Awtumn Droplets

I write about anything and everything, I go to University and study English. I also like to take pictures. Enjoy my poems and random thoughts.

[nienque]

not so much study tips, more thoughts on university/studying in general

although these posts are abundant, i like to have my own collection of study tips/uni thoughts

- i’ve been viewing my studies as an office job, mostly because of the 9 to 5 mentality. i am not one for night studying, i have tried and tried and felt guilty when i heard others talk about their late night study sessions, but it is just not for me. which is fine, because with this 9 to 5 idea i have created working days for myself and i can use my evenings for extracurriculars, books, friends, netflix 

- the train has (weirdly) become one of my favourite study spots. of course this really depends on the public transport you use. i am on a train for two hours a day, no transfer, and i either go to a silent area (have not yet seen this elsewhere, but dutch trains have carriages in which there is complete silence) or i put in my earpods. i love this because when i come home, i have already done so much work, e.g. organized my lecture notes of that day, inserted my professor’s comments into my paper etcetera

- although i’ve also learned to recognize when i am just done. sometimes i have had enough and it is way better to accept that and then i either listen to some music and stare at the passing landscape, or i watch an episode of the crown. when feeling exhausted, there’s no point in pushing and forcing yourself

- this goes for many many aspects: comparison will kill you. it is often still my tendency to compare myself to others on all levels - grades, kindness, clothing, weight, work ethic - but i make the effort to not ‘indulge’ in it. what my therapist told me has really helped: just notice that the urge to compare is there but then leave it be. like it’s a tiny spider crawling on your leg; you don’t have to do something with it

- on the topic of work ethic: don’t listen to your fellow students. don’t listen to what some wonderful academic says (online). don’t even listen to what your professors say regarding study hours. it has often made me feel very uncertain, but i think it is way better to figure it out yourself. to build up a feeling of trust towards yourself, so you can really start to notice, to feel, when you have done enough. that is something only you should be able to judge and not some external source

- sometimes i get overwhelmed with this sensation that i have not done enough, that i am lazy and have accomplished nothing. however, every (every!) time i have noticed this to be untrue. so perhaps i have not studied every chapter, but i have studied other chapters. i found the cliché of looking at what you have done to really be true. it helps me put things into perspective, i think we can really underestimate ourselves in how much work we have done. what you consider to be 20% may actually be 60%

- motivating internal monologues are completely normal and actually very good! give yourself that motivating speech, it’s like a snow track that becomes deeper and clearer everytime you repeat it 

it helps me to look back on these at times, has been in my concepts for a while now (like some kind of motivating internal monologue) but i want this to have a place on my actual blog, because i believe tips like these (less focused on studying and more on coping with the whole world of studying/academia) are important as well 

[faeinting]

These are… rlly good

[dp-1999]

Un día vi a mamá colocarse crema después de bañarse, las arrugas empezaban a cubrir su frente, su piel ya no era de seda, algunas manchas empezaron a cubrir su rostro, sus dedos temblaban, sus ojos cristalinos y su mirada me hacían entender que estaba triste, sin embargo cuando noto mi precencial su rostro se iluminó mostrando una sonrisa de oreja a oreja; - ¿en que piensas?, pregunte, tomo mi rostro entre sus manos y beso mi frente - En nada dijo... camino directo a la cocina y sirvió un plato lleno de sopa frente mi , siempre creí que yo era la más fuerte de mi familia pero aquella vez , analize todo, la melancolía se apoderó de mi y me di cuenta que si mamá me ubiera abrazado en ese momento, lloraría como una niña a la cual arrebataron su dulce.

-1999

[sin-ammonroll]

tengo lágrimas en los ojos

[gogomrbrown]

I learned in a Latin Studies class (with a chill white dude professor) that when the Europeans first saw Aztec cities they were stunned by the grid. The Aztecs had city planning and that there was no rational lay out to European cities at the time. No organization.

[punkrockradio]

When the Spanish first arrived in Tenochtitlan (now downtown mexico city) they thought they were dreaming. They had arrived from incredibly unsanitary medieval Europe to a city five times the size of that century’s london with a working sewage system, artificial “floating gardens” (chinampas), a grid system, and aqueducts providing fresh water. Which wasn’t even for drinking! Water from the aqueducts was used for washing and bathing- they preferred using nearby mountain springs for drinking. Hygiene was a huge part if their culture, most people bathed twice a day while the king bathed at least four times a day. Located on an island in the middle of a lake, they used advanced causeways to allow access to the mainland that could be cut off to let canoes through or to defend the city. The Spanish saw their buildings and towers and thought they were rising out of the water. The city was one of the most advanced societies at the time.

Anyone who thinks that Native Americans were the savages instead of the filthy, disease ridden colonizers who appeared on their land is a damn fool.

[robotsandfrippary]

They’ve also recently discovered a lost Native American city in Kansas called Etzanoa It rivals the size of Cahokia, which was very large as well.

[fullmetalquest-deactivated20211]

Makes me happy to see people learn about the culture of my country :D

[fieldbears]

Also, please remember that the idea of a nomadic or semi-nomadic culture being “less intelligent”, “less civilized” (and please unpack that word) was invented by people who wanted to make a graph where they were on the top.

Societies that functioned without 1) staying exclusively in one location or 2) having to make complicated, difficult-to-construct tools to go about their daily lives… were not somehow less valid than others.

[seraphic-diaries]

13.4.20

Y’all know I only post original content on here unless I feel like it’s important to share. Take it in ✨

[eintsein]

[8-bitstories-deactivated2020062]

things written with a fountain pen // coexistence

it was finally time before i released the poetry book i worked so hard for the last year and a half. coexistence comes this june as a digital ebook and is an independent publish. 20 poems and other 12 short poems accompanied by pixel art.

[ithelpstodream]

[happilyfreepoetry]

Week 2! Tue - Take a picture of the book you are currently reading I’ve been trying to read all of the Green brothers’ books because I look up to them and I really enjoy their writing. I know this is where I should've started but this is actually the last John Green book I’m reading and I have Hank’s book coming in the mail soon. So far my favorite has been Turtles All The Way Down, I read that book so fast and I love how well John portrayed OCD and that he focused on the friendship and not the romantic relationship, I also love detective stories so 10/10 loved that book. Looking for Alaska has been quite the rollercoaster, it’s taken me months to read it cause it hurts to continue, I struggle with the idea of (spoiler alert! even though I think everyone has read this book lmao) losing friends and this book is just too much sometimes, it makes me cry a lot and I've been trying to read it slowly so it won't hurt as bad but it still does. I'm also reading Hamlet for English and some textbooks, of course, I hate reading Shakespeare but he had cool stories 10/10 would read if it didn't hurt my brain.

[typelikeagirl]

[happilyfreepoetry]

The last couple of weeks have been insane, I feel so out of it like I’m sure many people do, but today I woke up early, I drank some coffee and got most of my work done. I talked to advisor and she is the best, she helped me realize that my feelings as similar to everyone’s they’re valid, and she always lets me know that she’s proud of me for doing so good in my classes and honestly if it wasn’t for her I wouldn’t know that to do. My parents didnt go to college they dont know how hard it is, and I also dont get any support from them, and I always get the “youre supposed to get good grades” from them so I stopped telling them. My advisor knows my situation and she lists the reasons why she’s proud of me, things I dont even realize, things that I forget. 

Whenever I start feeling like I used to before I came to college (depressed) I let myself be sad because sometimes I just need a day to not be so happy, and if that doesnt help I let myself wallow in my sadness until I get annoyed with it. I have a reason to live and a life to look forward to and I know what I need to do in order to get there. I see myself reading books, sitting on my couch petting my cat and listening to the rain, relaxing after a long day of teaching and grading papers. I’m so in love with life right now and the life I have after this. I wish my university was a person so I could give them a hug right now, it changed my life.

[happilyfreepoetry]

Week 2 - Pictures

Mon - Take a picture of your desk/study space

I’ve been watching lectures and reading all day I’m just glad I have so much space in my drawers to be able to have a clear desk:)

[piepublishings]

okay, so here in california precautionary measures against COVID-19 have become increasingly intense. most schools have closed and are preparing to make the transition to “distance learning” aka online classes. this is a big change for many of us – but don’t panic!

welcome to surviving online classes 101!

–

✐ self discipline

this is more of a warning than a tip. working from home means you will have to exercise a lot more self discipline. it can be a little bit boring or lonely at times. you cannot count on motivation from others (professors, classmates, friends, etc.), so you will have to learn some self discipline. 

✐ create your own classroom

a good way to make the transition is to try and mimic the classroom setting as closely as possible. something that might be helpful is to set up a space designated for work. try to avoid the temptation to work in your bed or on the couch. that trains your brain to be alert in those places and makes it harder to relax/fall asleep. at least during online lectures, try and eliminate distractions that wouldn’t be present in a regular classroom (like tv or netflix playing in the background, or having your phone out)

✐ dress for success!

dress in the way that makes you feel most productive. if you’re one of those people who usually rolls into class wearing sweats and still kills it, good for you! if you’re one of those people who needs to put on a full face of makeup to feel alive and ready for the day, do that! even at home!! i personally never wear makeup but if i try to be productive in pjs… disaster. i’ve also found that cute workout gear makes me feel badass while still being comfy.

✐ create a schedule

now more than ever you need to figure out how to manage your time. you can use a planner, bujo, google calendar, the forest app, whatever. just make sure you keep track of things like

due dates and TIMES

exam dates

lecture times

hours spent studying

meals (pls eat 3 if possible)

water intake

sleep schedule

✐ pack your bag like you usually would

i know this probably sounds so dumb, but when you’re done working clean up after yourself. pack everything up like you would at school, to sort of signal to your brain that academic time is over for now. and then unpack and set up when you’re ready to get to work again. this is just another way to trick your brain into that school mindset while you’re stuck at home.

✐ don’t overwork yourself

break up your studying into chunks. being cooped up all day can make us feel like we’re wasting time, but be sure to schedule breaks and reward yourself after a solid study session. i’m a big fan of the pomodoro method, and it can be customized really easily to allow for more or less study/rest time. 

✐ maintain a healthy sleep schedule

now is the time to develop that healthy sleep schedule we all dream about. staring at a computer all day is exhausting and hard on the eyes and brain, so make sure to give them enough rest and time to recover each night. also, consider investing in glasses that block blue light, even if you don’t usually use glasses. this will keep our eyes young lol. 

✐ communicate with your teachers and classmates

most of us are making this transition to online learning together. any time you have questions, email your professor. reach out to your classmates at the beginning and exchange emails/phone numbers/social media so you can build a support system. if something goes wrong, screenshot it immediately and reach out to your professor. technology isn’t perfect, and mistakes can happen, just communicate them.

✐ turn things in early

this is my biggest tip. when you are relying on online submissions for assignments and digital lectures, you always want to allow extra time to fix any errors you might encounter. your professor will also be much more willing to help you fix a problem two days before a deadline rather than two minutes before a deadline. eliminate that uncertainty by playing it safe with online submissions. 

–

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!! YOU GOT THIS!! WE GOT THIS!!

[myhoneststudyblr]

✨With most schools, colleges and unis closed around the globe and most studyblr students now having school at home I thought I would create a challenge to help everyone stay focused and productive and also to connect with people so even though most people are self-isolating, we don’t feel lonely✨

✨Info✨

Because no one really knows when we’re going to be able to go back to schools and I know it will depend very much on where you live, I’m going to do a month of daily ‘challenges’ starting on Monday 23rd March 2020 but if the quarantine keeps going I’ll try to add as the weeks/months go on

I want to see what y’all are posting so please use the tag #2020 quarantine challenge and I’ll track this tag and reboot as much as possible!

On this note, I will reblog basically everything even if you don’t think it is ‘aesthetic’ cause I love seeing how everyone does their notes and stuff so please get involved 💕

✨Week 1 - Questions✨

Mon - Have you made a study schedule to help you study at home?

Tue - How are you being taught your lessons? (google classroom, teams etc.)

Wed - What’s your favourite study snack?

Thu - How are you keeping active?

Fri - What is your favourite subject/topic to study at the moment?

Sat - Where in your house is your favourite place to study?

Sun - What are you doing to relax?

✨Week 2 - Pictures✨

Mon - Take a picture of your desk/study space

Tue - Take a picture of the book you are currently reading

Wed - Take a picture of your most colourful notes

Thu - Take a picture of the pens/highlighters that you could not live without

Fri - Take a picture of the view outside your window

Sat - Take a picture of a meal you’ve cooked or something you’ve baked

Sun - Take a picture of some of your art or doodles

✨Week 3 - Questions✨

Mon - What is your favourite food to cook or prepare?

Tue - If you could go anywhere in the world for a week, where would you go?

Wed - What is your biggest goal for this year? Have you done anything so far to achieve this?

Thu - What is the song that makes you happy no matter what?

Fri - What is your favourite TV programme at the moment (on Netflix etc)?

Sat - Where is your favourite place in the world (eg a city you’ve been to, a restaurant, or a particular hiking spot)?

Sun - What is your favourite joke?

✨Week 4 - Tips advice ✨

Mon - What is your biggest tip for staying focused?

Tue - What is your biggest tip for not getting cabin fever?

Wed - What would be your advice to you from five years ago?

Thu - What is the best advice you’ve ever been given (e.g. from a teacher of friend)?

Fri - What is your biggest tip for organising your study space/study materials?

Sat - What is your best tip on how to relax?

Sun - What is you biggest tip to someone starting to learn your major/favourite subject/degree?

✨This is the first month but I might add to this later as the quarantine continues. Let’s all support each other through this difficult time✨

[happilyfreepoetry]

This looks so fun and this is my first challenge! I’m gonna do a little catch up :)

Mon - Have you made a study schedule to help you study at home?

No, I started school this week but I think today after I’m done with homework I can get down to it.

Tue - How are you being taught your lessons? (google classroom, teams etc.)

Through zoom and pre recorded lectures:)

Wed - What’s your favourite study snack?

Popcorn!

Thu - How are you keeping active?

I dance around when cleaning/ when taking breaks.

Fri - What is your favourite subject/topic to study at the moment?

I’m taking a toxicology class and it’s so much fun! I love the professor and he makes everything so interesting.

Sat - Where in your house is your favourite place to study?

The desk facing my window.

Sun - What are you doing to relax?

Blogging and writing! Also just sitting down listening to the rain and reading.

[happilyfreepoetry]

There is a list of songs that remind me of specific moments in my life, slow dancing in the dark by joji reminds me of the beach at night talking to my friend and realizing I had feelings for them, hug all ur friends by cavetown reminds me of my friends and how easy life was when we were all together, you by dodie reminds me of going on my first real date and how much is hurt to have my heart broken. I love music so much, I love songs that I can close my eyes to and remember so vividly how I felt at that moment. Whenever I listen to slow dancing in the dark I can feel how cold I felt and hear the waves crashing on the sand, I can see the bridge shining, I can feel that person next to me and hear their laugh. I can feel my friends hugging me when I listen to hug all ur friends, I can hear their laughs and I can almost sense the cold drinks in my hands, the exhaustion of good adventure, the freedom I felt whenever we walked along the pier, the night was ours. You makes me feel how I felt in 10th grade still new to having freedom, still new to hanging out with friends without my parents, the excitement of going on a first date, the doubt, the heartbreak, the words that lead to my heartbreaking and tears running down my cheeks with a friend by my side telling me everything was going to be okay, it makes me think of highschool and how good that year was.

[naturalcottage]

Spending the quarantine like that:)

[artfoli]

Still Life with Flowers, 1665, by Willem van Aelst (1627-after 1682 )

[happilyfreepoetry]

Hi! Welcome :)

This is a new blog where I can just release my thoughts and feelings. I’m an English major and I hope to become a professor, I like reading, of course and I want to get back to writing so I can focus more on my studies and less on the mess my mind has been. I’m going to try and not expose who I am or where I live because I rather people not know much about me so I can be truthful. I also enjoy taking pictures of the world around me, I like to keep little mementos, I love asian food and I want to go to Japan some day. I really like writing essays, poetry, short stories, vignettes, etc. If you know me in real life, know that I’ll never use the names of the people in my life, and plese try to keep it a secret between us :)

xo Awtumn Droplets