Let the Creativity Flow

🌿studyblr/journalblr/artblr🌿 Going to college! Biology major, Environmental Science concentration, Anthropology minor. 🌿Witch and an avid gardener🌿

[psychology-daily]

[academes]

[tbhstudying]

trying to focus more on health and balanced studying than constant productivity 24/7, but it’s a lot harder than it sounds 😪

[cwote]

I hope everyone passes their finals this semester!!

[mildstudies]

Ok so I’ve finally gotten around to doing this highly requested post based off this post and I’m sorry to all those who had been waiting for ages for it to come out but here it is!!!

How to Annotate a Novel Efficiently

Look I’m actually doing the play Medea at the moment so this can be used for other texts apart from novels too!

Like I’ve said before, I know lots of people don’t want to taint their texts with writing and highlighting, but to me, it is so so satisfying when I finish with a fully annotated book with tabs flying out of every page and all that, plus it acts as a sweet resource once it’s done.

((Hopefully by the time you’ve gotten around to this level of annotating, you’ve read through your text already and maybe even put down some initial thoughts in the margins.))

To put it simply, I have three levels of coordination when it comes to annotating a novel: words, tabs and sticky notes.

1. Sticky notes

Use for big chunks of text you can’t fit in the margins of your book, such as summaries of characters, themes, etc

They can also get those big chunks of info to stand out from the rest of the novel

 If you’re reading a larger text with chapters, it’s quite handy to use big sticky notes to summarise each section. 

2. Tabs (and highlighting)

Yep so these are the tabs I have sticking out of my book and they’re used for quick references, where I can easily search up a type of quote quickly in the novel without having to flip through every page.

The colours of the tabs I use are the same colours as my highlighters, so it is easy to see where the quote is and which tab it corresponds to.

ACTUALLY HIGHLIGHT the specific quote rather than leaving a tab there by itself, for future reference when you need a specific quote, but if you’ve got a massive chunk that is just too important to pick out a small quote, use a square bracket on the inside margin. Smaller quotes are better.

Have a tab for broad topics such as characters, themes, literary devices, plot developments, context, etc. If you have more colours, you can always make your categories more specific (for me, the character of Medea is separate to the rest of the characters)

I write the main idea on the tab itself, a.k.a. the reason why I highlighted or tabbed that quote there.

Which quotes to highlight depends on

a)     What we go through in class

b)     What is written as an important quote in the text guide we are given/the internet suggests

c)     What I think is important. If you’re not sure, ask yourself WHY is that quote important and if you can answer that, highlight it!!!

 3. Words

The further explanation of quotes is written on the actual pages, and often right under a tab to elaborate.

I recommend using a thin pen as in 0.38 to really fit in as much as possible.

This step as well as tabbing is so so important, because you can highlight as much as you want, but it really won’t mean anything until you’ve written down its significance, and even if you have an amazing memory, this is vital ok. Even a few words along the margin explaining the quote can mean the difference between good writing and great writing in your upcoming essay.

What do I actually write? If it’s a literary device, I’ll name it (e.g. Metaphor) and explain its symbolism, or the author’s intention for putting that in. If it’s a theme related quote, I’ll explain the message that the author is trying to convey through that quote. If it’s a character related quote, I’ll explain how that quote adds to their character, maybe finding contrasts, etc.

Supplies that I used were:

- Mildliners (pink, orange, yellow, blue, aqua; gotta get that colour coding)

- Pilot Frixion Point

- Uni-ball Signo TSI (erasable like the frixion pen so that if I’m not too sure about what I’ve written as an annotation, I can check with the teacher and erase if need be)

- A set of 1000 tabs in total, divided among pink, orange, yellow, green and blue

- Pastel square sticky notes

As an optional step, I highly recommend making use of the back cover or spare pages in the book. I use them for writing definitions of recurring words, good vocabulary to use in the future when writing the essay and also character maps, explaining the relationship between each character.

I hope you all find this helpful!

((disclaimer: this is just how I do it so don’t shank me pls))

Kate xx

[imafuckingdoctor]

How to study smarter:

So my (very cool) teacher was talking about this in class the other day, made me want to make a post about it.

The image above is adapted from the National Training Lab in Bethel, Maine. It basically shows how much information the average student retains when using certain methods.

Attending a lecture is only 5% and reading the material is only 10%.

Which could be a potential answer imo to why many people spend hours reading stuff and not retain most of it or not do well on tests.

Anything audiovisual increases the percentage of information you’ll likely retain up to 20%, having it demonstrated in front of you gives you 30%. Discussion (which can be done very easily) can make you retain up to 50%, practicing with your own hands means you’ll retain 75% and finally when you teach others you’ll retain a massive 90%.

So how can you implement this into your study routine to retain the most information?

Audiovisual: I think this is very easy, YouTube channels like Khan Academy cover almost everything, so go online, find some videos relevant to whatever you’re studying and watch them.

Demonstration: This is pretty much your teacher’s job, an example here would be anything related to social or hand skills, in my case interviewing and examining patients. At my school before we interview any patient or examine them my teacher does it first and we carefully observe. So whenever someone is demonstrating something pay full attention. And then if possible practice it (possibly with your friends as a role play) because that’ll increase the percentage of information you retained to 75%

Discussion: This is very basic and can be done simply by just reading the material before, preparing questions and engaging in brief discussions with your teacher throughout the lecture. Or if pre reading isn’t your thing just join a study group and discuss everything you’re learning over there.

I’ve already talked about practice briefly with demonstration, it’s pretty self explanatory (especially for OSCEs, for all you medstudents)

Teaching others: You can volunteer to tutor anyone or just take the lead in your study group. All of my teachers swear by this method. Some even suggest explaining to yourself if you can’t find anyone else but I have never tried it. (or force your family/boyfriend or SO to listen, that’s what I do)

Get creative and make the most of your study sessions, if anyone tries any of these please let me know!!

[ohleaf]

🌼🌻study smarter🌻🌼

(here are some study tips straight from my psych notes)

1. interest: the brain prioritizes by meaning, value, and relevance so u remember things better if ur interested

find a study partner

do extra practice or research

teach it to someone else (this works so well!)

2. intent: be actively paying attention. very little learning actually takes place without attention

use a concentration check sheet (every time u get distracted, put a check on ur sheet. this is supposed to program ur mind to pay attention)

while u read, talk back to the author

ask questions during lectures (this is scary ik!! but do it!)

3. basic background: make connections to what u already know

preview and skim the material before u read it. or google it!

write out a list of vocab words before a lecture and leave some spaces between them to fill in during the lecture

read ahead of lectures

watch crashcourse tbh

4. selectivity: start by studying whats important

look for bolded words, graphics, pictures, chapter review questions in ur readings

listen for verbal clues like emphasis and repetition during lectures

make urself a study guide as u read and write down questions for urself to answer later as review (kinda like cornell notes)

5. meaningful organization: u can learn/rmr better if u group ideas into diff categories

apply vocab words to ur life

make flashcards and sort them (try not to have more than seven items in one category!)

use mnemonics

6. recitation: saying ideas aloud in ur own words strengthens synaptic connections! when u say something aloud u r forcing urself to pay attention

after u read, ask urself questions

talk abt what u learned w/ classmates outside of class

again, teach someone else

7. visualization: ur brain’s quickest and longest-lasting response is to images

convert info into a chart or graph

draw it out

make a mental video of a process

look at picture/video examples

8. association: memory is increased when facts are consciously associated w something u already know. memory = making neural connections

ask urself: is this something i already know?

9. consolidation: give ur brain some time to establish a neural pathway

make a list of what u remember from class

review notes at the end of the day, every day

stop after reading each prg to write a question in ur notes

make ur own practice quiz

10. distributed practice: we all know cramming doesnt work but we do it anyway! but yeah short and frequent study sections work better

make a daily/weekly study schedule

create a time budget/time tracker (track everything ur doing for a week and see how u can be more efficient w/ the time u waste)

divide the reading/vocab by the number of days before an exam and do a little bit each day (u can use sticky notes to divide ur reading)

other tips:

stop stressing! this sounds stupid and it isnt going to be easy, but anxiety causes u to lose focus. try ur best to think positively. sleep a lot. minimize ur caffeine intake. take a walk maybe

when u need to remember something, look upward or close ur eyes (when ur eyes are open ur using visual parts of ur brain that u might not need to be using)

find a rival! (like the person right above u in class rank) secretly compete w/ them (envy can improve mental persistence bc it makes u focus more intensely) but dont overdo it! 

walking and sleeping build memory storage in ur brain

eat flavonoids! (grapes, berries, tea leaves, cocoa beans make neurons in the brain more capable of forming new memories + increase blood flow to the brain)

obstacles force ur brain to try harder, so space learning lessons apart or create a puzzle to solve or change ur physical setting

[tueurdefleur]

Tips for students

On daily routine:

- As soon as your alarm goes off, sit up in your bed and turn it off. Don’t press snooze, it will only become harder to get up. -Always have a glass of water next to your bed, so when you wake up, you can drink as soon as you are up. If you like, you can put cucumber in it, it will be even more refreshing.  -Put on your socks and a pullover or sweater or nightrobe or whatever you like, and go to the bathroom. -Wash your face, then use your face creme if you like. -Have breakfast if you have time and appetite for that. -Then wash your teeth, and use some lipbalm if you like. -Dress up in an outfit THAT YOU FEEL GOOD IN. (Also don’t forget about the weather… take care of yourself.) -Pack your lunch, check if you have everything important (keys, phone, money, ID, etc.) -On the road, do something that puts you in a good mood, or prepares you for the day. For example, you could catch up on your reading, revise the things you’ll do that day, run through your notes if you have a test that day, listen to music, etc. -DON’T TAKE LOOOOONG NAPS IN THE AFTERNOON. It may feel as the most refleshing thing, but you will regret it: you lose a lot of time, and the worst is, that you won’t sleep thight that night. MY TIP is to rest for 1- 1 and a half hours when you get home. You could eat something, or rest your head for a good half hour. Then start studying. If you really can’t focus on studying after a long day, that’s totally fine. Go to bed a bit earlier, and wake up earlier as well! You’ll see that in the morning, you will be more efficient, which will keep you moving all day long. -DON’T DRINK CAFFEINE IN THE AFTERNOON- it’s the same as naps, but (for me) it’s totally worse!!!!

On self-care:

-drink water -eat when you are hungry -go to bed in time -every Sunday, make your night a self-care night (long bath, hairwashing, face hydratating, manicure, pedicure, anything you like…) -use face scrub twice a week -wash your face twice a day -don’t sleep with your make up on -wash you hair 3 times a week

On studying:

-stay motivated: always set your goals, make your notes nice looking, so you want to study from them, WATCH GILMORE GIRLS (idk if it’s just me, but it inspires me a lot) -know what type you are (visual, auditive, kinesthetic) -if you are feeling tired, but want to study something, watch documentaries -always be prepared -throw away old pens and pencils -TURN OFF YOUR PHONE -teach kids or your classmates on materials you don’t want to forget, or is hard for you to study (for ex.: I teach children English, because currently it’s not among my subjects at school; and I became good at maths thanks to my friend, who never understood a word, and I had to teach her the material. Thanks to that, now we both know maths.)

[byronicstudies]

realistic tips for uni students

i’ve seen many tips for university students fly around here and i’ve noticed that some of them are either unrealistic or not necessary at all (take it from someone who has been studying 3 years already) so here are some real tips to help you

BUY. A. BACKPACK. i’ve made the same mistake and my back is in s h a m b l e s. and honestly, you don’t need an expensive one, but be sure to check if your backpack has a laptop compartment in case you bring a  laptop a to class. i know it looks unflattering as hell but trust me your back will thank you for it.

You don’t need expensive stationary. any pen or notebook will do but make sure you bring enough pens to classes, exams, etc because you don’t want to sit there panicking because your pen gave out.

on the topic of stationary ALWAYS KEEP A NOTEBOOK IN YOUR BAG what if your laptop dies? what if you want to make a reminder to yourself that you will forget about 5 minutes later? just keep a small notebook in your backpack in case you need it.

Always bring food and water! i’m particularly bad at this, not gonna lie, but especially when it’s summer and hot as hell this tip is incredibly important or you will most likely feel awful. i’m not a big breakfast eater myself because i get stomach issues from it but i make sure to bring something for either on my way to class, just before class, or during the break you might have in class. 

For those of you who menstruate: keep tampons/pads in your bag. you’re friends will thank you for it as well!

Moving on from backpack arrangements: pro-tip you don’t have to be bff’s with you teachers, especially not in your first year. later when you’re writing your dissertation, it’s can be helpful, but honestly they most likely won’t remember you in your first year and they will also most likely not grade your papers/tests either so no need to suck up

on the topic of teacher: you don’t have to attend every single office hour. if you have a question, please go, but otherwise you’re wasting your damn time

wait until your first lecture/seminar before buying books your professor will most likely say please buy this or this is optional. don’t waste money!

read the damn syllabus not just so that you know what to do before class, but also so that you know what to do in case you fall ill and what the attendance expectancy is (some professors have a 80% attendance or you will fail and others don’t give a shit)

don’t sign up for 9 am classes you won’t go okay? it seems fun at the beginning but you’re gonna end up dreading that class even though it would’ve been interesting if you were awake enough to take it in

procrastination is normal everybody does it and guess what? YOU DON’T NEED TO GET ALL A’S!!!! strive for it? great! but work yourself until you’re crying from the stress and thinking about dropping out because you can’t handle it? not so great!

mental health is more important than that 4.0 GPA speaks for itself but also if there is something going on please talk to your student advisor or tutor! you can better warn them in advance than try to build a case after you flunked that assignment/exam

try to make friends honestly it will make your uni experience so much nicer. and i get social anxiety, but at least try to get on friendly terms with people so you have notes when you’re sick, a partner when there is group work to be done, and just a friendly face when it’s all too much!

wear comfortable clothes yes i get the need to look cute but honestly when you’re freezing in your lecture hall because you wanted to wear that one top, you’re gonna be mad at yourself. also bring a jacket/scarf to put over yourself when you know a lecture hall/classroom is cold as hell it helps, trust me.

have fun sounds cliche but sign up for that one class that has absolutely nothing to do with your major but it looks fun, go out partying with your new buddies and stay up later than you should, it’s okay. nobody is all study all the time and you get to enjoy yourself. just find something fun in everything you learn even if you f-ing despise that one course because it will help you get through these years!

[magnolia-studies-blog]

Saturday, July 22nd, 2017 

Here are some of the very best apps for students; either in highschool or in college. I have used many of the following apps, but not all of them. Some, I have just asked friends about and they suggested those ones. 

Please enjoy the apps below, tell me how you like them, and feel free to add onto this list :)

Focus: SelfControl, Forest, MindNode, FocusBooster, FocusWriter, Think, StayFocused, Freedom, Cold Turkey, Anti-Social, Time Out, SmartBreak, Balanced

Productivity: Evernote, Any.do, MyScript Nebo, Outlook, Trello, Droptask, Basecamp, Pocket, Gyst, Doodle, Pen and Paper, Wunderlist, Toggl, Asana, Wolfram Alpha

Sounds: Tide, WhiteNoise, Chroma Doze, Coffitivity, Noisli, Brain.fm, NatureSpace, Noizio, Rainy Mood, SimplyNoise, Spotify, Slacker Radio 

Language Learning: Duolingo, Memrise, Busuu, Babbel, Livemocha, Living Language, Tandem, MindSnacks

Games: Lumosity, Sudoku, TanZen, GeoMaster Plus HD, Speed Anatomy, Star Walk, LeafSnap, Splice: Tree of Life, Vismory, Pigments, Viridi, Sunshine, Nota

Revision: Gojimo, Revision App, iMindMap, Exam Countdown, Penultimate, Clippet

Test Prep: Khan Academy, Magoosh ACT Flashcards, The Grading Game, Math Brain Booster, ACCUPLACER Study App, CK-12, NRICH, StudySync, Quizlet, StudyAce, That Quiz, Brilliant, Synap

Planner: Timeful, Remember the Milk, Listastic, Finish, 2Do, iStudiez Pro, MyHomework Student Planner, My Study Life, ClassManager, MyLifeOrganized, Daily Agenda, Schedule Planner, Todoist

Writing: EasyBib, ProWritingAid, Bubbl.us, WiseMapping, yWriter5, Storybook, Q10, Write 2 Lite, Writer, Diaro, Note Everything, OmmWriter, Draft

Health: MyFitnessPal, Lose It, Endomondo, FitNet, Sworkit, Daily Yoga, Yonder, Fooducate, SideChef, Rise, LifeSum, Meditation Studio, Happify, 7 Cups, Clue, Start, Power Nap App, Fit Radio, Calm

Courses: Corsera, PhotoMath, Udemy, HowCast, SimpleMind+, Open Culture, Canvas, Schoology, Alison, CourseBuffet, Degreed, Instructables, InstaNerd, Big Think, Yousician, Pianu 

Books & Reading: CampusBooks, Scribd, Pocket, Wattpad, GoodReads, Readmill, Audible, Prizmo, Blio, Kindle, Overdrive, BlueFire Reader, Nook, Kobo, Aldiko, Cool Reader

Note Taking: SuperNotes, StudyBlue, Bento, QuickOffice, Google Keep, Zoho Notebook, Simplenote, Bear, OneNote, Box Notes, Dynalist.io, Squid, Notability 

Inspiration: TED, Lift, Believe It: You Will Achieve, BrainCourage, Get Inspired, iFundamentals, Reinventing Yourself, iWish, Pozify, Positive Thinking - The Key to Happiness, The Gratitude Journal 

Other: WiFi Finder, Mint, Zwoor, Brain Pump, Curiosity, Ready4 SAT, GradeProof, edX, Mendeley, Due, CamScanner, IFTTT, Square Cash

[aestudier]

Just completed and submitted the final version of my Extended Essay !!! °˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖° 

So I compiled lists of words that I found super super useful in making it easier for me to finish any essay !! Here is a masterpost of some sort with transition words + key vocabs grouped together for easy access as well as an IB IOC ‘cheat sheet’ I used for my english LAL orals last year (though most commentaries follow a similar structure so its generalisable) ~

Good luck with your essays !!!

… oops just realised I forgot to bullet point one of the lists 

[gardensandbrushes]

Hello!

I am going home for Thanksgiving, and I will be happy to share my two favorite pie recipes! I will share them later this week. One will be a blueberry pie, the other a Dutch Apple!

Stay safe and happy!

[gardensandbrushes]

Just did my first bullet journal photo for this blog! Happy with how it turned out! I have time tomorrow, so let's hope I get all this done!

(Photo taken by me on: 10/7/19)

[inklingswannabe]

The cheritz tumblr explains whats going on!!! V bad timing.

LMFAO welp. uhhhh??? guess my playthrough is temporarily on pause y’all

[i-am-a-fish]

Suicide is never a solution.

You have so much worth, and no matter what you are going though right now I know you can persevere because you are so incredibly strong. You have gotten through so many impossible times in the past, I know that you can continue to push forward. I promise this problem will pass with time, it will be hard but if anyone can make it through this it's you. You may think that this post doesn't apply to you, but it absolutely does. You matter so much.

Here are some resources I've found, feel free to check the comment section for more:

Hotlines from all around the world

Listen to some good news podcasts and read good news articles, updated everyday

Music always helps me a lot, I made a small feel better playlist

A list of mental health discord servers, join a bunch of them and text or chat with real people anytime

There's a wonderful app called "Calm Harm" that I would really like you to download

You will feel better, I promise. Try to shower, go for a run, drink, eat, and refresh your body. Please take good care of yourself, you can do this💛🧡

[missheis]

If you weren't already aware: fatphobes and body shamers aren't welcome on this blog.

Tata.

[stupidkaty]

august affirmations

🍄my body is fine just the way it is

🍄i will be more devoted to my craft

🍄i will get my schoolwork done, no matter what my mental illness does to make sure i dont

🍄i will study! witchcraft, history, and of course my subjects for school

🍄i will be more positive about myself

🍄i will guide my partner and help him love himself

🍄i wont let my addiction control me

🍄i wont listen to anything mean anybody says, whatever the problem is, its theirs.

🍄i will not be anxious or scared the first day of school

🍄maybe idk start a studyblr?