What are your favourite subreds? x
nootropics… bio-hacking… neuroscience… i think i spent 4 hours on the nootropics subreddit yesterday night lol

titsay
Sweet Seals For You, Always
EXPECTATIONS

❣ Chile in a Photography ❣

No title available
Noah Kahan
🩵 avery cochrane 🩵

Kiana Khansmith
Mike Driver
trying on a metaphor
Misplaced Lens Cap
macklin celebrini has autism
No title available
he wasn't even looking at me and he found me
Xuebing Du

roma★

★

gracie abrams
No title available
𓃗
seen from Japan

seen from Türkiye
seen from Germany

seen from United Kingdom

seen from Switzerland

seen from United States

seen from United States

seen from Denmark
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Australia

seen from Canada
seen from Türkiye
seen from United Kingdom

seen from United Kingdom

seen from Türkiye
seen from France

seen from Türkiye
@eyoza
What are your favourite subreds? x
nootropics… bio-hacking… neuroscience… i think i spent 4 hours on the nootropics subreddit yesterday night lol
Mars persona chart - the basics
Sun: how people see you react in anger, also how you are viewed in seduction. Moon: how you see yourself react with anger, and how you seduce. Mercury: what makes you angry - basically, the thoughts that make you angry. Could indicate some kinks. Venus: how you will argue with someone you love, how you will argue with someone you hate, and how you resolve this. Mars: your drive to get your point across, and your passion towards pleasure. Jupiter: how you feel after an argument. Saturn: how you conduct yourself throughout the argument and the facts you’ll use. Uranus: how you would surprise someone if you were to catch them off guard in an argument, or your stranger kinks Neptune: how deluded you are when you are angry - some are passive, others are blatant. Pluto: the reasons why you feel angry about something - it explains mercury with more depth. Ascendant: how long it takes you to get angry at someone who is a stranger, or what seductive quality your face has. Midheaven: how you will deal with your anger and passion in the workplace.
astrology ask thing
aries: what are you passionate about?
taurus: name 3 of your favorite books.
gemini: what was the last text you sent?
cancer: if you could choose your child's zodiac sign, what would it be?
leo: name something you love about yourself.
virgo: what's your #1 pet peeve?
libra: describe your dream partner.
scorpio: do you trust easily?
sagittarius: if you could travel to any place in the world, where would it be?
capricorn: what's your dream job?
aquarius: do you believe in aliens?
pisces: describe someone you love.
sun: describe yourself in 3 words.
moon: what's your favorite song?
rising/asc: how would you describe your style?
mars: are you easily angered?
venus: what's your aesthetic?
mercury: what color do you talk in?
jupiter: what moral do you live by?
saturn: what's your biggest fear?
uranus: are you rebellious?
neptune: share one of your dreams.
pluto: what's the biggest thing you've learned by far in your life?
lilith: do you have any guilty pleasures?
chiron: have you ever broken a bone?
ceres: are you a momfriend?
pallas: do you have a good relationship with your parents?
juno: do you believe in soul mates?
1st house: are you confident?
2nd house: if you could only keep one of your personal items, what would you choose?
3rd house: do you like to read?
4th house: what does your bedroom look like?
5th house: name your favorite movie or show.
6th house: do you participate in community service?
7th house: if you could choose, what zodiac sign would you like your dream partner to be?
8th house: do you believe in reincarnation?
9th house: what's your favorite quote?
10th house: are you good at public speaking?
11th house: what sign(s) is your best friend/squad?
12th house: do you like to be alone?
Top 5 favourite tumblrs you follow? Need to follow more people on here 😂🙄
@transcendicalprosperity
@twelvehousemoon
@ninthhousemoon
@ayat-the-aquarius
@astrocelestial
These are just a few of the amazing community I follow! :)
Thank you so much, I feel honored 😭❤️
reblog with your sign and the sign you’re always a slut for in the tags
what exactly is the difference between a house being in a sign and a planet being in that house.
one of my favourite astrologers sums it up better than i ever could
“Planets are the WHAT. Signs are the HOW and the WHY. Houses complete the system by asking one more question: perhaps the most practical of all, WHERE”
— Steven Forrest
HOW TO SUCCEED IN HIGH SCHOOL
Application is king
Chances are that you already know what you need to know, and re-writing your notes for the fifth time likely isn’t going to help you learn anything new (It might work for some people but try not to do that).
If you want to succeed, apply your knowledge. Answer practice questions, explain concepts to people that do not know about the subject you are learning about, draw diagrams, etc.
Manage your stress (LINK)
There is nothing worse for your school scores than being stressed or anxious. Implement a meditation, yoga, or mindfulness regime. This could even be just five minutes a day! If you say you do not have time, then you are only making time to feel like shit and it will negatively impact your school work. As the saying goes, if 10 minutes meditation is too long for you, then you need to meditate for 2 hours (not literally, but basically it is saying that we all have enough time in a day! It is our mind that places time constraints on us and makes us feel stressed. 5-15 minutes meditation is nothing at all when considering the positive impacts on your overall mental health & school performance)
Use pomodoro’s (LINK)
Seriously life changing when trying to succeed in high school. You get so much more done in a shorter amount of time. Here’s the way you do it: 25 minutes of straight (uninterrupted) work, 5 minutes break, and repeat as many times as you want.
Keep balanced
Make sure to implement social, service, sport into your life — not all academic. If you don’t have a balance you will run yourself ragged and also (Bonus!) colleges prefer well-rounded students.
Love your bad grades
Quite a counterintuitive approach, right? Wrong! Change your mindset, change your performance. All bad grades are opportunities to improve. You receive a bad grade? Good.That means there is time to improve!
Work with the syllabus — traffic light it
Traffic light your syllabus to know what you truly need to focus on. A lot of us often re-study the things that are easiest for us, and it’s not doing us any good!
Writing a commentary or essay on a text you’ve never read before in exam conditions can be daunting, but with the proper approach to it, you can ace your way through it with little to no stress!
Before the exam
Familiarise yourself with how we read and find meaning in any text.
What are the effects of different types of structure, narration, rhythm, action, diction, sound, setting, characterisation, figurative language, tone, atmosphere, imagery, subject, themes, ideas, etc.
Knowing the common devices authors use to create meaning allows you to identify them more easily in any given text.
Practice, practice, practice!
Find any past exam papers available, even if they are for a different type of certificate, and practice them under exam conditions.
Take excerpts out of a random book and practice, whether it be from a library, or your own personal collection.
The more you practice critically analysing a text, the easier it will become. If you don’t have the time to sit down and write out a complete essay, even planning how you would structure your essay and the ideas you would discuss is beneficial. This really cannot be over stressed, the more you write on unseen texts, the more comfortable you will be tackling another in a serious exam situation.
If the essay must be handwritten, this will also give you an opportunity to ensure your handwriting is legible and you are used to writing for prolonged periods of time.
Compare ideas in a group.
I always find working in groups for English to be highly effective. By discussing a text with a group of friends, someone will probably express an idea you had not considered before and you’ll be more open for alternate interpretations and more likely to recognise them in your own time
Critique your past essays.
Whether they were prepared or unprepared essays, identify areas where you need to work on to improve your essay writing.
Recognise your strengths as well and make an effort to try and include them in all your future essays!
During the exam
Read the text several times.
Before reading it, look for anything that immediately sticks out. For poetry, is there a distinctive shape? For prose, how is the text separated - one block of text, or several paragraphs?
Your first read should simply be for initial impressions. Is there anything that strikes you as important? What is the main idea of the text after only reading it once? What is its tone?
The second reading should be for content. What ideas are at the forefront? What is the author trying to communicate? Underline and note aspects in the text about this. Colour-coding your annotations can be helpful here!
In your third reading, you should start noting the style. What stylistic features are prominent? There will likely be a lot on imagery, syntax, diction, structure, etc. Focus on the most important ones and their impact. Is there more to it than meets the eye?
Deconstruct the question if you are given one so you fully understand what it is asking you to do.
Probably stating the obvious, but it is so important to understand what the question is asking you to write about. Understanding the question can mean the difference between a standard essay and an amazing one.
Don’t just identify a familiar word in the question and use it to write about whatever you want. Make sure what you’re going to write about addresses all parts to the question. If you’re asked to write about how and to what effect something has had an impact on the reader, don’t just write about how; you must write about to what effect as well! I usually underline the most important parts of the question so I don’t forget to write about them.
Define relevant key terms that are important to the question. How is a character made interesting? What is meant by unreliable? Try to subtly integrate these into your introduction.
Plan your essay.
An examiner will usually be able to tell the difference between a planned and unplanned essay. Planning gives your essay structure, coherence, and makes it easy to follow.
You can take a linear structure, addressing aspects of the text line by line. Alternatively, you can take a conceptual approach - discussing narration in one paragraph, imagery in another, etc. In my experience, the conceptual approach usually scores higher, however it is really up to the text you are analysing and what you are comfortable writing with!
If you aren’t given any prompts or a guiding question, make sure your argument is really clearly outlined in your introduction, or else you’ll leave the examiner guessing as to what you’re writing about.
Make sure to include important quotes and examples in your plan so you don’t leave them out when you write it.
If you are stuck as to what your line of argument should be, I usually like to address how various techniques are used effectively to communicate the theme. It’s a general and open ended question that will fit any kind of text, so long as you identify the techniques and devices!
Essay must-haves:
Include a macro sentence as the first sentence of your introduction. Draw the reader in with a statement that broadly covers the ideas you are going to cover.
Every paragraph must start with a topic sentence and end with a concluding sentence that links it back to the aim of your essay. This also ensures that you actually address what you set out to talk about.
Integrate quotes and examples smoothly into your arguments. Small phrases and individual words especially give your arguments concrete evidence, and allow you to work the detail of the text.
Proof-read your completed essay.
There is nothing worse than to come across a simple grammatical mistake that was overlooked in a really well organised and argued essay. Try to read your essay through twice before handing it up to try and identify these stupid mistakes we all make under pressure.
Sorry for such a long post! This turned out a lot longer and more in-depth than I thought it would be, but hopefully it will be helpful to those of you who have any unprepared texts to tackle. Let me know if anything is unclear or if you have any questions here :) xx
Vocab for essays (Spanish-French-English)
I had this list in Spanish and French, and I decided to translate it into English. So here it is, a trilingual vocabulary list for essays :)
Con tal que - Tant que - As long as Ni siquiera - Même pas - Not even Por eso - C’est pourquoi - That is why Mientras - Pendant que - While Mientras que - Tandis que - While Mientras tanto - Pendant ce temps - In the meantime, Meanwhile Resulta que - Il en résulte que - It follows that A raíz de - À la suite de - In the wake of, Following A partir de - À partir de - From Cabe subrayar que - Il faut souligner que - It should be emphasized that Desde luego - Décidément, Certainement - Definitly, Certainly De ahora en adelante - Désormais - Henceforth Ya no - Ne plus - No longer Ya que - Puisque - Since, As Sea como sea - Quoi qu’il en soit - Either way Desde entonces - Depuis lors - Since then A pesar de - Malgré - In spite of En vez de - Au lieu de - Instead of Desde hace tiempo - Depuis longtemps - For a long time Tan pronto como - Dès que - As soon as A medida - Au fur et à mesure - Progressively En efecto - En effet - In fact, Indeed Entonces - Donc, Alors - So Además- De plus - Besides, Moreover A continuación- Puis, Ensuite - Then También - Aussi - Also En particular - En particulier - In particular Especialmente - Notamment - Specially
101 Study Tips
Take advantage of that lower workload in between exam periods to make good notes, clean your house, get work experience and do the things then rather than when you’re busier
Use Highlighters instead of pens to save time. Or vice versa depending on you
Change the timing in the pomodoro technique to suit you rather than the other way round
Use a planner to organise your day
Work out what time of day you study best. You could get up and study in the morning if you’re that sort of person
Attend your tutor or form sessions. Even if you don’t do much in them, you can
Keep your planner small and carry it everywhere
Even better, put your planner on your phone
Don’t sulk if you fail, look back at why you failed and try to improve
If you get distracted by wanting to do something when you should be focusing, write it down. It gives you a checklist of things to do later
Do these things on the checklist in your study breaks
Answer questions without your teaching asking you to
Read about your subjects outside of your classes, especially in high school
Sit at the front of the class room
Don’t sit by yourself in class
Get an early nights sleep
Or at least use sleepytime to get a good time frame
On school days when you wake up, get up straight away, it stops you lazing about
Work hard from the start of the year. There isn’t a time to slack off
Try spaced repititon for learning key facts or a revision schedule
Have snacks and a drink during study sessions. Preferably water.
Summarise and make all your notes onto smaller bits of paper for revision, it helps you recognise what the important facts are
To avoid study stress, take breaks and avoid studying for more than two hours a day
It’s also good to have a day where you don’t study at all once a week
Don’t schedule too far in advance, you’ll just get busy in the meantime or change your methods
When you’re feeling too stressed to work properly but not studying stresses you out, do easier tasks like reviewing flashcards or watching videos on your course
Do as much of your work in school as possible
Prioritise your classes. Especially if you have loads
Make any big habit changes you’ve been thinking of at the start of a term or new year
Study a little before bed, you’ve probably seen that study that says you remember more just before bed
Only make flashcards of the things that you don’t get or are important, not everything
Use online sites like Brainscape, Memrise, Anki or Quizlet for flashcards between devices
Print off your powerpoint slides before a lesson
If you can’t do that, read ahead in the textbook
The syllabus is your guide, so use that as a framework for your revision notes
Your stress and nerves are normal, don’t worry
Aim to finish your revision a week before your exams, it makes you start earlier and finish earlier, you also can rest before your exam
When you pick your subjects, choose the subjects you love
Don’t drink alcohol when you’re studying or any type of drug while studying
Don’t listen to how much everyone is studying. A lot of people big it up or say they do none, usually both aren’t being truthful
Take messy notes in class and neaten them up later
Or take your notes online or on a computer
Have a folder to put your loose sheets and handouts in
Keep your to do list and schedule all in one place, whether that’s a book, app or phone
If you fall behind or are ill a lot, your classmates are your friends for a realistic description of what you’ve missed
When at school, know all the places you’d like to study in case one of them is busy
Don’t work in your bed if it makes you tired
Or work in your bed if all your seats are uncomfortable and it’s distracting
Don’t have too much coffee! And energy drinks are just terrible for you so maybe not have those either
You don’t have to be truthful to your actual opinion in essays, just go for what option has the most points
Listen to your teacher
Have your window open, the fresh air helps
Use practice papers and questions, they really help
Try to teach others as well or if you can’t, explain it in your own words to yourself
Combine more than one technique, so that the weaknesses of each method gets covered by another
Seriously just listen to your teachers
Check your emails every day
Set realistic goals and try not to be too harsh and unrealistic about the time you’ll spend achieving these as well
Use loud and annoying alarms to get you to do things
If you have to read, read out loud rather than in your head
Use a hair tie if you have long hair to keep it out of your face
Keep clean and get dressed for studying
Don’t waste your term making your notes pretty, if it helps, make sure the benefits outweigh the time it takes
Study when you can. Don’t study if you’re too exhausted to do so.
Keep your desk as clean as you can
Know your sources of motivation. Possibly find a way to put that in your study space.
Attend as many classes as possible and don’t skip
Keep yourself busy with stuff that isn’t studying
Reward yourself for your hard work
Before you go back to school, start to wake up earlier so you’re ready
Wear comfortable clothes to school
Or wear whatever makes you feel good, feeling bad can be pretty distracting
Always think about the next step early, whether thats getting work experience, choosing subjects, finding a job or picking a thesis
Always eat breakfast
And always eat lunch too! Especially at school
Do whatever is best for you. Don’t follow a studyblr trend, do what’s best for you.
Make your studying a habit. Do it nearly every day for a long time and it’ll begin to feel more like second nature
Get to know your teachers if you can
And don’t be afraid to ask them for help outside of a lesson, either by email or afterwards, it helps a lot
Look at the types of questions you often get wrong as well as the topics you keep missing out on
Keep a spare bit of food in your bag, I usually have some sesame snaps in my bag as a small snack so I don’t have to get up to get food
Make productive friends and people with similar goals to you
When revising, revise everything and then focus on your weak points
Don’t spend too long on tumblr, and if you are right now, then this is your reminder to log off!
Don’t panic when you don’t know all the answers in a test, do you really need 100%?
Break your studying into smaller bits and spread it out over time to avoid headaches, burnout and all the problems that come with it
Eat better. Get enough fruit and vegetables
Don’t forget about Protein, from meats, nuts, etc. it helps a lot
If you’re falling asleep in class, I usually drink water, pinch myself, take lots of notes and fidget to keep myself up
Regularly clear out your bag, because a lot of stuff builds up
If you’re a more artistic person, use drawings like visual notes, mindmaps, timelines and literal drawings to help you study
If you study with a friend, quiz each other
Study on public transport if you can, notes and flashcards on phones are good for this
Don’t neglect any of your subjects, make sure they all get some time spent on them
Also focus beyond your first exam, it’s easy to overprepare for the first test and then not be ready for the rest
When taking a test look through it quickly before hand
Remember you don’t have to take the test in order
Review your notes all the time, review helps the memory
If you want to pull an all-nighter see if you can do it in the morning or day instead, and don’t do it the night before anything important
Always look at the details, especially if you get a mark-scheme or guide for your assignments
Constantly be taking on new improvements and trying to improve your methods
How to have a Killer University Application
I’ve had a few people asking me how they can put together the ultimate application for university, and in particular for Oxbridge. Much of the advice in this post is relevant for any university applications, but there is also some Oxbridge-specific advice!
1. Work hard and know your stuff
To be honest with you, the only way to have a killer application is to have worked hard and to know your stuff! The simple fact is that universities want to take people who are going to add value to their institutions, so if you aren’t willing to put in the hours preparing for exams, perfecting your personal statement and understanding what the courses you are applying for involve, they are unlikely to offer you a place.
2. Have the exam results to prove it
The simple fact is that exam results are the best indicator universities have of how hard you work and how smart you are. If you can have put together strong performances at GCSE and in your ASs, you are instantly in a pretty strong position.
At Cambridge especially, exam results really are key, so you need to have high marks across most of your papers in order to really stand a chance. Cambridge pretty much assumes that everyone they interview will have similarly good grades, so then it comes down to your personal statement, entrance exam marks and interviews to decide who they take.
3. Pitch-perfect personal statement
Your personal statement is important, regardless of where you are applying! It is your only opportunity to express your interest in the subject you are applying for and to tell the universities you are applying to exactly why you are worth their time and energy.
Focus on your subject!
When you write your personal statement, you need to really focus on your interest in the subject you are applying for, making sure that you point out areas of particular interest, where you have gone above and beyond what you are expected to do at school in order to really stretch your intellectual boundaries.
80%-20%
In general, Oxbridge (and most other universities) recommend that your personal statement is 80% about your subject, so you should really only have a brief final paragraph to outline any other extracurricular stuff you take part in. That said, it is definitely worthwhile including something on your extracurricular activities as this demonstrates an ability to excel academically while still handling the demands of other commitments.
Show an interest in the subject, not its potential future rewards!
When you’re writing your personal statement, definitely bear in mind that you are trying to convince someone that you will be worth their while teaching. As such, admissions will be looking for people who are genuinely interested in their subject! So, avoid writing study like: “I’m interested in studying economics at Cambridge because it provides a great pathway into a range of high-flying careers”… This will really, really annoy anyone who reads your personal statement!
4. Entrance Exam
This one only applies for certain subjects and certain universities. Personally, I didn’t have to take an entrance exam for my subject, but I’ve spoken to a lot of people who did. For example, a lot of my friends study law, and so had to take the LNAT, a UK exam that pretty much anyone wishing to study law has to take.
Practice!
Having spoken to people who did entrance exams, the single, universal piece of advice was to practice past papers, to spend time looking up tactics and to research the different styles of question you may be asked. These tests are said to be tests of your aptitude to study a certain subject. However, in reality, they are more a test of whether you have been bothered to spend time looking at what you need to do in order to succeed in them!
You may also find it helpful to speak to people you may know who have taken these tests for advice.
5. Interview
So, at some universities, and specifically Oxford and Cambridge, you will have to be interviewed in order to get an offer. If this is the case for you, please check out my blog post Interview like a Boss.
Please check out my Exam Grade Booster blog and reblog this post if you found it helpful!
To all my freshman babies who are panicking right now about how much your college textbooks cost: Yeah, you’re right, that’s some highway robbery. No, you don’t have to lie down and take it. You have options. Follow my advice and fly on your own debt free wings.
1. Forgoe the bookstore entirely. Sometimes you can get a good deal on something, usually a rental, but it’s usually going to be considerably more expensive to go through official channels. Outsmart them, babies.
2. Does your syllabus call for edition eight? Get edition seven. Old editions are considered worthless in the buyback trades, so they sell for dirt cheap, no matter how new they are. It’s a gamble, sure; there might be something in edition eight you desperately need, but that never happened to me. However, I’ve only ever pulled this stunt for literature/mass comm/religious studies books, so I don’t know it would work in the sciences.
3. Thriftbooks.com, especially for nonfiction and fiction. Books are usually four or five dollars unless they’re really new, and shipping is 99 cents unless you buy over 10$ in books, in which case shipping is free.
4. Bigwords.com. It will scan every textbook seller on the internet for the lowest price available, and will do the same to find the highest price when you try to sell your books back at the end of term. Timesaver, lifesaver.
5. In all probability, your library offers a service called interlibrary loan which is included in your tuition. This means if your library doesn’t carry a book you can order it for free from any library nationwide in your library’s network and it will be shipped to you in a number of days. Ask a librarian to show you how to search for materials at your library as well as though interlibrary loan; you’ll need to master this skill soon anyway. If you get lucky you can just have your required reading shipped to you a week before you need to start reading, then renew vigorously until you no longer need to item. I’m saving over 100$ on a History of Islam class this way.
You professors might side-eye you for bringing an old edition or a library copy, but you just smile right back honey, because you can pay your rent and go clubbing this month. You came here to win. So go forth and slay.
Can I add to this? 6. Find PDFs of your book to store on your computer. I managed to find an up-to-date edition of my textbook for sociology by doing this, and other books for other classes. It may be risky to have to look high and low for them, but it’s a godsend trust me
Other things to help college-bound kidlets:
Get Windows Office free.
If you’re having a panic attack.
When you’re writing a term paper.
Cheap school/college things. (Not all links are active, but still.)
College tips.
Cheap or free college books
Hobbies. (Because sometimes you need to turn off your brain.)
Libre Office. (Because Windows sucks.)
Practice in case you’re attacked.
If you have to deal with cops. (Especially important for POC because racism is still alive, sadly.)
this is so helpful!
Amazon rentals is pretty great. I got a biochemistry textbook for $13 for the entire semester instead of $100+.
Chegg is pretty good when it comes to selling books. It’s billed as a rental service, but I got a film history book a couple of editions old for like 4 bucks, when the edition I should have gotten was like a 80 dollar ebook. Also, if you’re reading an anthology of scholarly articles, try googling the articles listed in the book separately to see if you can find individual PDFs. That’s how I got around some missing articles in an older edition of a textbook. And for my English major friends, Kindle and Google Play Apps are free, and they host almost any public domain book you can find. As long as you don’t need a specific translation of anything (that can really fuck you over especially with the Greek Classics)
Wait before you buy your textbooks. Don’t try and be responsible and buy all your textbooks two weeks before class even starts. Wait until you can look at the syllabus and see how much reading you need to do for that course.
There are a lot of professors who’ll list their own textbook for the #profit or they’ll list multiple textbooks and the second or third ones are just not that important. Then they only use it once for the entire course but you’ve already paid $200 and are left staring at the syllabus like 😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡
If that’s the case just make a friend in the class (who isn’t as college savvy as you) and use their textbook for those one or two times that you need to use it.
For The Masses:
http://gen.lib.rus.ec
http://textbooknova.com
http://en.bookfi.org/
http://www.gutenberg.org
http://ebookee.org
http://www.manybooks.net
http://www.giuciao.com
http://www.feedurbrain.com
http://oll.libertyfund.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=380
http://www.alleng.ru/
http://www.eknigu.com/
http://ishare.iask.sina.com.cn/
http://2020ok.com/
http://www.freebookspot.es/Default.aspx
http://www.freeetextbooks.com/
http://onebigtorrent.org/
http://www.downeu.me/ebook/
http://forums.mvgroup.org
http://theaudiobookbay.com/
More Here
no one coulda reblogged this a month ago when i spent 500
momentsbymarcus
Look at KB coming through
Every time you see this, reblog it. There is always someone in college that will see this.
No to Low Stress College Study Strategy
I started using this study method my 2nd month of college, when I realized that it was better for study-life balance and my emotional wellbeing. It makes me feel productive and alert all day, and gives me plenty of free time to pursue hobbies, clubs, and personal interests. It sounds kind of hardcore at first, but it’s seriously wonderful if you give it a try! Here’s the game plan:
After the first few days of the semester, I sit down with all of the syllabi from all of my classes and write down every single assignment for the rest of the semester into my planner. Include exams, readings, lab report due dates, worksheets, essays, etc. Everything.
Every weekend, I set aside however much time I need to knock out every single assignment for the upcoming week that is possible to do in advance. I do my textbook readings, textbook practice problems, my humanities readings, short essays or write-ups to accompany those humanities readings, etc.
Even though I’m doing more work, I generally spend the same amount of time in the library as my friends who only do their work for Monday over the weekend. This is because if you don’t commit to doing a large number of assignments, you tend to spend a lot more time on minor assignments than is truly necessary - do I really need to spend 3 hours on this 1-page essay for my English class if it’s only graded on a 10 point scale? Couldn’t I finish this in 1 hour and then devote more time to the rest of the readings I need to do for that class this week?
I still have enough time to sleep in, have long lunch breaks, go the gym, go to parties in the evening, etc.
You can do this, no matter your workload. I am a pre-med science major taking 20 credits (max course load) a semester, with two labs, and I can get it done. My roommate is an English major with heavy novel reading assignments and she can get it done. (Disclaimer: this mostly applies to undergraduates.)
Research papers and midterm exam studying generally get their own day separate from homework assignments. I like writing essays in 1 or 2 sittings, but if you like to spread it out just break up the essay into manageable pieces and do it over multiple weekends, or do the pieces between classes (see next bullet point).
After blasting through most of my assignments over the weekend, during the week I generally only have to do busy-work that is assigned at the end of classes and continue studying for midterms that week. I easily finish these assignments in the breaks between classes during the day.
With this strategy, I always complete all of my homework well before dinnertime, and often have days when I don’t have any assignments to do. I use this free time for club meetings, hanging out with friends, going to the gym, marathoning Netflix, pursuing hobbies, working a job, whatever.
I also use this extra time to be able to study for exams much more effectively - when you don’t have busywork assignments floating in the back of your mind, it is much easier to focus. You will study more productively and effectively, and with much less stress. Exams are worth way more of your grade than the homework assignments you blast through each weekend, so it’s best to be able to focus exclusively on them Monday - Friday.
The best part about this strategy is that your workload is heavy on Sunday and sometimes Saturday, but you get to relax Monday - Friday. You basically have a 5 day weekend every week, assuming you enjoy going to class.
If anyone also uses this method, I’d love to hear from you or hear your variants/study suggestions! If anyone tries out this method for 1 or 2 weeks and finds that it works for them, I’d love to hear about it! If you try it and hate it with a fiery burning passion and loathe me for even suggesting it, I’d love to hear about it!
I believe in you!<3 No matter what study method you choose to use, just do your best and exceed your own expectations.
Surviving School
Websites:
Compare and Contrast - Finds similarities and differences for anything.
Word Reference - Finding translations for multiple languages. DO NOT USE GOOGLE TRANSLATE.
Easy Bib - Make bibliographies for free.
Info Please - Great for research and facts.
On This Day - Search any day and it will find events that happened on that day. This is good for History class.
World Fact Book - See statistics, facts, and graphs about any country.
Spell Checker - Checks your spelling and grammar and it gives you options on correcting your sentence.
Learn French - Learn French for free with worksheets, videos and through Skype Calls.
Vocabulary - Find vocabulary from books or type in your own words to get definitions. This is really useful for when you are reading a book and need a list of new vocabulary.
Fact Checker - Checks if any research and facts you have are correct or incorrect.
Apps:
Dragon Dictation - Speak into the microphone and the app turns what ever you are saying into text. This saves time instead of typing out long essays you could just say it out and let the app type.
Periodic Table - Interactive periodic table where you can see information about each element
Taking Notes:
OneNote - You can make lists, take notes, and even share your notes with anyone. You can have these notes on any advice. (Also an app)
Popplet - Make a web diagram to put all your ideas on.
Evernote - Take notes and have them on any device. (Also an app)
Jot - Allows you to take notes on the “New Tab” page. (Google Chrome Extension)
Staying Focused:
Blocking Distracting Websites - Blocks websites you put into the blacklist for a certain amount of time. You are allowed a certain amount of time on the blacklist websites and you get to choose the time to set. (Google Chrome Extension)
Timer - This is a timer that stays in the corner of the web browser. This is really useful for allowing yourself a break and setting a timer for when your break should be finished.
Calendars - This website lets you make free calendars and print them.
Place a sticky note somewhere around your work area that says “Do Homework” or “Stay Focused” so when ever you see it you are reminded to do your work.
Make a list before starting homework or an assignment. Write down what you want to get done, what you are focusing on and what you want to learn after doing the assignment. From experience, when you have a list where you prioritize your work it is easier to focus on it.
Taking a Break:
Watch a TED Talk. They’re educational and entertaining. Use the Topics page to find a talk about something you like.
Take a walk outside to stretch out and to get some fresh air so your mind can focus later.
Grab a snack. Try to eat something healthy and light, avoid anything with a lot of fat and oil.
Draw or colour. If you aren’t very good at drawing then just scribble with a marker on a white board to do something relaxing before getting back to homework which can be stressful.
Do not go on the internet to check your email or notifications because you may get caught up and not realize how much time you are spending on the internet.
Do something you enjoy. This can be play an instrument, write, sing, dance, etc.
Tips/Tricks for School:
Join clubs that focus on things related to the classes you are taking. If your school offers science clubs join them because they could possibly make science class more fun and explain various topics you learned.
Keep a water bottle with you at all times during the school day because you never know when you might feel tired or nervous.
Listen to the daily announcements ! They usually talk about events coming up, what they are selling in the cafeteria, and about new clubs.
Keep extra pencils, sweatpants, pads, gum and granola bars in your locker just in case something occurs.
If you take public transit to school see if there are special offers for students. Most areas have some sort of discounted fare for students.
Pick your outfits for the week so you are prepared in the morning for every day of the week.
Take at least one fun class each year because that class allows you to relax and be in a positive environment. It also reduces your stress you may have from other classes.
Talk to your teacher, guidance counselor, and adults in the school so they can help you out with school work and possibly be easier on you when it comes to marking.
Please add more if you have any more tips/tricks!
Minimalism Meets College: Minimalist Tips
1. Giant Backpack, No More: Put your large NorthFace or traditional styled backpack to the side, and transition to a lightweight, simple oversized tote or purse-type backpack.
In it, include: a simple wallet that carries importance cards and your school ID; (a repurpose DIY) a glasses case as a pencil case that can hold: 2-3 pens, 2 pencils, a sharpie and a highlighter; your day planner or journal (depending on how you keep track of assignments and things-to-do); your laptop and/or notebooks (if your classes don’t permit electronic note taking); and your room and/or car key(s).
2. Take Control of Your Notes, Structure Over Stress: If you’re a visual or kinesthetic learner, taking your notes by hand is helpful. If you’re an auditory learner, try recording your notes. For ease, designate one notebook for each class to make reviewing and maintenance easier (option: color coordinate too for easy identification). Organize your material by going digital. For each class, create a file for writing assignments/essays on your laptop. This makes sorting through past papers easier and decluttering/removal less tedious.
3. Downgrade Your Dorm: Don’t just leave decluttering for your room at home, take it to college with you. The struggle between your social life and academics is never ending; however, having a clean, organized, simple room (with your own special flare and style) can ease the daily stress of being a college student. Having a space of your own—that embodies your minimalist attitude/outlook—allows you to further embrace and practice a minimalistic lifestyle that is genuine to you. Avoid the bad habit of focusing on and adding décor to your dorm to make it feel personal—it only promotes clutter as you’re not in need of all that décor. Being a college student isn’t easy. Take this as the perfect opportunity for a low-budget, room make-over. In addition, if you’re an out-of-state student who moves out of their dorm every school year, doing more with less in your dorm makes storage and travelling a lot less stressful and easier to manage: you’ll pack fewer clothing items, shoes, health and beauty products; you won’t have to pay so much for storage (especially if you share a unit with other students who might need the space; and you will not leave as many items behind for someone who lives nearby campus to hang onto for you. As a bonus, move-in day will no longer be “move-in week”.
4. That’s Money, Honey: As a given, minimalism allows you to save money. Use this advantage to manage your college budget, you’ll be surprised how much money you might save. Your college budget might not be as small as you once imagined. Rather, your budget will prove to be livable and fitting for your lifestyle. Take this as an opportunity to start practicing financial habits that could carry over into adulthood. In addition, renting your textbooks and/or reselling them is a good way to cut down on buying full price textbooks and not accumulate a library of books you’ll never use again. Try to avoid hanging onto books “just-in-case” someone else might need them. Go ahead and sell, or rent to begin with so you’re not left with that load on your hands. For novels and such, try going digital with your books on a tablet or Kindle—or buy eBooks (if permitted by your professor).
5. Recycle the School Year: Feel free to recycle old notes, exams, and/or papers from courses you’re sure you’ll never revisit. If you feel the need to keep a paper or exam (until gradation or end of the year), digitally save them on your laptop for later use then delete them. If anything, general notes for courses can be found online as well, so try to avoid getting too attached.
6. Apply What You Learn: Reduce mental clutter and apply what you learn after you’ve learned it. This can be done by immediately starting on a homework assignment, assigned reading, or reviewing your class notes after your classes. This improves your cognitive retention about the material, reduces stress when it comes to exam time, and promotes healthier learning habits that can result in long-term academic success.
Tips for Studying Effectively
The most common barrier to success encountered by college students is a lack of effective techniques for study and exam preparation. If you are one of the vast majority of students whose answer to the question, “How do you study for your tests?” is, “I go over my notes,” then you need to take a serious look at your study skills. Here are some suggestions to increase your effectiveness as a student.
I. Day to Day A. Take good notes. Very few students leave high school with this skill. College of DuPage’s Learning Lab can help you here. Some suggestions and observations. 1. Always take the notes for a particular class in the same notebook. Spiral bound notebooks were invented because they solved the problem of keeping related information consolidated in one place. Take advantage of this. 2. Date each entry into your notebook. 3. It is usually best to keep the notes for different classes separate from each other. Spiral notebooks with built in dividers are excellent for this purpose. 4. Your notes should contain as complete a record of what the instructor said as possible. Of course, you should not try to write every word spoken, but don’t leave out ideas. When you study, your notes should call back to your mind the entire sequence of ideas presented. Take care to spell all new words carefully. It you don’t know how to spell a word, ask your instructor to write it on the board. Most will automatically do so for new or difficult terms. 5. Anything the instructor writes on the board should appear in your notes. If the instructor took the time to write it out, he or she considers it important. You should do the same. 6. If possible, try to take your notes in some kind of outline form. The organization of ideas is as important as the content of those ideas, especially when it comes to learning the material for an exam. 7. You might find it useful to have a second color of pen or pencil available for highlighting important ideas or indicating vocabulary. B. Be involved in your classes. Don’t simply pretend you are a sponge, ready to soak up whatever the instructor says. You are there to learn, not to be taught. 1. If the instructor is moving too rapidly for you, or if you don’t understand what is being said, say something! 2. Ask questions if you are confused. Confusion is definitely your worst enemy. 3. If your class includes group activities, participate as fully as you can. Such exercises are done for your benefit, not to provide a break for the instructor. C. Review your notes every day. This suggestion is one which we have all heard a thousand times. Unfortunately, most of us never really believe it until we actually try it. Spend 30 minutes or so each evening going over the notes from each class. There are at least two tremendous benefits to be gained from this discipline. 1. Research has shown that reviewing new material within 24 hours of hearing it increases your retention of that material by about 60%. This means that you will be 60% ahead of the game the next time you walk into class. If you want to significantly reduce the time necessary to prepare for exams, this is the way to do it. 2. Reviewing material before the next class period enables you to identify points of confusion or omission in your notes, which prepares you to ask the questions you need to ask before the next lecture. Again, confusion is your worst enemy. D. It is excellent policy to give high priority to new vocabulary. Language is the most fundamental tool of any subject, and it can seriously handicap you to fall behind in this. E. Keep up on your reading. Unlike most high school teachers, many college instructors don’t give specific reading assignments. You are expected to go to your text for the reading related to the materials covered in class. Be independent enough to do this without being told.
II. Using Your Textbook A. Don’t expect your instructor to give you detailed, page by page textbook assignments. While some may do so, many do not. College teachers are much more likely to expect you to use your own initiative in making use of the text. B. In most cases, it will be most useful for you to at least skim the relevant chapters before each lecture. You should receive a course outline/syllabus at the beginning of the quarter, which will tell you the subject for each day. You may receive chapter references (or even page references), or you instructor may expect you to be perceptive enough to refer to the Table of Contents. 1. When you first approach a chapter, page through it fairly quickly, noting boldface headings and subheadings, examining figures, illustrations, charts, etc., and thinking about any highlighted vocabulary terms and concepts. Also take note of the pedagogical aids at the end of the chapter–study questions, summary, etc. 2. When you have finished surveying the chapter, return to the beginning and read in more detail. Remember to concentrate upon understanding. Don’t simply read through the words. Any words which you don’t understand you should look up. If you own the book and intend to keep it, you may want to write definitions of such words in the margins. You may also find it helpful to make observations and other useful notes in the margins. If you don’t intend to keep the book yourself, you should carry out similar activities on a page in your class notebook. 3. On this first trip through the chapter, you should concentrate upon catching the major subjects and points of the material. Also take note of those things which you don’t understand. If the lecture on the material doesn’t clarify those points, you should ask your instructor to explain. C. Following coverage of the chapter’s material in class, you should go back to the book and read it again. It will probably be helpful to skim through it first, as you did when you first looked at it. The tables and figures should be more readily read in detail. If you are a truly conscientious student, you will outline the chapter and prepare a vocabulary list of the terms which are pertinent. D. At this time you should think seriously about the review and study questions at the end of the chapter. Do your best to answer all fo them as if they were a take-home exam. E. You may also want to develop a system of cross referencing symbols to use when comparing your class notes to your notes from the text. F. Remember that your instructor will probably not use the same words which you find in the text book. nothing is more frustrating than to discover that what you hear in class is no more than a rehash of what you read in the book. However, if your instructor knows his/her subject, and the author of your text knows his/her subject, the meat of what they say should be the same. NOTE: Nobody is infallible. Your instructor may make mistakes. Don’t expect him or her to be more than human.
III. Preparing Assignments A. Here’s another thing we have all been told thousands of times: Don’t leave assignments until the day before they are due! If you have a paper to write or a lab report to prepare, begin it as soon as possible. In most cases, instructors will be delighted to receive work early. Remember that many papers or projects require quite a bit of research before you can even begin writing. In most cases, it is impossible to accomplish the necessary preparation in one day or even one week. In some cases, instructors won’t accept late work at all. They are perfectly justified. B. Another sore point: Be aware of the appearance of the work you submit. You should want to be proud of every assignment you submit, and that includes being proud of its appearance. If possible, assignments should always be typed. Never turn in an assignment written in pencil. Pages torn out of notebooks are sloppy and unsightly. Think about this point every time you hand an instructor an assignment. That paper represents the quality of your work, and your instructor is perfectly justified in taking its appearance into consideration when assigning a grade. C. An increasing number of instructors are requiring that all outside work be typed. If you don’t type, you should consider learning how. If you don’t want to do this, you should begin investigating ways and means of getting someone else to type your papers. This will often mean paying a professional typist. Costs vary, but be prepared to pay a considerable amount. A really good typist may be able to turn out 6-10 pages an hour. Think about what you consider an appropriate hourly wage when you consider how much you should expect to pay a typist. Another point you must consider is that it will add to the time necessary to prepare a paper it you have to go to someone else to type it. In planning the time necessary for typing, consider the following points: 1. Your typist may have other customers who are just as anxious as you are. 2. A paper takes time to type. 3. Even the best typist makes mistakes. your paper must be carefully proofread by you. 4. After proofreading, the typist must have time to make the necessary corrections.
IV. Preparing for Exams A. Keep in mind that you want to be an active learner, not a passive one. The more you use and manipulate the information, the better you will understand it. Using and manipulating information in as many ways as possible also maximizes your ability to access your memory. B. Do not wait until the night before an exam to study! Of course, you should be regularly reviewing your notes, but the preparation still takes time. C. If your instructor hasn’t explained to you how he or she designs exams, ask. this is a perfectly legitimate concern. However, keep in mind that an instructor has the right to design exams in whatever fashion he or she sees fit, and in most cases you have no business asking for changes in that design. You need to learn to handle all testing styles–including the dreaded essay exam! D. A good first step in preparation is to read through your notes a couple of times. While you are doing this, you might also 1. Highlight major topics and subtopics, with the goal of generating an outline of your notes. Even if you take your notes in outline form, this is a good practice. Major topics often extend through more than one day’s lecture, and it is easy to lose track of the overall picture from day to day. 2. With a second color, highlight all vocabulary terms. E. Outline the entire set of notes. When you study a large body of information, you should study from concept to detail, not the other way around. It will, in fact, be much easier to learn the details if you take the time to learn the concept and theory first. The least efficient approach to studying is to attempt to memorize your notes from beginning to end. It’s not the words which are important–it’s the ideas. F. Consider ways of dealing with the information other than those used in class. the more ways you can manipulate and experience the material you are trying to learn, the more secure your understanding and memory will be. Some suggestions: 1. Make charts, diagrams and graphs. 2. Make lists. 3. If the subject matter includes structures, practice drawing those structures. Remember that a drawing is useless unless the important structures are labeled. G. There are almost always types of information which you will have to memorize (eg. vocabulary). No one has ever invented a better device for memorizing than flash cards. H. One of the most universally effective ways to polish off your study activities is to prepare a self test. 1. Challenge yourself as severely as you can. 2. As you are studying, keep a running collection of “exam questions.” If you seriously attempt to write difficult and meaningful questions, by the time you finish you will have created a formidable exam. When you begin to feel you’re ready for your instructor’s exam, take out your questions and see if you can answer them. If you can’t, you may need to go back and reinforce some of the things your are trying to learn. I. Never, ever pull an “All-Nighter” on the night before an exam. This is a “freshman trick,” meaning that good students learn very quickly that it is futile. What you may gain from extra study time won’t compensate for the loss of alertness and ability to concentrate due to lack of sleep. J. On exam day: 1. Try not to “cram” during every spare moment before an exam. this only increases the feeling of desperation which leads to panic, and then to test anxiety. You may find it useful, on the night before an exam, to jot down a few ideas or facts which you wish to have fresh in your mind when you begin the exam. Read through your list a couple of times when you get up in the morning and/or just before you take the exam, then put it away. This kind of memory reinforcement not only improves your performance on the test, it also improves your long-term memory of the material. 2. Be physically prepared. a. Get a good night’s sleep. b. Bring necessary writing materials to the test–at least 2 writing tools, erasers, blue books if necessary, calculators if appropriate and allowed. Be aware of what the instructor has specified as permitted for use. Some instructors object to exams written pencil; some prohibit use of tools like calculators. It is your responsibility to know these requirements; you should be prepared to take the consequences if you don’t. c. This may seem silly, but go to the bathroom just before the exam. Don’t expect your teacher to let you leave to do this during the test! The tension which generally goes along with taking an exam may increase the need to perform this physical activity, so you may need to go, even though you don’t particularly feel like it.
V. Some Final Suggestions A. You should receive a syllabus for each class. This is the Rule Book for that class (in my classes, we call it the Survival Manual). Know everything on that syllabus! Your teacher has the right to expect you to know and abide by any rules and stipulations on that document, and it is perfectly within his/her rights to penalize you for failing to do so. Respect dates and deadlines, and expect to lose points if you turn things in late. B. Never miss an exam if you can help it. You will rarely be more ready for the exam in two or three days than you are on the scheduled date, and the annoyance the teacher will feel about having to arrange a special exam time for you can actually hurt your grade in the end. Miss exams only if you absolutely have to. C. Save everything. Never throw away a handout or a returned assignment or exam. With this in mind, equip yourself with a pouched folder for each class. D. Develop systematic behavior patterns associated with your schoolwork. 1. Keep your class materials together and neat. 2. Never allow yourself to be caught at school without the necessary notebooks and materials. If you develop systematic habits with respect to attending classes, etc., this will be no problem. E. It is excellent practice to set aside a study area at home, and to designate a particular span of time each day as study time. However, don’t fall into the trap of feeling that study should never exceed the preordained time limits. You put in as much study time as is necessary to master the material for your classes.