Blossom Into Something Beautiful

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[lesbianeurydices]

So since my senior year of high school is starting soon (!!!) and i’m determined to be more on top of things than i was last year, here’s a bunch of websites and masterlists that have saved my life over the past few years of school. I hope you find this helpful and pls let me know if any links are broken:)

1. Writing:

Free Microsoft for COLLEGE students (sign up w/ ur college email)

synonyms for “said”

synonyms for commonly overused words

Write kickass essays hell yeah!!

Transition Words to Use in Essays

RECOVER UNSAVED DRAFTS ON MICROSOFT WORD!!!!!!! (do urself a favor and read this!!! serioulsy!!!)

Tip Of My Tongue (aka find that one word that u can’t quite remember)

Dictionary.com / Thesaurus.com

How to get Microsoft word to format your paper for you (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

2. Math/Science

WolframAlpha (enter any problem and get step by step solution)

Mathway (alternative to ^^)

WebMath (so so so so helpful!)

Online Graphing Calculator (literally SO easy to use)

Online Ruler

Free PDF Math txtbooks

NumberWorld (gives you information about any number like divisors, roots, sin/cos/tan, and so much more)

Science Equations translated to English (so important!!!!)

Chemical Equation Calculator (balances chemical equations)

3. Reading:

Sparknotes (for when u didn’t read the book and you have a test in 30 minutes)

Cliffnotes (same as above)

Annotation Method for Reading (hella. h e l l a!!!)

No Fear Shakespeare (!!!!!!)

350+ Free Ebooks and other helpful links

Download books online legally! (for when you can’t get ur class books another way)

4. Research:

Scholarpedia (a credible version of wikipedia, basically)

Print Only What You Need

Easybib (creates no stress works cited pages aka my savior)

How To Google (so. damn. helpful.)

Find Books to Use For Research

huge database of historic pictures and videos (i use this for history projects)

how to cite social media

research masterpost (free, open access, lots of different subjects)

5. Studying/Notes:

My fave study blog (also it gets me hella motivated yay)

Some other study blogs 1 , 2 ,  3 , 4 (i use these for notetaking methods + general motivation)

Successful Note Taking (i base my note taking off of this)

Note Taking Masterpost (apps and videos and more)

I dont even know what to call this just click it ok (masterpost of everything study related, w specific courses and stuff okay its magIC)

How to make study guides

A hella way to study history (literally. so hella)

How To Make A Study Schedule (!!!!!!!!!!!)

Study Tips (this entire page is a gift from the gods)

StudyBlue (Take flashcards and notes anywhere, or look at already made flashcards)

Quizlet (Pre-made flashcards for any subject)

6. Refreshers AKA Crash Courses

MITOpenCourseware (free MIT lectures to refresh chem, physics, calc, etc)

KhanAcademy (pick what you need help on and go- includes practice problems and more- so helpful trust me)

Lectures on things like bio, law, history, and more

US History Crash Courses

Biology Crash Courses

Gov. /Politics Crash Courses

Chem Crash Courses

Literature Crash Courses

7. Exams

Final Grade Calculator (find out what you need on the final to get a certain final grade. AKA the reason i didn’t have a complete breakdown during exams.)

How to Ace Exams (where/what/how/when to study, exam specifics, etc- rlly good if you’re like me and are awful at studying)

Pull An All Nighter and still do well on exams (this shit fucking works ok)

AP Tests Cram Packets (i still cannot believe this exists)

Finals Survival Guide (just trust me)

8. Save Money

Thrift Books (books for hella low prices + free shipping)

Project Gutenberg (over 49,000 free downloads on anything- examples: psych, law, calculus, religion, european history, and SO much more)

Free College Textbook PDF Files!!!!!!!!!

Alternatives to buying overpriced Textbooks

masterpost of where to find free books/ subject specific texts

This isn’t school related but i wanna put it here anyway (A site that allows 18-25 yr olds to travel places really, REALLY cheaply)

9. Other Things

230 Instrumental Songs aka a 16 hr playlist (this saved my life ok)

Background Rain w or w/o music

Rainymood.com

Find Colleges that work for you (lots of filter options, including size, location, majors, clubs, tuition and more)

Block Sites for a certain amount of time (to avoid procrastination)

DropBox (transfer files easily/access from any computer/phone/etc)

LovelyCharts– make flowcharts, network diagrams, sitemaps, etc.

Massive database of historic pictures/videos from 1890 - 1990

10. My Own Tips For School

-Get a cheap notebook/planner and use it to organize yourself. Make lists of tasks, things to remember, etc.  Seriously, i started doing this towards the end of junior year and it helped me so much.

-LISTEN TO THE TEACHER WHEN THEY EXPLAIN ASSIGNMENTS. And write important things down. No, you won’t remember it later.

-Ask for help. Most if not all teachers will be more than willing to give you assistance.

-Take advantage of your school’s resources. Seriously. They’re there for a reason.

-Do your best to get decent amounts of sleep- like, if you are done with all your schoolwork, go to bed before 4am instead of staying up watching tv shows.

-If you can’t get enough sleep, bring coffee or tea to school. No one will judge you, i promise, and its better than falling asleep throughout the day.

-YOU GOT THIS. GO FORTH AND CONQUER!!!

[drabblesandart]

Apprently swearing isn’t ladylike. What is this bullshit.

[spanishskulduggery]

Spanishskulduggery - Vocabulary List Masterpost #1 (Updated)

Someone asked if I could do a masterpost on vocab lists I’ve done (so far). So, if you’re interested in lots and lots of Spanish vocab, here you go!

This masterpost is designed to help people improve their vocabulary… or as I would put it, how to Spanish with useful or better words.

Household Items (and The Basics) / Cosas caseras (y lo básico)

The Human Body / El cuerpo humano

Sports & Exercise / Los deportes y ejercicios

Kitchen (and Restaurants) / La cocina (y los restaurantes)

Theater (and Cinema) / El teatro (y el cinema)

Weddings (and Family) / La boda (y la familia)

Fairy Tales / Los cuentos de hadas

Politics / La política

Cars and Driving / Los carros, coches, y autos

Trees and Flowers / Los árboles y las flores

Birds / Las aves

Sea Creatures / Las criaturas del mar

Races and other Human Things / Las razas y otras cosas humanas

Para gustos hay colores - More color words than you will ever need to know

Various Vocab tag

Palabras Claves tag

Spanishskulduggery Vocabulario tag

Some Spanish Verbal Prefixes w/ Examples

Spanish Suffixes -ez and -eza

Spanish Suffixes -ura

Spanish Suffixes -ista

Spanish Suffixes -dumbre

Spanish Suffixes -ería

Spanish Loanwords in English

Why’s that word masculine when it ends in an -a?

Why does that word have a masculine article but takes a feminine adjective? - el agua, el alma, el ave, el águila and other Spanish rarities

When Gender Changes Meaning

Fruit / Fruit Trees / Fruit Plantations - Look at those linguistic suffixes and characteristics in action

Compound Words / Palabras compuestas

Palabras compuestas #2

Using Diminutives

Using Augmentatives

Spanishskulduggery - Word Association Masterpost #1

Countries and Cities Around the World - Brought to you by fact-checking, WordReference, and lots of Wikipedia searches

Nationalities & Demonyms - Good luck

Heads or Tails (by Spanish-speaking country)

So many Reflexive Verbs

Verbs + Prepositions

Stem-Changing Verbs -zco

Spanishskulduggery - Unexpectedly Useful Verbs Masterpost #1

Past Participles in Spanish - Regular, Irregular, & Secondaries

The poner Family Tree

Idioms with prestar

Idioms with dar and darse

Idioms with tener

Academic Spanish Phrases and Parts of Speech

[vincent-van-go-away]

How to play "Paranoia"

This is literally the best party game ever ok so here’s what you do:

Everyone sits in a circle

Whoever goes first whispers a question to the person on their right

The person on the right must answer the question out loud. The trick is, no one else in the circle knows the question. 

Next, someone flips a flip-flop up in the air. 

If it lands face up: the asker must say the question out loud to the whole group

If the flip flop lands face down: the asker doesn’t say anything, and everyone in the group is left to wonder what in the world the question was. 

And you go around the circle like that. The best questions have the answers as people. We like to limit it just to people in the circle, too. It just makes it more fun. 

Here are some examples of good questions:

You have to cover someone in the circle completely in peanut butter and lick it all off. Who?

You and one other person must be surgically bound together for the rest of your life. Who is the other person?

You and someone in the circle go in a dark room for 1 hour and do unspeakable things. Who?

the creepy sexual ones are the best, and it’s really fun when you limit it to people in the circle. have fun

[chwelove]

150612 Vernon · Mingyu

[nevereverbeensosatisfied]

[ijustwantchipotle]

EVERYTIME IT’S ON MY DASHBOARD I WATCH IT AND CRY BEST VIDEO

[alllforyouandmore]

ITS BACK THANK YOU GOD

[therothwoman]

This video is a gift.

[livingonthecuspofdeath]

I want what she’s having.

[facebookstaff-blog]

‘okay calm down deedee’

[acetoxy-deactivated20151215]

[chessys]

my husband of twenty years: i love you me: he’s just saying that to be nice

[pandreos]

[heathens-and-kings]

[egberts]

where can i buy that for free

[billy-old-deactivated20181202]

if you step on a person’s foot they open their mouths, just like trash cans.

[thr0atmistress-deactivated20191]

LMAO WHY AM I STILL LAUGHING AT THIS

[hatake]

when something stressful comes up

[simeleons]

deleting your vent post 3 minutes after compulsively writing it

[sara-laughed]

A full list of my guides to college success!

How to get your best grades in college (x)

The ultimate guide to college organization (x)

How to write the perfect college essay (x)

The ultimate guide to packing for college (x)

How to stay calm and reduce stress during college (x)

45 tips for staying organized in college (x)

How to prepare for college over the summer (x)

5 best apps for college students (x)

How to make a study plan for finals (x)

College is not “one size fits all” (and that’s a good thing) (x)

[totallytasmia]

Artists working with their surroundings, via demilked.com

Credits: Natalia Rak, Oak Oak, (pictures 2, 3, 4, 5) Banksy, Mentalgassi, Anonymous, Sandrine Boulet, Nuxuno Xän,

[blossom-darling]

The Tiny Anthropologist's Advice for College:

8 AM classes really aren't that bad: It may take some willpower (and coffee) to get there, but really, 8AMs aren't that bad. Get a decent amount of sleep the night before and you will be okay. If I can get myself and my 4 year old out of bed, get ready, drop her off at preschool and arrive on time for an 8am, you can too!

Taking classes that meet once a week for long blocks: If your learning style is such that sitting in a long lecture once a week is something you can handle, then these are the best classes to take. Personally, I have done 3 semesters of these and they have been my favorite and the ones I have gotten the best grades in.

Scheduling back-to-back class periods: These can be beneficial if you're the type of person that just likes to get everything out of the way at once. However, the downside is that you will not have time to eat between classes, and you may have to grab something and eat during lecture. If the buildings for your classes are far apart, this may not even be an option. Having breaks between classes is important to allow yourself mental relaxation and to eat, or catch up on work.

Don't be afraid to change your major: I've changed my major a lot, like maybe 8-10 times. The downside is that I am graduating a year late, but I took A LOT of fascinating classes and became a much better rounded student. Colleges know that student change their minds. If you switch majors 2-3 times, you won't end up behind. I'm a special case.

Take long-hand notes: You may feel strange taking long-hand notes while everyone else is typing away at their MacBooks, but long-hand notes are MUCH more beneficial as far as long-term memory goes, and you don't run the risk of being distracted by Facebook.

Dress appropriately for class: The college stereotype of everyone attending class in their pajamas isn't true. At least make the effort to throw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Your professors will notice if you look like a slacker in class, and dressing nicely (or at least not in your pajamas) shows them that you value your education and respect their lectures. People wear anything from casual clothes to ties to class, and everything inbetween. Don't be afraid you'll be overdressed, being underdressed is much worse (in my opinion).

Cultivate relationships with professors: ATTEND OFFICE HOURS. Close relationships with professors are massively helpful! Professors are much more willing to write letters of recommendation, look over rough drafts, or help you out via email at 10pm for students that they know than ones that they don't. Additionally, professors can be some of the most interesting people you will ever meet.

Attend class: Along the same lines as above, attending class is very important. You (or your parents) are paying for you to be there. You should try to get the most out of that by attending lectures that you have signed up for. Additionally, when it comes finals time and you need to boost your grade, no professor is going to help you if you haven't attended their lectures.

Invest in a water bottle: Nothing is worse than sitting in a lecture dying of thirst.

Invest in a messenger bag, tote bag, or backpack: You don't have a locker in college and chances are your dorm will be far away from your classes. Make sure you have something to carry anything you'll need, from books, to pens and pencils, to a laptop, or even snacks like granola bars.

Take notes: Do it. Your professor knows more than you, that's why they are at the front of the room. Listen to them, and write down what they say. Then study it. This is how you learn.

Utilize the library: Other than during finals week, the library is pretty much a guaranteed quiet place to study. Additionally, college libraries have databases for research papers, printing services, and a whole lot more for students.

Eat alone if you want/have to: No one will judge you. I promise.

Annotate your books: Especially if you are an English/literature major! It is a lot easier to simply take all of your notes in the novel than to copy down page numbers and quotes into a notebook. Textbooks (like science ones) can be annotated too!

Don't let anyone shame you about your major: Each major is difficult in its own way. Don't let anyone make you feel like you're taking an "easy" major or that they are more intelligent than you because they are in a "hard" major. STEM majors are not better than Liberal Arts majors, and Liberal Arts majors are not better than STEM majors. Ignore anyone who says otherwise. Ignore anyone who says your major is pointless. This does not only apply to fellow students, but family, friends, and the world in general.

Prepare for advising periods: Class offerings are usually posted before registration is open. Take an hour to become familiar with the requirements of your department and the individual college it is in (if applicable), as well as University/institutional requirements (IE at UMass, my "college" is the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, while my department is Anthropology. The university itself, SBS, and Anthro all have different specific requirements I must meet to graduate) and make a list of classes you would like to take that satisfy these requirements. Advisors will appreciate it.

Take advantage of campus resources: Many colleges and universities have numerous extremely helpful resources, such as employment services which will help with resumes, or counselors for when you're having a hard time. Use these. They are there for you.

Keep yourself organized: Notebooks, highlighters, a planner, flashcards, an expandable file, binders, folders, literally whatever you need to keep track of all your papers, assignments, due dates, and what you need to help you study is important for you to have. If you don't know what helps you study or what keeps you organized, try some different systems or do some research.

Keep your syllabi: Every semester I buy a different notebook for each class I am taking, and I always keep my syllabus folded in half in the back of each notebook. It has saved my ass numerous times.

Check your email or the course website before class: Nothing sucks more than being the only kid who didn't know class was cancelled, especially if you're a commuter and you drove in/took the bus to a class that isn't happening.

Give yourself plenty of time: Whether its getting to class, doing homework, or writing a paper, make sure you give yourself enough time. This is especially important for commuters. I can promise you that you will need more time to drive to class than you think. I live less than 40 minutes away from UMass and I still leave 75-90 minutes before class starts.

Understand your learning style: Do flashcards work best? What about mindmaps? Answering questions at the end of the chapter? Understand what allows things to sink into your mind the best, and utilize that method of learning.

Honestly, you can get by with SparkNotes: I was an English major. We had to read, a lot and I didn't always read the novels. I used SparkNotes and skimmed chapters. While I wouldn't recommend relying on this entirely to graduate, it can help in a pinch.

Skipping class: I know I just told you to go, and I do mean that. But sometimes you need to skip class and be lazy or frivolous, and that's fine. Don't make it a habit. I usually allow myself 1-2 "mental health" days per semester. HOWEVER you should be VERY clear on the absence policy of your professors. Some don't take attendance, and others will kick you out if you miss 3 classes. It's always in the syllabus.

It's okay to withdraw from a class: Getting a W is better than getting an F. If a class is too much for you, then it's best to step out of it. Most professors will understand, and most grad schools and jobs will too.

Be kind to yourself: It's easy to only value yourself through school, as in what grade you got on a test, or how your GPA stacks up against others but we are all human and sometimes we fuck up and sometimes we do poorly and thats alright. Learn from it and move on.

Take care of yourself: !!!!! This is very important. Eat as well as you can/enough, sleep enough, don't become addicted to or dependent on drugs/alcohol, exercise (even if its just walking to class), take showers, etc. Sometimes taking care of yourself takes a back seat to taking care of your grades OR to having too much fun, and neither is a good strategy. Yes, college is a time to assert your independence and have fun and party, but if you do too much it will begin to affect your grades and your health.

Try to get internships or research assistantships/independent studies: These will look great on your resume and a lot of them are quite interesting/enjoyable. It shows initiative, drive, and motivation! Professors usually have independent studies and career/employment services (if your campus has that) can help with internship placement.

These are basic things that I have learned during my college career. I'm sure I could come up with more, but I hope this is helpful!