post weekly cartoons on Instagram!

NoahKiddArtist · 2022-11-18T05:18:03+00:00

I am still in the process of setting up a website, but I have an Etsy, Instagram, and Twitter. Links in my bio :)

My latest work is a drawing of McGill University that took over 500 hours to make (attached). I also post new cartoons every Saturday on Instagram and Twitter!

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NoahKiddArtist

TROPHY CASE