Bienenflügel

W, 20, from Germany INFP // Taurus studying social work.

[dea-thgrips]

I know that “ACAB” is an acronym for All Cops Are Bastards but every time I see it I still think Assigned Cop At Birth

[dat-soldier]

“Sir… Ma’am… it’s a cop.”

“No!! Surely there’s a mistake!”

[momomoomomoomomomomomomooooved]

[taking-care-of-you]

Here's your daily reminders!

Drink your water!

Take your meds!

Have something to eat!

Have a couple minutes to yourself to think and breathe!

Please look after yourself!

[hayley-studies]

30 Day Studyblr Challenge

Hello everyone! So in my time here I haven’t really come across a studyblr challenge other than the great “100 days of productivity” meme which I know is really helping a lot of people! I know there are probably some out there but I decided to contribute too!

However, I know some people struggle with what to post and when, and 100 days is a huge commitment! So I designed this short(er) “30 Day Studyblr Challenge” that anybody can participate in if they want to! The 30 days don’t have to be consecutive because I understand that people are busy and can’t always find time in the day to come on tumblr! So I invite you to take part in this little activity, and please feel free to tag me in your challenge uploads - If I see that I’ve been tagged I’ll check the post out.

Here are your challenge questions: Day 1: A photo of your supplies Day 2: A photo of your study space Day 3: Your favourite motivational quote Day 4: A photo of your most recent work Day 5: A photo of your favourite book Day 6: A photo showing how you relax Day 7: The best advice anyone’s ever given you Day 8: A photo of your to-do list Day 9: A photo of your desk in use Day 10: Who is your favourite teacher/professor and why? Day 11: A photoset detailing your routine for the day Day 12: A photo of your favourite study snack Day 13: A photo of your textbooks Day 14: Send your favourite studyblr(s) an uplifting message! Day 15: A photo of your handwriting Day 16: What music do you like to listen to whilst studying? If you don’t listen to music while you work, what do you do? Day 17: Find a new/different study spot to your usual one and snap a photo! Day 18: A photo of your favourite pen(s) to use Day 19: A photo of your study space featuring a glass of water. (It’s super important to stay hydrated while you study!) Day 20: Talk about your favourite fictional character Day 21: A photo of your diary/planner/journal Day 22: A photo of your dream school/university Day 23: A photo of your favourite character from TV (Because it’s important to relax sometimes too) Day 24: Write the sentence “I can do anything as long as I put my mind to it.” in all of the languages that you speak and take a photo. Tell yourself that every day! Day 25: A photo of the work/notes you’re most proud of Day 26: Try out mind-mapping and photograph the end result Day 27: Try out a printable and take a photo of it in use Day 28: Try going for a walk before you start studying today. Take a photo of something interesting you see while you’re out. Day 29: Describe your study technique. Is it different for different subjects? Day 30: You made it! Reward yourself by doing one of your favourite things to do and snap a photo!

Please don’t forget to tag me in your posts, and/or tag them with #studyblrchallengehayley so that I can make sure I see them!

Have fun :* xo

Hayley

[nerdastically]

63/ ∞ studyblr icons: dark grey background set please reblog/like this post or/and give credit if you use them for your studyblrs/studygram/any other social media, thank you :)

[sooky88]

Eco Chic Container Home  CC Credit to @peacemaker-ic @harrie-cc @littledica @tacobellesims @zozothebrit @mxims @felixandresims DOWNLOAD at Blooming Rosy 

[harrie-cc]

YASSSS! 😍

[studentlifeproblems]

[thespecsappeal]

Skipping Lectures: How to ditch class and get good grades

Studitonious loves 8am lectures. Every day he cartwheels to class, radiant with the joy of acquiring new knowledge. Morning coffee? Ha! That’s for uncultured plebeians. He has no need for caffeine when he has his daily shot of morning eDUCATION!!! 

Here’s the thing - Studitonious doesn’t exist. Or if he does, he needs to get some serious help. Yet, there seems to be a common misconception that a “perfect student” must emulate this model. 

Getting up at the crack of dawn? Well, you don’t need to get up if you never go to sleep… #lifehacks. Oh, there’s a blizzard outside? No biggie, the cold never bothered me anyway. Everything is worth it because getting good grades is all. so. wonderful. Right?

Well, here’s a thought. What if you don’t have to attend all your lectures to get good grades? What if instead of forcing study habits that work against us, we develop flexible routines that work for us? What if we began studying smarter, not harder?

Let’s get one thing straight - not all lectures are created equal. There’s a big difference between ditching class to binge your latest Netflix obsession vs. ditching class because it’s counterproductive to your learning. Here are a few factors to consider:

Is attendance compulsory?

Does participation contribute to your grade? Do you have any in-lecture assessments? 

If the answer is “yes”, then go to your lecture. The mark may only be worth 5%, but would you rather have 5% added or deducted from your grade?

Are your lectures recorded?

At my university, all lectures are automatically recorded due to Access & Inclusion policies but this isn’t the case across the board.

If there’s any lecture-exclusive content (i.e. content discussed in lectures but not in the slides, group activities etc.) and your lectures are not recorded it’s a good idea to attend.

Is the content actually helpful?

Does the lecture aid your learning in a way that other mediums (reading lecture slides/the textbook, attending tutorials/labs etc.) do not? For instance, if your lecturer just reads off the slides, you can save time by looking at them yourself.

Is your subject more “hands-on”? For courses that are more heavily based on solving problems, I often find doing the problems myself way more helpful than watching my lecturer solve them.

How dense is the content of each lecture? Sometimes, there is simply too much to absorb in the given time slot. E.g. I once had a flipped class that had a brief 1-hour intro lecture to a week’s worth of content. Since it just briefly skimmed over everything, it was more worthwhile to study the concepts in detail myself.

Do you actually pay attention to the lecture?

Are you actually awake? I once had a friend tell me he attended all his 8am lectures despite always falling asleep because he “just felt like he should”. Bro, sleep.

How engaging is the lecturer? Obviously, you shouldn’t skip a class just because the lecturer is “boring” but there is a certain point where the line is crossed. In first year, one of my professors took long pauses between every second word and spoke very s l o w l y. Needless to say, he was much easier to listen to at 2x speed.

Note: there is a significant difference between a bad lecturer and just being distracted. If it’s your meme addiction, not the quality of your lecturer that’s making you lose focus, turn off your phone.

Other factors to consider:

Do you have any other commitments (e.g. other courses, work etc.) at the same time? While it would be nice to try and re-arrange your schedule sometimes things just don’t work out.

Are you sick? If you’re feeling rough mentally or physically, you should consider taking a day off.

Ok, so you’ve decided that you’re better off not attending your lecture but what should you actually do instead? How do you deal with this newfound flexibility and freedom?

Develop a study routine (and stick with it)

The key to skipping class successfully is just doing consistent work. If your lecture is 2 hours long, pencil in a 2-hour study session.

It’s important to maintain a sense of regularity and routine. Treat your study sessions like a compulsory class - do them at the same time each week. It may even help to study at the intended lecture time.

The most common pitfall is to go “Oh it’s easy, I’ll just skip my lecture and do xyz instead”… but never do xyz.

Identify the lecture’s problems and provide solutions

Why exactly did you decide to skip your lecture? How are you going to make your independent study more effective? If you don’t do something more useful with this “free time”, you’re just wasting it. Be specific.

Here are a few examples:

 Problem: Lecturer speaks too slowly. Solution: Watch the lecture recordings at a faster speed.

 Problem: Lecturer just reads off the slides, providing no new content. Solution: Read the slides yourself, making your own notes and saving yourself time.

Problem: The lecture is too theoretical in comparison to the assessment scheme. Solution: Do more practice problems instead of just going over abstract concepts.

Find a study group

Having friends who take the same course can honestly make the experience so much better.

It can also help increase accountability. For instance, you would probably feel more guilty ditching a group vs. solo study session.

However, this can be a double-edged sword. Sometimes my “study sessions” with friends will just dissolve into us looking at memes for hours. Make sure you’re actually going to study!

Banter is great, but remember when to have fun, and when you need to focus and get shit done.

[desultory-suggestions]

How to study for an exam when you really don’t know how to start

Clean your room/space, tidy your desk, make your space feel neat and focused. The space we are in means a lot, don’t confine yourself to a messy space.

Make sure you also feel ready. Freshly showered, has a good meal, did some movement-based activity. You can’t focus as easily if you feel all messy and uncomfy.

Put your work in order, what is most important? If you’re taking an exam over a specific topic i.e Biology, look for the most mentioned topics. Those will be what you study most. When I took AP Psych, I found the outline online that said what percentage of the test would be what topic, and studied those flashcards, notes, and videos.

Likewise, figure out how much you need to do every day to get done in time. If you have 20 chapters left in a book and each one is 15 pages then take 300 pages divided by how many days left (say 40) leaving 7.5 pages a day minimum. 

Block out time to study. Make sure you have no distractions, phone on silent, friends know you’re unavailable. This is its own test, a test of focus!

Go to review days if you have them Your instructor should explain what’s on the exam and what is expected of you, and if you miss out on important details you’ll really notice later. It may seem like skipping gives you more time to study, but you’ll be at a disadvantage in the end.

If you feel yourself getting distracted, reading the passage with no recollection of the content, or about to slam your head into the table, take a break. Go for a short walk, get a snack, stretch, get a glass of water, have a little dance party. Breaks count as being productive, self-care is important.

Feel free to switch up your studying methods. Taking notes every day or reading chapter after chapter of a subject gets boring. Do flashcards, Draw or make a diagram. Studying the brain? Draw and label it. Use funky pens sticky notes. Varying your methods of study will not only help you grasp the material better, but it’ll keep you from getting bored.

Find a friend or join a study group. There are a lot at different universities or even just create your own with like-minded folks. You can even do one online like I do. There are many discords for this. I’m in one and it’s great to hold each other accountable and share goals.

You can also switch up your space. Everyone has a different type of place they work best. Maybe a library, cafe, park, bedroom, couch, restaurant. Don’t stay couped up. 

Use apps like Tide, Forest, Flora, Quizlet and more. I seriously use these every day. Tide is my favorite, it incorporates white noise and nature sounds with a Pomodoro timer, as well as three settings for Focus, Relax, and Sleep.

Make studying aesthetically pleasing. Studyblrs are on to something here! You don’t need to have expensive things or show them off but have pens you like, fun highlighter and sticky notes. Pick out playlists of music that makes you feel focused.

Affirm and trust yourself! When you get that flashcard right? Heck yeah! You did it holy crap! Celebrate! Be proud of yourself. You worked hard, you deserve to feel good. Your best is good enough, and your best may vary day-to-day.

[anoukostudies]

here are 5 of the big things i’ve learned over the past two years and also recently during exams! i feel like i’ve come so far as a student in terms of studying, work ethic and self-discipline, so i wanted to share all the important tips i learned and will definitely re-use in the coming years :)

1: the best way to find your preferred study method is through trial and error

if you are given the chance of taking an end of unit/topic test that doesn’t count towards your final grade, use it to test out revision techniques and find out which one is best for you! throughout all of year 10 i tried different things for every test i had from simply notes to mind maps to flashcards and to summary sheets in the attempt to find the perfect study method for me. doing this early on in your course where smaller tests don’t really matter is the perfect opportunity for taking risks; this is why it’s called trial and error. some techniques won’t work for you, and you might get a bad grade, but that is how you learn! then, when you get exams that really matter, you’ll know exactly what to do to achieve that dream grade. (although, i understand that in some countries every test counts to your final grade- a work around for this would be to give yourself a mock test deadline if you really want to find out which study method suits you best)

Weiterlesen

[studycationarchive]

productivity can mean different things

summer productivity does not mean or have to mean that you are grinding everyday to get work done. being productive could simply mean self-care. productivity comes in all forms, from painting your nails to doing the dishes to reading a book. it could even be something along the lines of creating a new playlist or folding the laundry. it’s up to you.

first off, plan a little

write your lists down somewhere that you’ll check again (i’m using a google doc.) make three lists: daily checklist, short-term goals, & long-term goals. leave room for revision.

daily checklist

don’t pile on tasks on this. it is unrealistic to put like ten things on your list to do everyday, and it’s exhausting and can even be anti-productive trying to attempt to complete such a list everyday. pick two to three things to do everyday. for example, mine says, “1. do khan academy (for SAT prep) 2. check the DMV for available appointments (to renew my permit oops) 3. read a book or three articles.” the second one is subject to change because eventually i will get an appointment, so always leave room for revisions.

short-term goals list

this is the list where you put stuff that you want to accomplish by the end of the week, month, etc. for example, mine says, “finish ap government chapter one by friday.” these can be specific or general. like my short-term goals list also has my goal of reading three books every week.

long-term goals list

what do you hope to accomplish by the end of summer? do you want to re-invent yourself? be proficient in a language? have finished all your college apps? you define your goals here.

studyblr ways to be productive

read a book get ahead and look at your AP curriculums; make a study schedule watch TED talks watch documentaries listen to podcasts make study playlists visit museums

self care ways to be productive (these are nothing new, but just serves as a reminder that taking care of yourself is good and productive. it is in no way a waste of time, so don’t let anyone convince you otherwise)

take a bath or shower the simple hygiene stuff (brush your teeth, etc.) clean your living space delete apps you don’t use or need drink water journal, draw, make music do whatever makes you feel happy (if you don’t have anything, go a try a bunch of activities! do something that scares you, you might be surprised) exercise (it doesn’t have to be a whole lot, just walk around and stretch every once in a while) sleep, rest, take time for yourself

other ways to be productive

- practice a sport or instrument - learn/continue learning a language - spend time with friends or family - make an exercising schedule (start off with small workouts and gradually increase) - learn to eat healthier (begin replacing unhealthy food for better substitutes; i - - trust you know the healthier options) - volunteer (find a place or two and volunteer regularly.  reminder: it shouldn’t feel like a job; remember why you’re volunteering in the first place.) - look for summer jobs (it might be a little late now for stuff like summer camps, but you can still apply to places that have the signs like “help wanted” or “hiring now”)

[daisystudies]

~college~ study tips

1. study for yourself, not others. don’t study because you like to say that you spent hours studying (or don’t not study just because you want to seem naturally smart)! do what you YOU have to do and not what others expect you to do.

2. understand, don’t memorize. especially if you’re in college!! 99% of the time the professor would rather you understand why something is rather than just what it is.

3. read the textbook. even if your professor goes over the chapter in class, a lot of times they’ll slip in questions on the exam that they didn’t go over in class but were in the reading. (sneaky!!)

4. don’t wait until the end of the semester to ask for extra credit. you are 20x more likely to get it if you ask in the middle. 

5. eat in class if you have to! not sure if this qualifies as a study tip but i’m including it anyway. if you’re starving there is no way you’ll be able to pay attention in class! keep some snacks in your backpack to eat during class to keep you energized and focused! the professor most likely will not mind, but if they did, it would probably say so in the syllabus.

6. make study groups! i know a lot of people find them distracting, but maybe try to meet with a study group for every class at least one or two times a semester just to make sure you didn’t miss anything in the notes. and who knows, your group might be able to explain tricky concepts to you better than your professor can!

7. take advantage of little pockets of time. do you have 30 minutes between classes? read over your notes! waiting in line for chipotle? pull out a quizlet!! college can get BUSY and overwhelming and you may have trouble finding a large chunk of time to study, so spend the down time you do have wisely!

8. ^ that being said, take breaks! if you just walked out of an exam and you’re feeling pretty brain dead, don’t pull out your notes and study! let yourself have some time to relax before you get back into your rhythm. you don’t want to burn yourself out!

9. don’t forget that you have a final exam! after you finish a chapter exam or quiz, don’t let yourself forget all of that information, it’ll make finals 10x harder! if you have extra study time every once in a while go over some of your old notes to refresh your memory.

10. go to office hours. that’s it. that’s the tip.

11. be flexible with your study time! don’t go to the library thinking “i have to stay here and study for 8 hours for my exam tomorrow or i am a bad student” because a. that is not realistic b. you might not actually need that much time. maybe you only need 3 hours to feel prepared! maybe you are planning on 2 but you really need 4! just be flexible!

12. have a clean & clear work space. we love our decorations and 20 mason jars full of pens on our desks, but at the end of the day, if your desk isn’t functional, change it. it is much easier to focus and get stuff done when you have adequate space to do so.

13. explain concepts out loud to yourself. you may sound crazy, but this works! this helps you work out the best way to explain things for the exam (especially if the exam is in essay format), and you can easily find out how much you actually understand by doing this! just go through your notes and explain all the major concepts. i always pretend i’m a professor teaching it to students (i know it sounds crazy but it really does work).

14. make sure to bring a water bottle to your study sessions. don’t be like me and only drink coffee!! coffee is great and all but doesn’t do much for your energy if you’re dehydrated and you are more likely to crash. water is really important and will keep you energized for a longer period of time!

15. switch between classes you are studying for every hour or so. your brain cannot focus on the same thing for very long, so switching between different subjects will help stimulate it so you can study longer! 

16. NEVER write an essay the day before it’s due! i guarantee it will not be your best work, even if you believe you work better under pressure. your thoughts and ideas need time to develop, and they won’t fully develop if you do it all in one night.

17. if you hit a point in your studying where you can’t focus or learn anymore, go to bed. the information will process in your brain overnight and you will wake up the next day with all the information fresh in your brain, and you’ll feel much more awake and focused on studying. 

18. mind map!! mind mapping will help you connect all the concepts together to better understand how it should all flow.

19. don’t wait to do tasks that will only take 5 minutes. get all of these quick tasks out of the way before you get on netflix (or studyblr tbh). this will help clear up your to-do list and get you into the groove of studying without doing anything too strenuous!

20. don’t take yourself too seriously. still work hard, but remember that you are young. one bad grade on a test is not going to ruin your entire life. have fun in college and don’t stress yourself out over grades or your future too much.

[heyletsbeorganised]

Hey guys, so just as a heads up, I don’t think that highlighting your already made notes is that effective unless it’s for aesthetic. However for many subjects like English classes or humanities, you are often given a bulk amount of readings and I believe that highlighting not only helps you digest the content but it also makes note taking easier afterwards. Though some people find it hard to figure out what they need to be highlighting so I’ve come up with a few ideas.

Terms often come into play when digesting a lot of textbook readings where ideas are being explained to you and often you will want this definition to be readily available when revising too so its good to highlight these when you come across them.

Key concepts can be really good to highlight when trying to understand scientific concepts within research articles or when reading persuasive texts as you can relate the material back to your core unit of work. Alternatively you can use concept to highlight the main idea of paragraphs or chapters to give you a quick reference of summary when studying.

I find examples to come particularly handy in studies which are applied to everyday situations, for example a law textbook may discuss a concept and give an applicable example which I would then highlight. Or in math you may highlight an example problem to help you if you get stuck later.

This highlighter was a godsend in my last exams, especially for history because I’d be reading so many historians and articles and when it came to writing essays it would only take me seconds to find a good reinforcing quote as I’d been highlighting them all along. Or even in English you can highlight quotes from reviews or scholars to be used to back up your argument.

This one is mainly for English and literature studies because when analysing devices and giving examples of these it helps when they are already highlighted. It’s all about studying smarter not harder and getting things done efficiently so this step really has helped me out.

Again another more humanities point as you often have to create a mental catalogue of people involved and the context of situations to understand the severity of moments in history. Though in science and other subjects it’s always good to know what pages are talking about what professors or scholars or historical figures.

Finally, in many subjects you are expected to produce a mental timeline of events especially in history and it becomes confusing to pinpoint events and dates together so this step helps to take the labour out of that situation.

I hope this helps you guys out. I also like to just make a key for my highlighting that I use for a bookmark, that way I can constantly refer to it. Message me if you have any ideas or things you want me to post about.

[greenstudies]

Studying with anxiety/depression

Today I wanted to share some tips on how to make studying easier despite mental illness. I chose to mention anxiety and depression specifically because it’s what I have experience with.

Give yourself time -I know this one is easier said than done, especially when your illness makes you procrastinate. But this will help you fight overwhelm so much I promise. Try to start doing things as soon as you can. Talk yourself into starting. Just starting, nothing more.

Divide tasks into smaller chunks -If you give yourself time, then you can work small piece by piece. Writing 10 page essay is overwhelming as hell but knowing you have to write a few words per day or just do research will help you dial the feelings down a bit.

Just start -Tell yourself you have to do this just for 5 minutes. Just 5 minutes. Nothing bad can happen to you in 5 minutes. This will get you started and once you’re in it and going, you should be able to continue for a lot longer.

Something is better than nothing -You might not be able to memorise all 20 pages or write the entire essay right now, but if you start and learn one page or write half a page, you’re already moving forward.

Done is what we’re going for -Just get it done. Not perfect, not even good. Just done. Because sometimes it’s the best thing you can do for yourself.

It’s never as important as it seems -Things always seem huge and scary but ultimately, it’s never that bad. Hell, if you really zoom out you’ll realise the most important thing is just staying alive and a bad grade isn’t going to kill you.

Priotitize -Sometimes you just won’t have the energy to do everything, so pick the most important ones and leave the rest. You might come back to it later, you might not.

Ask for help if you need it -Ask teachers, ask friends. Know you’re not alone.

Be kind to yourself -Do not beat yourself up over failing things or feeling like you’re not doing as well as others. Just realise that unlike healthy people, you’re dragging this huge boulder. Sometimes lighter, sometimes heavier, but it’s always an extra weight. And yet you’re running the same race and you’re surviving. You should be proud of yourself.

Relax properly -Make time for yourself. Do things that doesn’t involve mindless scrolling. Get all the rest you need.

I hope I helped and have an amazing weekend.

[thebookworm212]

things I wish i would have known my first year of University

1) Make an outline for your papers. it doesn’t have to be detailed but having one will help you keep on track when writing. it will only take you a few minutes to brainstorm one. 

2) always carry a spare charger and a backup battery for your phone. honestly, our phones are an extension of us now, so nothing is scarier than when it dies halfway through your class. a backup battery and a charger are always handy.

3) set smaller deadlines and stick to them. you might flounder if you decide to have your 2000 word essay all done and edited for March 14. but you might have an easier time deciding to have 500 words written by March 8, 1000 words by March 10, 1500 words by March 11, 2000 words by March 13, and to edit it on the 14th. these smaller deadlines have really helped me to get my work done and to not to stress about deadlines. splitting up my assignments into smaller chunks makes it more manageable. 

4) email your professors if you have questions. or go to their office when they’re in. don’t sit there in confused silence, it won’t help. 

5) Do practise Self-care and take breaks. these don’t always have to be full days off with a spa day. it can be having a bubble bath after studying for hours, or watching a movie that makes you laugh after finishing an essay. or just making sure you're eating healthy and drinking water. 

6) do put important dates in your calendar. weather its a psychical calendar, or one on your phone/ computer. I have all my major dates on my computer laptop, it helps when I am studying and wondering when I have an exam or need to remember when to hand in a paper. 

7) always have a highlighter, a pencil, a pen, and spare paper. you never know when you’re going to have a pop quiz or an activity in class. 

8) reach out to friends and spend time with them/ your family. people tend to isolate themselves during exam/paper/midterm season. while you definitely need to study, you also need to have social connections. make a study date at your library or even get a coffee with a friend. 

[ravenlesslangblr]

9 points about language learning and how I’m learning 20+ of them

I’ve had a few requests to write about how I learn my languages. To different degrees, there’s currently 20+ of them and I don’t see myself stopping yet. The thing is, learning languages comes really easily to me and I want to share, maybe it will be helpful to somebody else.

First, I’d like to have a look at first versus second language acquisition. I’m a linguist and I’m super interested in Child Language Acquisition. That however, has a critical age of 14 (or so I was always told) and is then no longer possible and any language learned after that age will never progress as quickly or can’t be learned perfectly. Well. I disagree. The simple difference is - first language acquisition is how you acquired your first language(s) as a child. By imitating, finding patterns, etc. Second language acquisition is what you know from language courses. Vocabulary, irregular verb tables, endless exercises. Now that we got some of the terminology off the table, let me see how I actually learn languages: 1) I utilise elements of the first language acquisition rather than second language I’ve only studied vocab a couple times at school, when I put them into Quizlet or when someone forced me to. I’ll get back to it in another point. I don’t learn patterns. I know there is one and I let the input do its magic of slithering into my head. Again, more on that in point 2. You always get told you’ll learn a language better when you’re thrown into the country where they speak it.  And it’s so true because of the processes behind it. Because input and immersion are the keys and that’s how children learn, too.

2) I don’t cram languages. I process them.

Around langblrs, I keep seeing all the ‘crying over verb tables’, ‘trying to learn a 1000 words this week’ and the like. That may work for you, sure. But I’ve never done that. I did learn a few irregular verb patterns for German in class, but while I could recite them, it wasn’t helpful. In Irish, I sometimes still wonder which verb ‘An ndeachaigh tú?’ comes from. The thing is, you’re able to process language. You know this word is probably irregular. If you come across it and don’t know what the irregular form is, look it up. After you’ve looked it up for the tenth time, you’ll probably remember by then. Same with anything else. Don’t try to learn things by heart when it comes to languages. 3) Vocab?? Same rule applies here. I’ve only learned vocab at school and then a handful of times when I wasn’t too lazy to put it into Quizlet (which is fun and I learn something, but it’s more of a useful pastime than anything). When you read, just skip the words you don’t know and only really look them up if you can’t tell by context. NEVER translate vocabulary. I mean, sure, look up what it means, but don’t connect it to the word itself. Connect it to the meaning. Pictures work better. As for abstract words, imagine the concept. Just try not to bridge the meaning of the word with your native language. Languages in your brain are meant to be two separate units. Unless you’re working on a translation piece, they shouldn’t be ‘touching’. 4) I use example sentences for everything.

Grammar guides are useful but rather than learning all the rules at once, take it one step at a time and remember some example sentences and let them guide you through the grammar rule you need.

5) Input is everything. Output is hard, but you’re basically imitating input and utilizing patterns you know (or think you know). Let me give you an example. Let’s say I’m writing a piece on my daily routine, for example. I make use of the example sentences and try to tailor them to my own needs. Trial and error, if I make a mistake, it’s okay, if somebody points it out, I probably won’t make it next time. As I progress, I will gradually remove the mistake. Same goes to new words and new verbs. Use the input you’ve got. Does this verb sound like some other verb you’ve heard before? It’s might have a similar conjugation pattern. You can check it, you don’t have to.

6) Learning languages should NOT be stressful! I never stressed over learning a language. Sure, I’m frustrated that after a year and a half of learning Irish, I’m not 100% fluent, but I’ve never stressed over it. I’ve never cried over it. I’ve never cried over a language (I only cried after a French oral exam which I thought I failed). Don’t be hard on yourself and try learning through a method that’s not stressful. Watch videos for children. Read books for children. Write down cool things in your target language(s). 7) You’ve learned a language before. Why wouldn’t you be able to learn it now in a very similar way? This is basically me saying that I have little belief in the efficiency of pure second language acquisition. Maybe a few individuals can reach fluency by cramming a language, the thing is, I think that if we concentrate on processing instead of remembering, just like we did when we were children, we can reach better results in a shorter amount of time. Also, if this is your third or fourth language, compare to languages you already know. 8) I don’t start with basics. I start ‘somewhere’.

Delve into the language the second you’ve started. Are you overwhelmed? That’s fine! You’ll find your way around it. Start with word meanings, finding out what kind of sentences those are and then build your way around it. Don’t start saying ‘hello’ and ‘I’m from’. Those are cool, but usually, they are used in a different way when you actually go out and speak. You’ll get them along the way.

9) Don’t rely on instructions (only). Rely on yourself.

This is just my two cents. I’ve pieced this together trying to remember how I’ve learned what I’ve learned and comparing it to how others around me learned. Please, let me know if it makes any sense. I may edit this and post this again later if I have any more ideas. Feel free to contribute or to bombard me with questions. I’m happy to answer.

[collegemode]

Okay, so you’ve been called smart all your life. As a kid, you were one of the smartest in your class. Maybe you could read at a much higher level than your peers, or you could fly through multiplication drills like they were nothing. Then, you get to high school and suddenly you’re surrounded by lots of people who were ‘gifted kids’. None of what made you ‘special’ seems all that important now. Your work is actually challenging, and it’s actually requiring effort.

If you’re experiencing this, just know that so many students have gone through the same thing. Maybe it happens in high school, maybe college. But a lot of us who were considered gifted as kids suddenly run into this and it challenges our entire identity. It can be paralyzing, but it’s 100% possible to overcome it and succeed! I’ve compiled a few tips for ex-gifted kids dealing with impostor syndrome and self-doubt. I’m not a therapist, psychologist, or any sort of education expert. I’m just speaking to my own experiences, and I welcome any input from others who have insight into this as well!

1. Understand that working hard does not mean you aren’t intelligent. If something doesn’t come naturally to you, that’s not a reason to give up. Believing that people can do things “just because they were born with a talent for it” is only going to hurt you. It’s not true! People may have natural aptitudes for things, but hard work is involved even for the smartest or most talented people. You are capable of learning anything, and you don’t have to be “good at it” right away to do so.

2. Comparison will kill you. You are your only competition. Focusing on how you rank with other students, and comparing yourself to your classmates is going to exhaust you. By focusing on others, you can’t put your full energy into focusing on your work and yourself. You belong. Even if you struggle with your work, you belong. Focus on your own self-improvement and doing your best.

3. Don’t focus on the goal, focus on your current actions. If you’re always thinking about the future, and about whether you’ll get into that school or that program or win that award or get that scholarship, you’re not using that time to get work done. Don’t worry about college applications, just do your homework. Focus on what you are doing now to reach your goals so you can apply to schools with confidence later.

4. Your grades may not reflect intelligence, but they do reflect work ethic. Don’t let others convince you that grades mean nothing. They sure as hell mean a lot to colleges, and thinking that you should “reject the current education system” is not going to harm anyone but yourself. If you don’t feel like you’re learning anything in your high school classes, that’s all the more reason to want to get into a university that will challenge you. If you put effort into your work, it will not let you down. Your hard work will be reflected on your transcript. Don’t lose focus.

5. Talk to someone. Let people know if you’re struggling. It can be hard to feel like you aren’t allowed to identify as “smart” or to feel pressure to constantly compete and improve. I went to a highly competitive high school that pushed kids to cope in dangerous ways. This is not healthy and not okay. If you’re feeling overwhelmed you need to find healthy coping mechanisms. Speak with someone you trust and don’t let yourself spiral. Don’t try to self medicate. Your well being is always more important than your grades. Period.

6. Enjoy yourself. School may seem like hell, and you may feel like it will never end and you’ll always be stressed and worried. But high school is only four years, and you can do things during that time that you probably won’t ever again. Take advantage of things that seem fun, even if people think they’re nerdy or weird. Try and remind yourself that you’re lucky to have your education and you have the power to do great things with it. Don’t lose sight of your own ability and your bright future!

[anatomyandcappuccini]

Studying from home, a new lifestyle during #Covid19 plague

Every library is closed, so are universities and you may be desperate because the library was the only place where you were able to focus.. I totally get you! But as someone who’ve spent most of its school years studying at home.. I can assure you that it’s totally fine! You just need a few techniques and organization skills and you’ll see that everything will be ok ! So here we go : 

Clean and declutter your study space. Store the books you don’t need anymore and only keep the essentials on your desk. I’ll share with you an old article I wrote on Tumblr about how to upgrade your workspace!

Block distractions : give your phone to your mom, use the Forest app, the Flipd app or just put it in airplane mode !

Cut the outside noise : a good playlist (my Lofi playlist for example :P), earplugs and the door shut can help you be in the « library » mood…

Make a study plan and try to stick to a routine.. It’s easy to lose track of time when you spend all of your days at home! This is why keeping a healthy routine and set hours for meals and breaks is really important!

Since it’s easier to get distracted at home, make sure to take more breaks than the usual (for example a 45min study session and a 10 min break).

If you have online lectures and a #studybuddy that you trust, why not split the work (for example you follow half of the lectures and your colleague the other half) and then sharing your notes? Also, why not creating a Google Drive with your colleagues so everyone shares their notes? The quarantine will be long so a little support from each other is more than welcomed!!

You can also have skype sessions with your colleagues to debate about a subject, or quiz each other so you don’t feel too alone and you keep track of your progress :)

You can also take the time to go deeper into the subjects you have to study and not only scratching the surface like you may be used to do ! This is also a great way to discover if you’re more interested in some subjects than others and who knows, maybe you’ll find a new passion !

If you feel like you can’t focus anymore then.. stop. It’s totally fine to not being able to study all day, especially when you have nothing else to do and when the deadlines are still far and unsure. So Take this time to enjoy your family, work on yourself, read a book, or start a new hobby.

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