u/insomnibunn

Hello!!

So I was recently offered a Graduate Assistant position at my workplace on campus that's going to be paying me a stipend, as well as taking care of my last year of my degree (yay!)

However, they're still waiting on approval for me to go fill out paperwork, so I'm not yet sure as to who I can ask this question to, so I thought I'd throw it out here for a potential answer. Please forgive me if this sounds like a super dumb question haha

But I was also offered federal graduate loans, and I was wondering if it would be possible to take out a small portion of these loans on top of my Graduate Assistantship to cover books/travel expenses for my class research/etc.

I'm mostly asking because I REALLY don't want to keep working my second job on top of grad school, and doing that would free me up to be able to do that

I'm a fool, an idiot even. No she did not laugh. Worst part, I was sober, so I can't even blame it on the alcohol.

I'm afraid that this is one of those moments that will forever be burnt into my brain.

I am in hell

Edit: I'VE MADE GIRLS LAUGH YIPPEE

Hi hi hi!!

So a little bit about me, I'm a 23 year old graduate student studying history in the midwestern United States! I'm also a young museum professional, having worked as an assistant at a local museum for 2 years, with a recent promotion to a graduate assistant! Yippee!

I'm pretty chronically online, and my interests typically fall into more "childish" categories, like cartoons and toy collecting (I have a pretty large MLP collection considering my financial constraints!), though I also enjoy cars, repairing my vehicle, studying, trying new foods/drinks, and anything colorful and delightful.

I'm also a lesbian, which shouldn't really effect anything, but if that is something that doesn't align with you, then I suppose it is important information haha!

I'm wanting to, in general, learn more about what life is like in your world! Tell me about your favorite regional snacks, tell me about your job, or about that person that was driving too fast on your street! I adore hearing about people's day-to-day lives.

I'd love to have someone to share that with, especially if you happen to be outside of the Midwest or outside of the U.S.A.! I don't have a lot of experience outside of my home country besides a lovely study abroad opportunity to Germany last year, but it was a wonderful experience, leading me to try and learn german to hopefully return as a result! Seriously, whatever it takes for me to get back to Rewe and radler, I'm in. That being said, it may take me extra time and a lot of mistakes to go back and forth in german hahahaha

Seriously, I'd love to learn more about your lives! Part of my job and my studies include learning about the common person, but that interest goes beyond my studies, I genuinely just love people and want to know more!

Sorry I'm in the hopsital and meds are kicking but I got a question

but I work at a Papa John's and I noticed the pickles were back on the menu when I was messin wit h. The menu. Is it coming back?

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We got a fella who calls us around this time of year every year asking if it's back and I wanna give him the good news if it's coming back he's a nice guy and tips our drivers well he let me pet his dog one time good guy

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Again I'm sorry these meds have me on my ass but I got a shift tomorrow if I'm let out and inwannaknow

Good morning everyone!

I'm a student assistant at the museum on my university campus. I've worked at the museum in multiple departments over the last two years, and at the beginning of May, I was finally given the promotion I've been fighting for; working in collections! I am so incredibly grateful for this opportunity, and I'm so grateful that my professors and my bosses have enough confidence in me to hold this position, especially considering how hard it can be to get hands-on experience of this caliber. I've been having an absolute blast, and it's been such a lovely experience so far.

I'm experiencing one problem, though; when taking photos of the artifacts to put into PastPerfect, I've found that I'm often too short to get nice photos. Our table in our little photobooth isn't adjustable, and it's often led to me standing on the tips of my toes just to try to get the best photo possible.

This has proven an issue for me in ways that I don't feel like my coworkers/classmates deal with (partially because the second shortest in this department is 6'). I'd consider using a stepstool, but I'm far too worried about hovering over an artifact and losing balance for any reason. I'm not an uncoordinated individual, but the idea of hovering over a fragile item with a heavy camera without my feet on the ground concerns me.

I know that I'm currently being trained to be the next main student in that department, training other students to take on the work, which I am incredibly excited and grateful for! I'm just wondering how to work around this issue. I plan on talking to my boss about it when he's back in the office, but in the meantime, I'll just catalog and photograph smaller items that don't require me to feel like I have to stand like a fairy princess over items.

Hey dad!

I miss you and everyone so, so much. Please be sure to tell grandpa I said hi! Has Tylor come up to you yet? He should be on the road to you now. You'll love him a lot, I don't know if you ever met him or his family, but he reminded me so much of you. You'll love to talk to him.

It's been almost 10 years since you passed. Still, I think you'll be happy with what I've been up to in that time.

Sure, I've gotten my heart broken a few times, and I've had a fair amount of struggles. Still, I've kept my head as up as I can, like how you and grandpa would want. Now, I have some things to show for it!

For context, I've recently graduated with my B.S. in Public History with a minor in Museum Studies, and I am currently a graduate student at the same university.

So, I work as a student assistant at the museum on my university campus. I've worked there for over 2 years now, and I've gotten not one, but two promotions within a month!

First, I'm finally working in the department I've been fighting to work in for over a year, which is collections! I've been able to help transport and work with artifacts previously, but now, my job is almost entirely working with the artifacts! How cool is that? Don't get me wrong, I love doing educational programs and helping with administration stuff, but it feels amazing to be part of this side of everything.

Next, last week, my boss practically ran down to our collections space after a meeting with the Dean of the history department. While it is not 100 percent confirmed, as they still need some final paperwork approved, they both felt that the chances are solid enough to inform me that I will be the museum's official graduate assistant for Fall/Spring of 2026/2027!

We haven't had a graduate assistant for 3+ years due to funding issues, so this is a big deal!

Now, what does this mean for me? Well, first off, my entire year of classes will be COMPLETELY paid for by the university! I graduate with my Masters in May of 2027, so this is absolutely huge for me! I'm leaving my education with 20k less debt than I originally intended!

Next, I will be getting a biweekly stipend. I'm unsure of how much that will be, but I know that it'll be a pay raise from what I am getting currently.

Finally, I'll be getting something incredible to put on my resume! All while doing something I genuinely love.

You and grandpa both told me that if I find something that I truly love, I need to chase it, because it'll bring me so much joy that I'll never truly work a day in my life. Dad, I found it. I know the field of museums is a major struggle right now, but I swear, I'm never going to let it go. I've had a horrible May with my breakup and losing Tylor. Still, I think getting my Bachelors and being given two promotions in one month isn't too bad! Life has a funny way of evening things out on the pain scale. It doesn't take the pain of loss away, but I know mom's proud of me, and knowing that my boss, who tbh has become a little bit of a father figure to me, has enough faith in me to let me work for him like this, I don't know, it just makes me feel slightly more whole after the losses in May.

I miss you. I hope to see you again some day. However I need to at least put off dying and stuff until at least the end of this GA position hahahaha

For me, it was the amount of people still close friends with ex partners, as well as being incredibly open about sexual experiences with said partners/former partners. As someone not super active in queer spaces and have only been really out for a year, it was a major surprise to me, as I don't tend to keep exes in my life past necessity, nor do I tell people about my sexual experiences. Learning how to be okay with partners having friendships with former lovers and knowing *what* they did together was definitely a curveball. I do enjoy how refreshing it is to date a community that's open to maintaining friendships despite romantic differences and difficulties, but that's a very new concept to me!

Another thing was the amount of discourse over flag designs. I understand the need to update flags, and I love learning about the history of each flag design/why they were updated, as well as the thought that comes with each new design. Growing up conservative and generally sheltered (shout out to my homeschooled girlies), however, the sheer amount of different flags and variations was a bit of a shock! Super cool, but still a shock haha

What are some differences you noticed and were surprised about when putting yourself out there in the community?

I just don't know when it'll stop burning so much.

My girlfriend broke up with me 2 weeks ago just after meeting my family and attending my college graduation, and being my first actual gay relationship I'm devastated. We had been together almost 5 months at that point and she admitted she knew she wanted to break up for a hot minute but just acted completely normal intentionally the entire time up until the phone call. It's just hit me like a sack of bricks.

Then, 2 days ago, my cousin took his own life. I had begged and begged for him to go see the doctor before this all happened. It's bad enough to the point where my family needs to hire a hazmat crew for the bedroom he was renting. He was the closest thing I've ever had to a healthy brotherly relationship. Devastated doesn't even begin to cover how I feel.

Then I got diagnosed with BPD at a psych appointment on Tuesday. That doesn't seem like much in comparison, but my ex made me make that appointment months ago because she was concerned about my Zoloft. I understand my negative reaction to this diagnosis is the result of my own biases, but our family never took mental health well. Mom was the first one to be medicated for her mental health troubles in the entire family, and even then my current generation still doesn't take it seriously.

I just wish I knew when the pain would stop. It just feels like every time I get my footing, something else drops. And obviously, a death is a far greater loss than a breakup. I just can't help but feel such a significant loss in my head and I miss them both so much.

And yet the world keeps turning. Bills gotta be paid so I keep working, I'm already stuck catching up on bills for not working during finals week and my graduation ceremony.

It'll be 10 years since you passed in December, 8 since grandma passed, 6 since Grandpa passed, and 3 since my brother passed. When does the loss stop?? I try to talk to my friends about it but they've not gone through as many deaths in their family. I feel fucking shattered.

I feel like I lost another chunk of my past, a piece of my future, and just a piece of myself. I want to go home but there's no place that has that title anymore. I don't want to clock in at work, I don't want to do anything except rot in my apartment and hold my cat. I just wish I could take a break.

I miss you. You would have loved Tylor.

Okay, so I absolutely know that that title is based off of biases and it's objectively untrue.

But I (22f) grew up in a conservative family that never really recognized mental illness until the last 10 years, with my mom and I being sort of the pioneers in the push to learn how it effects our family. Even then, it's something I have to be careful of, since many of my family fell down the Big Pharma rabbit hole.

As part of this, I faced my fear of the doctor this morning by going to a psychiatrist for the first time in 9 years.

Almost immediately, I got slapped with a diagnosis for BPD, with her wanting to explore PTSD as well.

Now, I will say I've dated women with BPD in the past and had beautiful relationships with them, and my best friend has BPD, and I think she's the best person ever. I hate how people talk about those with BPD as if they're villains and evil, it's simply just not the case. Some people just need different understanding and some grace now and then, there's nothing wrong with that!

But coming from a family that has a major habit of shoving things like that in the closet and never addressing it because its seen as "undesirable traits," you can imagine how much it's making me panic, even if I think it's illogical to panic.

I'm not asking "would you date anyone with BPD?" because even if one person wouldn't, other people will. Logically, I know it doesn't immediately mean I'm going to die alone, especially since I'm seeking treatment and help.

But what is your experience with dating while having different mental health conditions? Does anyone who have BPD have any advice? I just want to get a head start on navigating this.