Wadana Kakakhel, Grade 12
UWCEA Moshi Campus
After stumbling across one of her videos two years ago, Jade’s YouTube channel has become a source of joy and immense inspiration for me. From watching her videos about self growth to all the vlogs in different cities all over the world as she went through her journey at Minerva University, every single video has motivated me to look for “casual magic”. She started off her channel mainly focused on academic videos and was a huge part of Studytube, but over the months her content became more focused on self growth, positivity, and lifestyle. Whether it’s a video about her love for learning or celebrating Eid with friends in Kosovo, they all manage to ingrain a sense of awe in my heart towards her spirit and constant search for self growth. She talks of romanticizing the small parts of life, and that piece of advice has stuck with me as I make a list of things that I was grateful for in my day on my Notes app every night.
Q1: What is the most meaningful lesson you’ve learned while studying at Minerva?
Jade: People make life beautiful. I’ve had some of my all time lows, uni work tends to create tons of stress and managing your own finances is such a struggle. In those times, having your roommate to vent to when nothing in life makes sense, or taking a break with some friends and spontaneously going on a trip when it feels like you’ve hit rock bottom feels like absolute bliss. I cannot explain how much I have fallen in love with exploring all these cities with the people in my cohort.
Q2: Your videos are so heartwarming to watch, how do you manage to keep up with editing and posting regularly when there is so much going on?
Jade: I think balance is such an important part of my life, and with everything that I do I strive to keep a balance. Spending time by myself, whether that’s waking up early and meditating or taking myself on a date in Berlin, is what helps keep me grounded. And of course, Notion! I adore Notion for letting me keep all my things organized in one place, I would be a mess without it. There is always something to think about, whether it’s uni coursework, personal goals, editing videos, or just spending some quality time with friends and family. I find it easier to prioritize everything when I’m in a peaceful state of mind and in a calm mood. Life doesn’t always make that easy but we live and we learn.
Q3: What do you do to cope with the loss of the city you live in when the semester is over?
Jade: That’s a hard one. Goodbyes are never easy and they are especially hard at Minerva since you constantly have to move. Right when you’re settling in: finding the best stores, discovering hidden gems around town, getting to know how transport works, and learning to navigate the neighborhood, you have to pack your bags and leave what has become home in just a few months. It is an incredibly hard but extremely rewarding process. Every place that I go to stays with me no matter where I go after, and all the little things about the local people and places make a home in my heart. I feel like by now there’s a little corner in my heart that’s labeled “Jade’s Adventures” and it has all these pieces of information about the most random things just piling up.
Q4: If you could give someone reading this one message, what would it be?
Jade: Take a deep breath, hold it in for 4 seconds, slowly let it out, and repeat 3 times. Now take out a notebook and write down what is stressing you out and then on another piece of paper, everything you’re grateful for in life. This could be people, places, old memories, gifts, anything that crosses your mind. Then remind yourself that your present circumstance isn’t all there is. Look for casual magic in the world, and I guarantee you, you’ll be surprised at just how much there is. I hope you have a beautiful day.
Bibliography:
“Unjaded Jade” YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/c/UnJadedJade
“I Celebrated Eid for the First Time in Kosovo!! 🦋 | Summer Vlog 2022.” YouTube, 11 June 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gs0GqAY-CNI
“Unjaded Jade.” Sixteenth, https://www.sixteenth.co/unjaded-jade/
Image Courtesy: https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/YkwcftwB4GBr5qwp0_mlf27-pFY=/0x300:5563x3213/fit-in/1200x630/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19397812/1048232144.jpg.jpg
Q1: What is the most meaningful lesson you’ve learned while studying at Minerva?
Jade: People make life beautiful. I’ve had some of my all time lows, uni work tends to create tons of stress and managing your own finances is such a struggle. In those times, having your roommate to vent to when nothing in life makes sense, or taking a break with some friends and spontaneously going on a trip when it feels like you’ve hit rock bottom feels like absolute bliss. I cannot explain how much I have fallen in love with exploring all these cities with the people in my cohort.
Q2: Your videos are so heartwarming to watch, how do you manage to keep up with editing and posting regularly when there is so much going on?
Jade: I think balance is such an important part of my life, and with everything that I do I strive to keep a balance. Spending time by myself, whether that’s waking up early and meditating or taking myself on a date in Berlin, is what helps keep me grounded. And of course, Notion! I adore Notion for letting me keep all my things organized in one place, I would be a mess without it. There is always something to think about, whether it’s uni coursework, personal goals, editing videos, or just spending some quality time with friends and family. I find it easier to prioritize everything when I’m in a peaceful state of mind and in a calm mood. Life doesn’t always make that easy but we live and we learn.
Q3: What do you do to cope with the loss of the city you live in when the semester is over?
Jade: That’s a hard one. Goodbyes are never easy and they are especially hard at Minerva since you constantly have to move. Right when you’re settling in: finding the best stores, discovering hidden gems around town, getting to know how transport works, and learning to navigate the neighborhood, you have to pack your bags and leave what has become home in just a few months. It is an incredibly hard but extremely rewarding process. Every place that I go to stays with me no matter where I go after, and all the little things about the local people and places make a home in my heart. I feel like by now there’s a little corner in my heart that’s labeled “Jade’s Adventures” and it has all these pieces of information about the most random things just piling up.
Q4: If you could give someone reading this one message, what would it be?
Jade: Take a deep breath, hold it in for 4 seconds, slowly let it out, and repeat 3 times. Now take out a notebook and write down what is stressing you out and then on another piece of paper, everything you’re grateful for in life. This could be people, places, old memories, gifts, anything that crosses your mind. Then remind yourself that your present circumstance isn’t all there is. Look for casual magic in the world, and I guarantee you, you’ll be surprised at just how much there is. I hope you have a beautiful day.
Bibliography:
“Unjaded Jade” YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/c/UnJadedJade
“I Celebrated Eid for the First Time in Kosovo!! 🦋 | Summer Vlog 2022.” YouTube, 11 June 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gs0GqAY-CNI
“Unjaded Jade.” Sixteenth, https://www.sixteenth.co/unjaded-jade/
Image Courtesy: https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/YkwcftwB4GBr5qwp0_mlf27-pFY=/0x300:5563x3213/fit-in/1200x630/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19397812/1048232144.jpg.jpg
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