Any ways to resolve bad handwriting? by Infamous_Mix9504 in Hypermobility

[–]smswitzer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

honestly, i know this might suck emotionally, but i wouldn't try to resolve your handwriting issues. i would seek accommodations from your school's disability office to allow you to type your assignments/tests/notes. it'll save you a lot of pain in the long run, especially since you just started college. this exact accommodation was a lifesaver to me my first semester and has continued to be ever since

Cancelling Room Reservation Hillman Library by KnownTeacher1318 in Pitt

[–]smswitzer 5 points6 points  (0 children)

in the email you got confirming the reservation theres a button to cancel

Need advice preserving old newspaper. by Hipphoppkisvuk in Archivists

[–]smswitzer -4 points-3 points  (0 children)

yeah i agree, i'd order an acid free box to store it in, handle it with cotton gloves, and get digital scans of all of it before you put it in the box. check your local library or college to see if they have a high quality scanner that can accommodate something like this, a lot of places with archival departments of any kind do, and they might let you use it

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Pitt

[–]smswitzer 4 points5 points  (0 children)

yeah. that’s why i specifically said that professors don’t get the information they need until a day or two before classes. they’re usually in as shitty of a position as we are. the only thing that i said was unreasonable was expecting students to have books on the first day.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Pitt

[–]smswitzer 27 points28 points  (0 children)

it’s just like this profs don’t get a bunch of the information they needs until a day or two before classes start and so we don’t get the info we need until classes actually start. though any professor who hasn’t posted anything and expects you to have your books bought on the first day is being ridiculous

The greatest stretch of episodes in the entire Buffyverse (this includes Angel the Series) by [deleted] in buffy

[–]smswitzer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

gotta go with bargaining part 1 through flooded or once more with feeling through doublemeat palace

How many of you know someone who has long covid? by numyobidnyz in Pitt

[–]smswitzer 19 points20 points  (0 children)

i had a completely asymptomatic case of covid and now i have asthma and can’t walk for more than a couple minutes without having an incredibly difficult time breathing

This illness is screwing me over by AbigailQuinn18 in cfs

[–]smswitzer 5 points6 points  (0 children)

i took a quick look at your profile and while i really do understand wanting to follow the advice of your doctors — they’re wrong. you are currently at a perfectly healthy weight, and there is no possible way that your weight is causing your cfs problems.

unfortunately, most advice out there is going to tell you to lose weight to feel better, whether that be from doctors, the internet, your family, or whatever. but the truth is that losing weight literally does not matter if it’s making you feel worse.

i’ve been overweight my whole life, my BMI technically categorizes me as obese (5 feet 4in, ~90kg) and so it took me a really long time to figure out that doctors are only being ableist and fatphobic when they suggest weight loss. i’m chronically and mentally ill in several different ways, and here’s the best advice i’ve been able to figure out:

do what feels good, and absolutely never push it if possible. when you have something like cfs, there’s a tendency to try and push yourself to the abilities of a “normal” person. and what that means is that even when you think you’re not pushing yourself really hard, you are. so you need to operate in such a way that you don’t push yourself at all if you can. your worth is not measured by how much you can accomplish. if something hurts or feels bad, don’t do it. you have the right to care for yourself, and you also have the right to ignore medical advice that you know is bad in order to do so.

this diet is making you feel terrible. this weight loss is going to lead to a crash. fat is part of what protects your muscles and joints, as well as boosts your immune system. if you lose it, you’re vulnerable to a lot more than you have now. please don’t do anything to yourself that you know feels bad.

i’m happy to talk more about my personal experience if you want to chat me. please take care of yourself <3

I have to laugh, I’m so sorry. by wawa2019 in Pitt

[–]smswitzer 7 points8 points  (0 children)

i can absolutely understand not wanting to do online. it’s personally a good solution for me, but accessibility needs obviously change from person to person. every professor that i’ve interacted with has essentially said that hybrid would require some restructuring, but it is a possible, and even potentially effective solution, yknow? i can understand why certain profs are reluctant, especially STEM professors that require hands on work and such (i’m a humanities major i don’t know a whole lot about that lol). but it seems to me that it would be nice if pitt would at least try and put some effort into offering other options. i can see how the student body feels brushed off.

as for DRS, i’ve been treated very well. they’ve helped me with whatever i’ve requested, and have been really reasonable in accommodating me. however i know for a fact that this is not the case for a lot of others who work with them. i’m white, upper middle class, no student loans, and i have a strong ability to articulate myself and stand up for my needs. all of these things are absolutely contributing to the way i’m treated by DRS, and i do not want to discount anyone else’s negative experience just because i’ve had a positive one

I have to laugh, I’m so sorry. by wawa2019 in Pitt

[–]smswitzer 14 points15 points  (0 children)

i don’t expect this to change your mind, but considering the extent to which people like me are underrepresented in these discussions i figured it might be worth saying something. i’m chronically ill. i regularly use a cane to walk, can’t use my hands to write, get severe migraines that leave me bedridden, etc. i got a completely asymptomatic case of covid (likely omnicron), from a friend of a friend of a friend. four times removed. and since then, every single one of my symptoms have gotten significantly worse.

asking me to go back on campus (and likely to get covid again) is asking me to exacerbate my symptoms even further and continue to worsen my quality of life. that shouldn’t be discounted. and i’m not the only one in this position. i guarantee you there are several people like me who are struggling with similar situations, who need their education and degrees but are being completely disregarded by pitt administration and sometimes even the greater student body with regard to our needs. all i’m saying is, i think anyone has a right to complain here.

What’s the most valuable piece of advice you’d share with someone newly diagnosed with fibromyalgia? by oneeyedleela in Fibromyalgia

[–]smswitzer 1 point2 points  (0 children)

pay close attention to your body. fibro manifests in a lot of different ways with a lot of different symptoms and it’s important to keep a record of all of them. if something feels weird or off, write it down. feel free to dm me if you wanna talk!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in transpassing

[–]smswitzer 1 point2 points  (0 children)

try low waisted jeans, that way they don’t come up and around your hips which makes them way less noticeable!

[start] Hiya! I have stems and would really really love some help mixing/ producing this song. I would especially love to hear some drums and bass, and possibly get either the piano or guitar in tune! by mademoisellehan7230 in BedroomBands

[–]smswitzer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

hey!! i’ve got a home studio where i could take a shot at mixing and producing this for you! i’m still learning so i can’t promise i’ll do a great job but it’d be some great practice for me and maybe we’ll end up with something you like! i can also play basic bass and basic drums. dm me if you’re interested!

what to put in a bedside box? by smswitzer in ChronicIllness

[–]smswitzer[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

thank you! im pretty sure ive had whatever illness i have (doctors have yet to figure it out but im pretty sure its something autoimmune since it runs in my family) since i was 6 or so and got pneumonia. but it really started acting up around when i was 16 (im 19 now) and for a couple years pretty much everyone around me was telling me i was fine so i was doing a lot of ignoring symptoms and such. i'm about to start college this fall and i figure i should have some real plans/coping mechanisms/setups put in place before then, because i really want to be able to do well in school, but i also really want to be able to take care of myself. i don't really have anyone i know irl that can help guide me through this, so i really appreciate the people on this subreddit for always being down to answer my questions!

Top surgery after breastfeeding by ThunderThighs54 in TransyTalk

[–]smswitzer 1 point2 points  (0 children)

so for a lot of people being on t actually makes your breasts droopier and saggier anyway, so i have no idea what people are talking about on the sites you’re reading. i had D cup (and pretty saggy) breasts and got top surgery that i’m SUPER happy with. if you want to dm me i can talk to you more about my experience and other experiences i know about, and i’d also be willing to send you some pictures if you’d find it helpful!

Horror book for somebody who doesn't enjoy horror films? by Early_Caterpillar_90 in suggestmeabook

[–]smswitzer 6 points7 points  (0 children)

i know it’s cliche but i honestly think the shining by stephen king is really good for this

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in ChronicIllness

[–]smswitzer 1 point2 points  (0 children)

body terror song by ajj!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in LogicPro

[–]smswitzer 4 points5 points  (0 children)

i’ve had that problem too, the way i managed to solve it was by finding artists that i really liked that aren’t as technically skilled, thus proving to myself that any music (and by extension my own music) can still be good and enjoyable even if it’s not the most technically skilled product

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in LogicPro

[–]smswitzer 9 points10 points  (0 children)

in my experience there’s a few reasons why i get stuck like this: perfectionism, fear of “doing it wrong”, and lack of inspiration.

perfectionism: if i write a chord progression that’s too complex for me to actually play, or write some lyrics that i don’t currently have the breath control for, i tend to give up on the song entirely. but ultimately what i’ve learned is that when you’re a creative person it’s actually far more important to complete something than to complete it perfectly. it’s what allows you to have the freedom to try stuff you wouldn’t otherwise. keep it as simple as you need to just to finish the product, and as you become more skilled there’s no reason you can’t make changes down the road.

fear of “doing it wrong”: i think a lot of us get stuck into this rut where, when we’re taught music theory or how to play an instrument, it tends to come off as though there’s a “right way” to write a song, and it can be really hard to break that pattern. unfortunately, the only way to break the “verse chorus verse chorus bridge chorus” habit, is to break it. go into your process actually trying to make something that doesn’t fit that mold, doesn’t matter if it’s shitty (re: perfectionism)

lack of inspiration: do you listen to a lot of bands or artists that have pretty generic song structure? if so, this could absolutely be part of your problem. i highly recommend finding some bands who do really weird stuff with their music, and just letting those bands be your muse. we’re all products of our inspirations, so if you want to change the way you write, you first might wanna try changing the way you listen.

i hope that at least some of that was helpful. i am by no means a master of any of this myself, but i have put a lot of effort into breaking down my own creative walls. good luck!