Taking it Day by Day

Studyblr and whatever makes me smile.

[gomedorgohome]

Let’s face it- even the most motivated and disciplined students can’t study for a couple of hours straight- we all need to rest. Taking a break  from studying every now and then will improve your focus and attention. Below are some of our ideas what to do during study breaks. We divided them into categories depending on the length of  your break. Feel free to try them out to later get back to your books refreshed and motivated!

5-10 minutes

Get some fresh air (either go outside, or simply stand up and go to the nearest window- don’t focus on anything and just breathe)

Leave your room/desk and go for a little walk

Throw yourself a little dance party (Cristina and Meredith did it and trust us, it works- put on some energising music and dace for a song or two)

Stand up and stretch!

10-20 minutes

Make yourself a proper, healthy snack (cut an apple into slices and put peanut butter on every slice or make yourself a healthy smoothie)

Watch a TedTalk on a completely unrelated topic (it will both relax you and still keep your brain working)

Do a little yoga (there are multiple mini-routines on youtube)

Browse the #studyblr tag (or maybe post your own photo with it!)

Take a quick shower (if you have a real study marathon ahead of you, a shower break can be a great way to get energised)

20-40 minutes

Call a friend

Clean your room (sounds pretty boring, but you’ll feel refreshed and super-productive once you’re done- and you won’t have to do this later!)

Take a nap (but really, try not to make it longer than 40 minutes)

Watch ONE episode of Friends (nothing better than a good laugh, right?)

 40-60 minutes

Workout (go for a 30-minute run or find a workout video on youtube- you’ll end up energised and full of endorphins, which will help you to keep going)

Try a new recipe and make yourself dinner for later

Read a chapter of a book you’re currently reading (if you’re not reading any- start a book)

~gomedorgohome

[awwww-cute]

[secretplace06]

[secretplace06]

Follow me on Instagram @nikolebukrejeva for more stories like this

[mattandjones]

OH MY GOD

[quetzalcoatl2k]

I AM FREAKIN’ DEAD.

[juicy-bi-deactivated20210705]

😂😂😂😂😂

[rougebebending]

yeah just do it the easy way bruh

[floralls]

[trefoiled-deactivated20260516]

[muststudy-deactivated20250929]

Last-Minute Revision Tips

firstly, never ever ever just read through your notes!!! this is only good if it’s like the morning before your exam, otherwise never do it- it won’t work (unless you have a photographic memory or something)!

flashcards- they don’t have to be pretty, just functional! Write only key information down such as dates and places or formulae

don’t write notes for things you already know! Go through your folder/specification/textbook and make a list on everything you need to revise

bullet points- sit down with a black biro and some lined paper and read through your revision guide/textbook/class notes and make concise notes- you can make them look nice later using highlighters but for now just focus on noting down key information!

word documents- this is what I call my ‘panic notes’. I sit down with a revision guide (usually a day before my exam) and make very quick notes on a word document- I use shortened words/text speak to save time and make sure I get down key information

print off past papers- give yourself about half the time you would have in the exam and go through the paper, making bullet points for longer questions or plans for essays. Highlight sources/extracts you’re given as if you are in the exam as this is very good practice. Then use the mark scheme to roughly mark the paper and add to your answers

mind maps- don’t write down every single piece of information, or copy out sentences from a textbook- just put a key idea/topic in the middle and expand on it with key statistics/facts- use lots of diagrams if they help

notebook notes- get a small, lined notebook and write down key facts in it, also draw diagrams if needed. Then carry this notebook around with you- maybe go for a walk with it and test yourself as you walk (getting outside is very important and good for your brain!)

use word association/mnemonics/silly little tricks to help you remember things- for example I remember that barium ions burn green in the flame test because barium sounds like bear and bears live in forests which are green! Often the ruder the better as you’re more likely to remember them

ask a family member of friend to help you revise- ask them to test you on things from notes/a revision guide; I often ask my mum to test me and somehow it really helps me to remember things as she’s hopeless as science-based subjects so always mispronounces things and I have to explain basically everything to her! 

If no one is available to help you, test yourself! Fold a piece of A4 in half vertically and write questions and answers on separate sides- then, a little while later on so you don’t remember everything word for word, fold it back so you can’t see the answers and ask yourself the questions!

also it’s vital that you get a good amount of sleep (all nighters usually do not turn out very well unless you’re superhuman), drink plenty of water, eat healthily (it’s alright to treat yourself a bit though!), and get outside at least once a day! Also give yourself a few breaks from studying- you and your brain will need to relax a little!

[metanoiamasters]

a real ass guide to life

there’s a lot of shit on here about lighting candles and waking up early to see the sunset and if we are being hella honest, no one actually does that. u probably don’t own candles or if u do there in a closet and the only time you wake up early all year round is never. so here’s a guide to actual human beings.

-wake up when you need to. don’t wake up at 5 to “journal” and “meditate.” sleep is more important. if you have a class at 9, wake up at 8. it’s simple. - eat something. it doesn’t have to be avocado toast. just have a bagel or a bowl of cocoa puffs. - have ur meds if u take any - attempt to look nice. at least brush your hair and your teeth. but honestly no one cares how u dress. if you wanna dress like a stripper, then dress like a goddamn stripper. honestly no one cares. (but if ur in hs try to follow the dress code a little bit?) - wear makeup if u want, or if you don’t then don’t. - ur probably not gonna exercise or stretch. who cares. i dont. your friends don’t. if ur feeling up to it then go jog 4 miles, but if ur not then don’t. - actually try to have a plan of what ur doing for that day. attend ur classes, and do ur work. ur education is hella important. FUCKING DO IT. kill those grades, murder everyone else in that class, impress and surprise ur teacher, parents, and everyone else who thought u couldn’t do it - attempt to be social. make plans with friends and try to go. it can be lowkey and only like an hr. eat pizza or go to a bar. just have fun. - eat healthy. eat a hamburger when u really want a hamburger and eat a large pizza when u really want a large pizza but try ur hardest to eat healthyish. - watch ya shows. who doesn’t love some amazing netflix binges? watch it. do it. - actually read. books are honestly the best. at least try to pick up the first harry potter. - go to sleep before 2AM!!!!!!¡¡¡¡¡¡¡ sleep is hella important. - shower. you don’t need to buy expensive bath bombs or candles and have a fancy bath and coat ur skin in so much lotion that you are a walking wet rag, but try to smell somewhat pleasant. - do what u want. just make sure it’s legal. have sex, travel, learn how to code, be with ur family, have a family, marry someone nice, build an empire, be fierce, be strong, but most of all: be happy. you live once on this planet. live it to the fullest. and don’t let ANYONE bring you down. not a girl, not a guy, not a parent, or a so called friend. keep your standards high, and heels higher.

[thesoontobenewyorker-deactivate]

How to get straight A’s in college. Seriously.

Yes, even if you’re taking the maximum credit load. Because if I can do it, you can do it too. Note: My credit load also included a handful of honors courses. 

Side-note: I’m going to be a junior (how??) and an RA (!!!) in the fall. Life moves fast. College moves faster. Anyways, 

Here are my top tips: 

1. LOOK AT THE SYLLABUS AND WRITE EVERYTHING DOWN. This is step number one, and it’s not up for debate. If you do this, there’ll be no surprises, and if there are: point it out to the professor (a simple, ??? this wasn’t on the syllabus ??, usually works). Also, you have to check and see what constitutes as an A in that class. Sometimes it’s a 90, sometimes it’s not. (a 96 was an A- in one of my classes last semester. I’m so serious.)

2. Get a calendar. Not a planner. One of those giant calendars with puppies or something on it and write down everything you have to do for the month. Put it above your desk. This helps A LOT because you can see everything you have coming up for the next few weeks, instead of jus playing it day-by-day. 

3. It is OK to use ratemyprofessor. Sometimes it can be really helpful, but pay attention to the more in depth reviews that talk about what the homework, tests, quizzes and projects are like (instead of “her lectures are boring :///) 

4. Sit in the front of your class. You’ll be more likely to pay attention and less likely to scroll through instagram. (by the way, mine is @parissdb :) It also grabs your professors attention, so even if you’re shy, they’ll at least know your face.

5. Do that extra credit. A lot of professors offer it in the beginning of the semester, and hardly anyone does it because no one’s thinking past tomorrow. It may be what saves you in the long run. 

6. Figure out your best method of note-taking. For me, it’s good ol pen and paper. It helps me remember everything. Some people prefer typing it out. This is beneficial bc it makes it easier for you to find exactly what you’re looking for. (Thank you, command + F)

7. Put your effort into the percentages. If an assignment is worth 1% of your grade, do it well, but don’t exhaust yourself. It’s 1%!!!! If it comes down to it, spend more time studying for that exam that’s worth 30% than the group project worth 20. 

8. Please. Stop studying what you already know. We’re all guilty of it. It makes you feel better knowing you have chapters 1-3 down, even if you don’t know 4-7. The key to studying is to learn what you don’t know. 

9. Learn how to study. (Yes, it’s actually a skill that has to be learned.) I’m the biggest procrastinator I know, especially when it comes to studying. But I’ve found that studying 2 days before an exam usually does the trick for me. I create a master study guide during day 1 and study it all on day 2. Depending on what time the exam is, I may review on the morning of day 3. 

10. SAVE SOME TIME FOR FUN ffs. Seriously. You don’t have to study 24/7, and I don’t know about y’all but my attention span was not built for that.

I might add more to this later, or make another post because I could give these tips for ever and ever. But hopefully this helps someone out there. 

Be sure to check out my college tab here:(http://thesoontobenewyorker.tumblr.com/tagged/college) and follow me on instagram @parissdb (https://www.instagram.com/parissdb/) for more stuff. :) 

[getstudyblr]

Hello, people! The time has come: I will teach you the secret to study for three days and remember everything for your test. This is a hardcore studying session so I would recommend to only do it when you are truly freaking the fuck out. Now, I must tell you: It’s gonna involve some hard work, so sit comfortably because we’re about to start:

REMINDER: YOU DON’T NEED TO DO THIS IN A ROLL. THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE DONE DURING THE  COURSE OF THE DAY. 

REMINDER 2: REMEMBER TO EAT, DRINK WATER AND GET ENOUGH REST. YOU DON’T NEED TO FORGET ABOUT YOUR HEALTH IN ORDER TO GET BETTER GRADES. 

DAY 1

First reading of your main textbook

Second reading + highlighting 

Research more about the topic (internet, other books, talk to your friends, etc)

Resume everything (notes)

Do a mind map of main points 

If what you’re studying needs something to be memorized “word by word” (such as: meanings, processes, references, chemical reactions, etc), write it down and put it on your wall. You’re gonna read it several times during the day. 

Write down the topics and key words on a reference paper (you’re gonna take this paper everywhere, forcing your memory to expand from those simple key words) 

Review your notes 

Do ten exercises (questions)

Review your notes + exercises 

Watch a video class 

You’re done for today. Good job. Now rest, tomorrow is a new day. 

DAY 2

Review your notes

Read them out loud

Read them again, but this time record yourself

Listen to it. Twice. 

Review your notes before bed

DAY 3

Review your notes + listen to your recordings from yesterday

Do 30 exercises (questions)

Review notes + exercises 

Listen to your recordings again

Review your notes one more time.

FANTASTIC JOB! Now it’s your time to rest. If you’re feeling like it, read your notes one more time before bed. 

One more time, this is a heavy studying session, and not supposed to be done all the time. Remember to take care of your health and take several breaks during the day. If you don’t need, there is no need to do everything listed here. 

Good luck!!! 

[languages-and-tea]

Good habits to work on

Here are some habits I think we should all have in mind:

Drink enough water.

Drink more tea, and less coffee.

Walk as much as you can every day.

Do yoga or some kind of flexibility workout.

Go outside as much as you can. 

Study in a park if you can.

Take your dog for a walk if you have one.

Have plants.

Eat more fruits and veggies (4 or 5 servings of each, each day, would be best).

Reduce or eliminate dairy products.

Eat breakfast, always, period.

Take algae-based vitamin D supplements if you don’t get at least 15 mins of exposure to sun every day.

Sleep around 8 hours every day.

Go to sleep and wake up at similar times every day.

Drink a glass of water after waking up.

Try meditation before even starting your day.

Work on your awareness at any time. Pause, breathe, and concentrate on your surroundings. 

Don’t blame yourself for the bad things that happen to you.

Believe in yourself.

Watch inspirational videos to get you on the right mood to work.

Studying is important, but your health is even more. No all-nighters.

Keep your room/appartment clean, for a clear mind.

So tidy up also!!

Use music to cheer you up if needed.

Listen to a good podcast while doing boring chores like laundry or dishes.

Be nice to the people around you. You know that someone saying something they shouldn’t, doesn’t mean they mean it.

Try volunteering for a good cause.

Don’t stress too much, you’ll figure it out.

[marias-studyblr]

Best advice I’ve received so far

the time you take being jealous of other people’s success is the time you could be using to build your own

you’re never going to “feel like it”

doing and practicing now is better than waiting for the perfect moment

eliminate people with toxic habits from your life

you are in control. Everything you’ve done up to this moment led you here. Therefore, your future is determined by what you do now.

everything is as it should be and only later in life you can connect the dots.

self discipline will give you freedom. consistency will give you results

everything is temporary. You should find freedom in this concept

the rich stay rich acting poor and the poor stay poor acting rich

being healthy means finding a balance between the good and the bad

the people that outranked you have outworked you.

you can’t be grateful and negative at the same time.

Meditate on these statements. They are so very powerful! Xxx

[just-a-skinny-boy]

Unmute it

[unpredictabel]

Me running away from my problems

[finalset]

| .I won’t fall in love with falling. |

[studyingbackthen]

Following a couple of requests from soon-to-be freshers, here are the websites that got me through my undergrad career. Most of these will be hinting towards History, but hopefully others can find them useful as well!

JSTOR Actual saving grace of my life (and most people’s on here). Most Arts and Humanities journals are on here and your uni will almost certainly have access through their library. You can get pdfs of chapters so you don’t have to deal with professors photocopying 

GOOGLE BOOKS This part of Google has previews of most books out there dating from 1700s onwards and occasionally the whole thing. It’s a little fiddly, but if you can get the hang of the search tab and dodging the crafty page viewing limit it’s a really useful tool, especially if your library has limited copies of books. Downside is you can’t get pdfs or epubs but screenshot can work a treat

PROJECT GUTENBERG Another book website. Less variety than Google Books but they have full books you can download as epubs or pdfs

WHITTAKERS WORDS A Latin/English translator which gives you the grammatical details of each word, AND includes non-classical Latin and pronouns. Doesn’t translate sentences (but what does accurately) but it’s a real help when you are translating a passage or learning and want to understand the sentence fully

ARCHIVE Oh. My. Actual. Days. This saved my life a million times through my degree. This website has books dating from the 1600s you can view as picture pages. They have copies of original language books, translated books, everything. Generally nothing too modern, but well worth a look. ALSO!!! Medievalists, they have every copy of the MGH on there (because the actual website is awful to use)