I know I’m not a studyblr, but I saw this and I feel like it needs to be addressed.
Let me start by saying that I’m a shitty student. I barely do any homework, I miss class all the time, and on a good day, this is what my notes look like:
That said, I’m part of the minority in my uni that speaks 6+ languages (starting Korean and LSM), and I tend to ace most exams I take. I’m at the same time in both ends of the spectrum, so I believe it can be considered a very neutral thing when I say that it doesn’t matter how you study, but why you do it, and whether it works for you or not.
I imagine that the majority of studyblrs and appblrs around here are doing great at school. I also imagine that many aren’t, and I don’t even have to guess to say that many people in the community suffer from school-related anxiety/depression issues, mainly because so many of them are very vocal about it (not that it’s a bad thing, just pointing it out). And in the particular case of appblrs, they exist with the pressure that they’re all competing against each other. Unlike regular studyblrs, they know that some of them will make it, but most won’t, and that makes it even more crushing to see others looking like better students, so it can sometimes become a one-upping contest on who has the neatest notes, the highest grades, and overall the best chances to get into an Ivy school.
Of course school is important. Of course the university you go to matters for your future to a certain extent. But it’s not the most important thing in your life. Actually, I wouldn’t even place it in the top ten. It used to be that if you had a degree from one of the best schools, you had job security for life; and many parents and teachers drill this idea into children’s minds because that’s how they grew up. But that was the 80s. We live in a completely different era now, one where academic inflation means this isn’t true anymore, and where job security is a myth grandpas tell to their kids. The fact is that, right now, the college you attend will only be important for your first long-term job in your field. From the second onward (and there will be many), only your previous experience matters.
I’m not saying don’t go to college, that would be an idiotic thing to say. Of course you should go if you have the means and opportunity. But so many people are so obsessed with the idea of going to the school of their dreams that they lose focus. They only live with the purpose of getting in school, and they end up deteriorating their mental, physical and emotional health because of it.
School is not more important than your well-being.
Think about it. The whole purpose of higher education is that you can achieve a higher quality of life in the future. It’s an investment on your happiness. What’s the point of going there for four years if you’re only going out with crippling debt, a narcotic dependency and no real plans of what’s next? Sure, you need to study. Sure, you need to prepare yourself and grow as a person and as a worker. But if this is causing you to hurt your quality of life in the long term, then it’s not worth it.You do not need to go to an Ivy school. Getting there is basically the academic equivalent of American Idol: you’re competing with literally millions of people, only a dozen or so make it, and sometimes it’s not even about the talent you have, but about what you can give them back (read: money). And you can be a successful musician without going to American Idol. And you can also go in there, realise it’s not what you wanted/needed after all, and end up failing big time because you never really thought through what it really meant getting in.
It’s great that you have ambitions. It’s great that you put lots of effort into it. But you need to find balance between what you want and what you need. And also, if you’re not good at doing what studyblrs do, that is okay. Your notes only matter to you, your grades only matter to you. And you won’t necessarily get higher grades by emulating what you see on Tumblr. Remember: notes and homework are a tool, not the goal. The goal is learning, and passing the tests, and the former leads to the latter. You can have the shittiest, ugliest, coffee-stained notebook in the whole class, but if you know the material, that won’t matter.
If taking pretty notes isn’t your thing, try other learning methods. Read books on the subject. Watch the Vlogbrothers (Or Babel Planet!). Clicksurf wikipedia. Mentor a lower-grade student to test your knowledge (that’s myprimary learnign method). Buy ten pounds of coloured clay and make models. Use flashcards. Rap about it. Represent it with plastic dinosaurs, I don’t know. The point is, do what works for you, not just what works for @Istudybetterthanyou or whoever. Don’t try to impress anyone with your methods; that’s not the point. The point is that you learn the material and pass the exams. And for the love of the Seven, take care of your health above your studies. After all, we have to remember the most important thing about college:
