biomed boi

Hey! My name is em and im studying biomed at Australian Catholic University :)      (follow from @puppywaffle)

[biomed-boi]

Intro to my Studyblr

Hey! My name is em, and I’m new to the whole studyblr scene. I do browse through some every now and then, and I’ve decided to make my own :) I’m really hoping to get on top of study this semester to improve my GPA and my knowledge on what I’m studying. I’ve got more about me and my studies under the cut.

About Me:

I’m 19 years old, currently in my second year of university

My family is a mix of nationalities, mainly Italian, but I’m born and raised Australian

I’m living in Victoria, Australia which is not the best place to be living right now in the pandemic but I’m getting by

I’m taking a bachelor course in biomedical science at ACU

I’m really into rock and metal music, and the live scene in my city

I’m also really into reading novels, I can get through a good sized novel in a day and I’m currently reading the Heroes of Olympus series

Academic Stuff:

I’m currently taking neuroscience, pharmacology, communication in science and industry immersion units as part of my fourth semester

I’ve previously completed two chemistry units, two maths units, another communication unit and around three biology units (and two philosophy units but we don’t talk about those)

I enjoy the biology and chemistry units because I’m really passionate about science, I try to enjoy the maths but it’s hard haha

I got offered a membership to Golden Key but they wanted me to pay $100 and I couldn’t afford it :(

Goals:

I want to bring my GPA up above 6.2 and get on my universities Deans list

I want to get a summer internship in a laboratory for my work placement to see what it’s like to work in a biology lab

I’m hoping this studyblr will motivate me into better work ethics so I can improve my study efficiency and stop procrastinating

I’m also hoping to improve and maintain a steady amount of exercise at home while I can’t get out to the gym

I want to increase the amount of creative work I do, whether it be drawing or writing or any other form of creativity

My Commitments (hopefully):

I’m hoping to be active a couple of days a week posting about my study progress and habits, as well as posting any tips or small accomplishments

I don’t necessarily have neat or pretty writing, and I’m not too good at taking photos but I want to upload photos with every post

I’m going to be posting about my hobbies as well as my study, not an overwhelming amount but just enough to motivate me to do them instead of watching youtube or netflix

While I’m not too confident in my teaching ability, I’m very confident in my knowledge in biology and fairly confident in my knowledge on chemistry so I’m happy to try answer any questions 

Again, not the most confident with my ability to teach but if anyone needs more help than just a question I can try help explain concepts, I wont charge anything but feel free to donate a few bucks to help me pay for studying supplies

I’m also hoping to potentially make educational youtube videos on the topics I’ve studied and done well on, so if I end up doing that I’ll link a channel here

At the moment I’m living under stage 4 restrictions due to the pandemic and as a result I can’t get employment anywhere, and due to familial circumstances I can’t receive any government assistance. If you end up liking my blog and I somehow maintain a schedule, please consider donating to my paypal so I can afford study supplies and coffee :)

I follow back from @puppywaffle

[tiny-personal-university-thing]

🎒Backpacks 101🌻

Essentials for Class

Your laptop/spirals/tablet/your preferred note-taking medium. For professors that speak quickly and cover a lot of information in a short amount of time before moving on to the next slide, I always like to use my laptop. Some professors prohibit the use of laptops (even for note-taking). So, I like to use a cheap spiral for class in which I will write information/graphics with the knowledge that they don’t have to be perfect. This is just to ensure that I get the information down. When I get home I transfer all of the notes into a nicer spiral to look over later. This also works to help me retain the information! 

My all-time favorite spiral notebooks are the Exceed Five Subject Notebooks. I love these because in the front they have a world map, a punctuation chart, a metric unit conversion chart, spelling rules, a ruler, and a glossary of general reference and research sites.

Loose-leaf paper. This is especially helpful for me because many of my professors will give pop-quizzes/pop-writing assignments. Also great for when a classmate needs to borrow some paper. You can whip it out and make a friend for all semester. 

Personally, I like to use Five Star Reinforced Filler Paper by Mead.

Pencil Bag. Naturally, not having to frantically dig around your backpack for a pen/pencil/highlighter makes your day go so much smoother.

I prefer the Mead Five Star Organizer Pencil Pouch.

My pencil bag comes complete with an assortment of pens, pencils, highlighters, two flash drives, a pencil sharpener, and an entire 50 pack of Crayola Super Tips. Yes, my pencil bag fits that much. 

Laptop charger & phone charger. I recommend purchasing a powerblock as well to ensure that you don’t have to compete over the use of limited outlets. Thousands of college students across the nation fail to charge their electronics nightly, don’t get caught in the crossfires of that feeding frenzy.

Headphones. Something about not having my music while I’m on the bus or walking across campus really kills my mood for the day. 

My planner! Stop writing stuff on your hand or on random pieces of paper. Get yourself a cheap planner. Even if you are not a planner user right now, just forcing yourself to use one for 30 days will forge an unbreakable and life-changing habit! Take it from me. 

To Make Your Day Easier

A small umbrella for those days when the weather goes from 75′ and sunny to raining cats and dogs in 3 seconds. 

A wallet with your IDs and change. I always kick myself when I didn’t have enough change for the vending machines on campus. I kick myself even harder when I have to ask random strangers for 50 cents to buy a scantron/blue book. Also just a good idea to always have some form of ID on you. 

Water bottle. Invest in a super cool, trendy, refillable water bottle to keep yourself hydrated throughout the day. Or just keep refilling the same plastic one. 

Deodorant. This is so silly but I am always forgetting to put on deodorant before I walk out the door and I’m 22. When I get to class I realize I’ve forgotten and panic as the Texas heat encompasses me. Travel-sized deodorants are so beneficial. 

An emergency tampon/pad. Or two!!! Goes without saying. Surprises are always fun until it’s your period. I keep emergency tampons in my truck, in my apron for work, in my backpack, in my horse trailer. I do not play around. 

Ibuprofen/Aspirin 

Light snacks. We’re talking a granola bar or seven to keep your stomach from gurgling when you’re taking that exam and of course everyone showed up to class. 

A flashdrive.

Chapstick, sunscreen, or lotion can also make you more comfortable sitting in class. 

Quick Tips About Backpacks

While, yes, those little fashionable ones are cute, they don’t hold the essentials and can be damaging to your back, causing soreness and discomfort. Buying a Jansport absolutely saved my back and stopped my chronic pain from progressing! 

Obviously there are hundreds of amazing brands of backpacks out there, but I strongly urge you to purchase a bag with:

a sleeve inside for your laptop

at least three pockets - so everything has a place

those little mesh side pockets

adjustable (preferably PADDED) shoulder straps! 

Another thing! I always place my heavier items (laptop & textbooks) CLOSEST to my back. That way the weight doesn’t drag you down backwards and cause back pain (my doctor literally told me this). This is where having multiple pockets is so helpful. 

Adjust your shoulder straps so that you can also maintain good posture while walking. The weight of your backpack + where it sits on your back should not cause you to lean forward or sway backwards in order to compensate. Also fun fact - when I was in middle school I thought it was cool to have a backpack that hung really low (?) and it created a pinched nerve in my neck! Awesome! Don’t be like me! 

Remember that backpacks -while they can absolutely be super cute and trendy- are meant to possess functionality. Your backpack should carry the essentials you need to have a successful and comfortable day at class.

Lastly, 10/10 would recommend cleaning out your backpack frequently! Make sure it stays organized and free of clutter. I also like to make sure I take all of my spirals and planner out of my backpack each day after class so that after I rest for a bit - I know I have things I need to get to. 

Organizing Your Backpack - By Pockets

-Largest pocket (closest to your back): 

Heavier items such as your laptop, binders, textbooks, loose leaf paper and planner. Laptop should go inside the sleeve (if applicable). 

-Second largest pocket

Items such as your pencil bag, chargers, and umbrella.

-Smallest pocket

Items that you won’t be pulling in and out too frequently, such as headphones, deodorant, chapstick, a flashdrive, snacks, wallet, keys, painkillers, and your emergency tampons (if applicable). 

-Side pockets

Here I obviously like to keep my water bottle or coffee thermos. If you have more than one pocket this is also a great place to keep your little umbrella.

Happy studying, realistic students!

[productive-tips]

Follow @productive-tips for more tips and content like this posted daily! Handpicked and curated with love :)

[apathycarestostudy]

Studyblr Community Challenge (04, 05, 06 / 31)

Heyyo! I thought the questions kind of followed the same trail of thought (if you understand me, thank you, and if you don’t, I’m sorry lol), so I decided to answer them all at the same time. Yipee.

Day 4 - How long have you had a studyblr?

According to my first post, I’ve been actively participating in the studyblr community since August 2nd 2019, and I say actively participating because I’ve been quietly lurking for wayyyyyyy longer.

The short answer: a year and some change.

Day 5 - Have you ever done a challenge before?

None publicly so to say. I’d see productivity challenges and do them myself and record my progress privately, but never like this. 

Day 6 - Why did you decide to do this challenge and what is your goal?

I thought it would be nice to do it now that I’ve mainly established my niche. I wanted to formally introduce myself and get to know more people through this. Sooo if you’re reading this, feel free to holla.

My goal is to become better at interacting with people. Not that I don’t have that skill, but we can always improve, ya know? I want to talk to people and be a social butterfly and all that jazz, so maybe this challenge could help facilitate that.

[cee-be]

3.10.20 [12/100]

I survived my first week of lectures! I really like all my courses this semester.

[biomed-boi]

October 4th - Human Genitalia (Male)

I have a feeling this might get flagged 😅. This image is a sample of the human penis. Looking at it without too much knowledge of the cell type or structure, I’m not to sure what has caused the shapes or patterning that you can see. There is a dense mass of what I can identify to be cells close to the bottom left as seen by the presence of many nuclei, but I’m not too sure what those cells make up. Regardless, this is a very cool looking image.

Day 4 of the studyblr community challenge -  How long have you had a studyblr? I started my studyblr around a month ago actually, so I’m fairly new. I’ve wanted to have one for a while but I never got around to it until now. I’m excited to continue it in the future though!

I’ve been studying hard recently. One of my new assignments is really involved so I’ve been learning a lot about how atherosclerosis forms and a new-ish potential treatment. It is very interesting but I have to read so many journal articles. I’ve got to present the information I find twice as well, so it’s my main study focus at the moment. Other than that, I’ve got an essay to write on how ketamine could potentially be used to treat depression, and my other subjects are unnervingly undemanding. 

I’ve actually gotten on top of exercise recently, I’ve been getting up early to stretch and go on walks to train for my fundraiser walk. It’s been so long since I’ve done proper exercise my body is aching after just 3 days. I’m really happy I get to participate though, so I’m gonna keep it up. 

We cracked the $500 goal for my part of the fundraiser! I’m so excited to have raised this much for cancer research, it’s unreal. I’ve increased the goal to $750 to keep the donations coming in, I’m hoping to raise even more. If you can spare a few dollars, the link is still available here, otherwise please share!

https://my.unitetofightcancer.org.au/emma-mt

[biomed-boi]

Studyblr Community Challenge (and a caterpillar i found)

I forgot to get this done the past few days, oops! I’ll get the first 3 days done in the one post :D

Day 1 -  Introduce yourself and tell us what you study! My name is em and I study biomed! I enjoy science in general, and the course I’ve chosen is really interesting. As for me, I enjoy listening to music and working on projects whether it’s for work, uni or personal enjoyment. I like keeping busy and stimulating my mind.

Day 2 -  Explain your studyblr URL! I like the alliteration :). Other than that, it’s the name I came up with for my class group chat, and I figured I could steal it for here as well.

Day 3 -  Why did you create your studyblr? I created a studyblr for a couple of reasons. I admire the community for being able to balance study with semi-regular blog posts, and how dedicated they are to doing well. I really enjoy how friendly everyone in the community is as well. I also find that when I can share what I’m working on with people who express interest it’s a lot more fun to work. And finally I figured if I had a commitment to a semi-regular blog I’d have to keep a better schedule, which would help me get more work done. 

One more thing, along with everything I’m doing at uni at the moment I’m participating in a walk to raise funds for cancer research this month! I’m really excited to be able to help, and it’s helping me involve myself more in the research community. 

If you can spare a few dollars to cancer research, please donate through this link: https://my.unitetofightcancer.org.au/emma-mt

[biomed-boi]

Unite to Fight Cancer!

https://my.unitetofightcancer.org.au/emma-mt

Hey guys! I’m participating in a fundraiser to raise money for cancer research!! All the money I raise is going to the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, which is one of the leading cancer research centres in the world. I’m very passionate about this due to the impact cancer has had on my family in the past, and I want to raise as much money as I can. 

The Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre is a hospital and research organisation based in Australia dedicated to providing cancer care and working on breakthroughs in cancer treatments and other cancer research. During coronavirus, cancer research is still essential as it helps accelerate research to help improve the chance of survival of cancer patients both during the pandemic and beyond it. 

The fundraiser involves me walking 60km in 10 days between the 15th and 24th of October. As an extra challenge I’m hoping to run some of it as well. In preparation I’m planning on doing walks almost every day around my study to keep up awareness of the fundraiser, and to keep in shape myself. If you can, please donate! Any amount will help contribute to breakthrough research.

I know I’m a relatively new studyblr and I don’t have many followers, so I’m hoping everyone who sees this can do me a favour. Please don’t donate if you can’t afford to, but please please share this post and link as much as you can to support me! This is the first fundraiser I’ve done and even though I’m still a small blog, I’m lucky to have a platform like this to promote through. To anyone who reblogs this, what I can offer is my eternal gratitude, a follow from me at my main blog @puppywaffle​, and several shout outs throughout the duration of the fundraiser and afterwards in posts to promote your blogs. If you donate, I can offer extra shout outs over a longer duration for any blog you would like, and a follow as well. I know I don’t have much reach but I can do my best in helping to promote your blog or another platform if you would prefer. Contact me through direct message if you’d like anything specific :)

Thank you all so much for giving this a read, I’ve attached the link and I’m hoping the community can help me spread the word about this amazing fundraiser!

https://my.unitetofightcancer.org.au/emma-mt

[biomed-boi]

Unite to Fight Cancer!

https://my.unitetofightcancer.org.au/emma-mt

Hey guys! I’m participating in a fundraiser to raise money for cancer research!! All the money I raise is going to the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, which is one of the leading cancer research centres in the world. I’m very passionate about this due to the impact cancer has had on my family in the past, and I want to raise as much money as I can. 

The Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre is a hospital and research organisation based in Australia dedicated to providing cancer care and working on breakthroughs in cancer treatments and other cancer research. During coronavirus, cancer research is still essential as it helps accelerate research to help improve the chance of survival of cancer patients both during the pandemic and beyond it. 

The fundraiser involves me walking 60km in 10 days between the 15th and 24th of October. As an extra challenge I’m hoping to run some of it as well. In preparation I’m planning on doing walks almost every day around my study to keep up awareness of the fundraiser, and to keep in shape myself. If you can, please donate! Any amount will help contribute to breakthrough research.

I know I’m a relatively new studyblr and I don’t have many followers, so I’m hoping everyone who sees this can do me a favour. Please don’t donate if you can’t afford to, but please please share this post and link as much as you can to support me! This is the first fundraiser I’ve done and even though I’m still a small blog, I’m lucky to have a platform like this to promote through. To anyone who reblogs this, what I can offer is my eternal gratitude, a follow from me at my main blog @puppywaffle​, and several shout outs throughout the duration of the fundraiser and afterwards in posts to promote your blogs. If you donate, I can offer extra shout outs over a longer duration for any blog you would like, and a follow as well. I know I don’t have much reach but I can do my best in helping to promote your blog or another platform if you would prefer. Contact me through direct message if you’d like anything specific :)

Thank you all so much for giving this a read, I’ve attached the link and I’m hoping the community can help me spread the word about this amazing fundraiser!

https://my.unitetofightcancer.org.au/emma-mt

[biomed-boi]

29th September - Mammal Spinal Ganglion and Nerve (and my chickens)

This is one of the most interesting things I got to look at under the microscope before classes moved online. While it doesn’t have pretty patterns like some of the other ones, there’s so much going on with the different structures and colours. Ganglia are the locations where cell bodies of nerves are found, typically creating a bulge in the section of nerve fibres. Nerves are made up of many different neurons, and the cell bodies are typically located in the same area, which is what contributes to the bulge. In this photo, the more amber coloured circles may be the cell bodies of the nerve due to their shape and colouration.

I’ve been so busy lately I haven’t been able to post much ☹. Just had a wave of assignments due, and as a reward for completing them all I was given more assignments. I’ve given myself a bit of a break this weekend though, and I’m staying at my partners house. Study is looming over me though, and I know I’ve got to get back to it soon. At the moment all the assignments I need to work on are pretty big, as we’re getting closer to the end of semester. I’m so happy I only have to study for one exam this time 😃. I prefer written assignments cause I can work on the almost as much as I want, so I can know if I did my best before I need to submit them.

Got to hang out with my chickens a bit last week. We’ve got one girl who’s pretty inquisitive and tried to climb me like a mountain. I’ve got to come up with names for them all, they’re such lovely ladies. I’m starting to read Skulduggery Pleasant at the request of many friends, and I’m finding it pretty good. I have a bit of a weakness for fiction directed at younger audiences sometimes, I love the fantastical adventures. 

I’ve also started participating in a fundraiser for cancer research. I’m going to make a more detailed post about it, but I’m really hoping the studyblr community could help me out by sharing it when I post it sometime tomorrow. The funds will support the leading cancer research foundation in Australia, and I’m hoping to be able to make a difference. 

[myhoneststudyblr]

Here is my brand new challenge! I hope that you will all enjoy taking part in this challenge <3

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Info

This challenge will begin on the 1st October 2020 and will run for the entire month

HOWEVER! My plan for this challenge is also that it can be done at any time (like the 100 days of productivity challenge for example), so although it will be officially starting then (and that is when I will be doing it) you can start it at any time

There are 31 prompts - one for each day of the month

If you do the challenge, use the tag #studyblr community challenge so i can track the posts and see what you are all posting (and so others can see as well!)

Days 1 -14 are essentially a way to introduce yourself to the community and to find out about the person behind the blog!

Days 15 -28 are what really excite me about this challenge! Essentially, my initial idea was to do an ‘appreciation challenge’ and so these days are essentially this idea within the larger challenge. It is an opportunity to tag studyblrs that you love and let them know that you appreciate them 

The final three days of the challenge are about reflection and looking at yourself positively.  

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Aims

As the name suggests, I want this challenge to be about community 

Studyblr has personally helped me so much and I’ve met some incredible people and I thought this challenge would be a good way to bring the community closer 

When I was creating this challenge, I tried to keep in mind new studyblrs. I think that it is a good way of introducing yourself and getting involved in the community, as well as having things to post, if you have just started! It could also be a good way for people to find your blog!

That said, if you have been in studyblr for a while (for example, like me!), this challenge is definitely still for you! I think it will be a good way for your followers to find out more about you and to discover some new blogs!

Overall, I hope that this challenge will promote positivity, appreciation and productivity

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Rules

If you want to do this challenge, please reblog this post

There are daily prompts for 31 days but challenges should never be a burden so you can post as frequently as you like/are able to 

When tagging, please do not spam people. Tag someone different for each day so we can share the love. 

I would suggest only tagging 1 person for each of the days but I understand that it could be a hard choice for some days. Therefore, I would say that a maximum of 3 people can be tagged for each of the days. 

Please be respectful. Some of the prompts are asking about personal opinions and you might disagree, but make sure to remember that everyone has had different experiences and the questions are designed to promote the sharing of ideas. 

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Prompts

Day 1 - Introduce yourself and tell us what you study!

Day 2 - Explain your studyblr URL! 

Day 3 - Why did you create your studyblr?

Day 4 - How long have you had a studyblr?

Day 5 - Have you ever done a challenge before?

Day 6 - Why did you decide to do this challenge and what is your goal?

Day 7 - What is your goal for your studyblr for the next few months?

Day 8 - What is the best thing about studyblr in your opinion?

Day 9 - What is the worst thing about studyblr in your opinion?

Day 10 - What is one thing you wished you could change about studyblr?

Day 11 - What is something that you have learnt from studyblr?

Day 12 - How much time do you spend on studyblr per day on average?

Day 13 - Do you have an ‘aesthetic’? If yes, what is it?

Day 14 - What are some of your study essentials?

Day 15 - Tag someone you look up to

Day 16 - Tag someone who has beautiful handwriting 

Day 17 - Tag someone who you think is really kind

Day 18 - Tag someone who makes you think more deeply about things

Day 19 - Tag someone you are grateful to have met

Day 20 - Tag someone who has a lovely aesthetic

Day 21 - Tag someone you think works really hard and deserves appreciation

Day 22 - Tag someone who makes you smile

Day 23 - Tag someone whose blog you always check 

Day 24 - Tag someone who posts the best text posts

Day 25 - Tag someone who gives good advice

Day 26 - Tag someone who you would like to get to know

Day 27 - Tag someone who makes you laugh 

Day 28 - Tag someone who you think everyone should follow

Day 29 - What are three things that you are proud of?

Day 30 - What are three things about yourself that you love?

Day 31 - What are three things that inspire you? 

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I really hope you will all get involved and if you have any questions, please feel free to send me an ask!

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TAGLIST

Keep reading

[dumbassdumas]

As a scientist I am qualified to say that, in my professional opinion, I’m the dumbest bitch alive

[motivatedaily]

Give yourself an extra big hug today!

Artwork by Maeril

[cozyism]

i feel like all my notes look the same at this point  

[i-study-sometimes]

tuesday, september 15th, 2020 - day 42/100

[tikkety-tok]

Not gonna lye, it was exactly the outcome I hoped for.

[undercoverwizardninjaturtle]

omg he was just so excited when he heard it fall over

[victoria-studies-stuff-deactiva]

September 11th, 2020

Spent all day yesterday working on a textual analysis for Comp I, and now today I’m doing some work for the ever-confusing Art History class I’m in. Being at an in-person class all morning used up a lot of my spoons, but I can manage reading one chapter, don’t you think?

🎧 - C’mon C’mon, The Elwins

[biomed-boi]

13th September - Mammal Spinal Cord

No cool patterns in this image like the last few, but it’s easier to identify the structures. This is a segment of spinal cord, so it’s densely packed with neurons. The dark spots are most likely the nuclei of different neurons, and the light pink stain indicates the rest of the neuron which is largely made up by the axons. 

Once again I am falling a bit behind in my studies, but I’m on top of my assignments (mostly 😅). I finished the final touches on my opinion piece and I’m ready to submit it, and I’ve started up on a video presentation assignment. I’m hoping to get a start on the writing competition piece soon as well, I think I’ve got a really strong topic. I wrote up some pretty study notes from the first 2 weeks of neuroscience so I can consult them during the test, but I need to revise some of the later content, which looks challenging. 

My nonna brought me a croissant for breakfast, and it was delicious 😍. I’ve been waking up constantly throughout the week, and it’s been so refreshing to get out of bed before 9am. I find it so much easier to study in the morning. I wish in-person classes would start up again soon, but it’s looking unlikely we’ll get anymore this year 🙁. Hopefully everything starts getting back to normal by next year. 

Tomorrow is Monday, which means more online classes and an increased workload. I’m hoping this week has a bit less content, just so I can work on getting all my assignments done instead of learning new content.