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Jophy's Blog
Welcome to a personal space where insights are shared, stories are told, and reflections are offered. Topics covered include scientific discoveries, a journey in STEM, and thoughts on technology and everyday life. Enjoy exploring the articles!
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Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace Review: A Masterpiece that Breaks Your Heart
Source: Yahoo Introducing "Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace" If you think you've seen palace dramas before, let me stop you right there. Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace isn't just another historical drama about scheming concubines and power struggles in the Forbidden City. This 87-episode Chinese drama is a slow-burn tragedy that will absolutely wreck you emotionally – and I mean that in the most intense, unforgettable way possible. Directed by Wang Jun and written by Liu
jophy2467
Sep 14, 202526 min read


An Insider’s Look at ISEF (Part 2): What Really Happens During Competition Week
If Part 1 of this series was about the grind of getting to ISEF, Part 2 is about what happens once you’re finally there. No matter how many science fairs you’ve been to before, nothing really prepares you for the scale, the energy, and the sheer whirlwind of an ISEF week. From the moment you arrive to the last applause at the awards ceremony, the experience is equal parts overwhelming, exhausting, and exhilarating. I’ll take you behind the scenes of what a week at the world’s
jophy2467
Sep 9, 20257 min read


An Insider’s Look at ISEF (Part 1): Preparing for the Biggest Science Fair in the World
When people see the photos from ISEF—the massive expo hall, students in blazers standing by huge boards, judges with clipboards—it feels like the Olympics of science fairs. And honestly, it kind of is. But those photos skip the most important part: the months of choosing a topic, wrestling with time, fixing broken code, re-formatting posters, and managing the “am I even good enough?” thoughts that sneak in. This is the part you don’t see. And it’s the part that gets you to IS
jophy2467
Sep 4, 20257 min read


Lovely Runner Review: Looking Back Almost a Year After It Ended
Source: Viki Introducing "Lovely Runner" It’s hard to believe it’s already been almost a year since Lovely Runner aired its finale on May 28, 2024. As I reflect on this drama a year later, I’m filled with the same warmth and excitement I felt watching it week by week last year. Lovely Runner is a 16-episode South Korean time-travel romantic comedy (with sprinkles of fantasy + thriller) that stole viewers’ hearts and became a sleeper hit. Starring Kim Hye-yoon and Byeon
jophy2467
Aug 19, 202521 min read


High Schooler’s Guide to Doing Research (Extra): Free Resources
So far in this series, we’ve walked through every step of the research process: from curiosity and topic selection, through methodology and data analysis, to publishing and competing. Along the way, one question often comes up: Where do I actually find resources? Research can sometimes feel like a privilege reserved for those with access to expensive databases, lab equipment, or paid mentorship. But the truth is, there are countless free resources out there that high schoole
jophy2467
Aug 14, 20254 min read


A High Schooler’s Guide to Doing Research (Extra): Finding Mentorship & Collaborators
Throughout this series, I've covered the entire research process: from curiosity and topic selection all the way to publishing and competing. But here’s the truth: very few researchers do it all alone. Behind every strong project is often a network of mentors, peers, and collaborators who provide guidance, feedback, and partnership. For high schoolers especially, mentorship and collaboration can be the difference between struggling in isolation and thriving with support. Yet
jophy2467
Aug 9, 20254 min read


A High Schooler’s Guide to Doing Research (Part 7): Publishing, Competing & Continuing Your Work
By now, you’ve traveled the full arc of the research process. You started with curiosity (Part 1), chose and narrowed a topic (Part 2), built a foundation of knowledge (Part 3), designed your methodology (Part 4), collected and analyzed your data (Part 5), and communicated your results through writing and presenting (Part 6). That’s already an incredible achievement. But here’s the thing: research doesn’t end with a finished paper or a classroom presentation. In fact, that’s
jophy2467
Aug 4, 20255 min read


A High Schooler’s Guide to Doing Research (Part 6): Writing & Presenting Your Work
At this point in your research journey, you’ve put in weeks or even months of effort. You started with curiosity (Part 1), narrowed your question (Part 2), dug through background knowledge (Part 3), designed a methodology (Part 4), and collected and analyzed your data (Part 5). Now, you’ve reached the stage where all that work is ready to be transformed into something others can see, understand, and appreciate: writing and presenting your research. This step may feel less gla
jophy2467
Jul 29, 20257 min read


A High Schooler’s Guide to Doing Research (Part 5): Collecting & Analyzing Data
So far in this series, you’ve done a lot of thinking and planning. You’ve clarified what research actually is (Part 1), chosen and narrowed a topic (Part 2), gathered background information to ground your curiosity (Part 3), and designed a methodology that lays out how you’ll answer your question (Part 4). Now, we arrive at the most hands-on and exciting stage: collecting and analyzing your data. This is the point where your project transitions from being theoretical to being
jophy2467
Jul 24, 20258 min read


A High Schooler’s Guide to Doing Research (Part 4): Designing Your Methodology
By now, you’ve made significant progress in your research journey. In Part 1, we reframed research as more than just assignments; in Part 2, you learned to choose and narrow a topic; and in Part 3, you figured out how to gather background knowledge and resources. The next step, designing your methodology, is where your project begins to take real shape. Methodology answers the question: How are you going to answer your research question? It is the structured set of steps, to
jophy2467
Jul 19, 20255 min read
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