Ikhtiar Anugrah Hidayat

Verba Volant, Scripta Manent.

[bayuvedha]

Sing Tenaang! Kan Ora Kabeh Kudu Saiki..

(Menata Hati — Part 13)

Umur kita iku bakalan terus bertambah, gelem ora gelem, seneng ora seneng. Menua iku wis dadi kepastian takdir sing ora bakal iso kita selaki. Sunatullah.

Mangkane, mulai saiki wis ora usah mumet mikir piye carane menghentikan penuaan utawa wedi dadi tuwo. Pikir wae piye carane kita iki iso menua dengan baik, ben ati iki iso luwih tenang, adem, lan rukun karo awake dhewe.

Sebab realitane, nduwe ati sing tenang, damai, lan ayem tentrem iku level kebahagiaane jauh luwih penting lan larang daripada nduwe apa wae ing dunya iki. Wong sing menua dengan baik iku batiné bakal makin sadar lan insyaf yen dunya iki murni mung nggo mampir ngombe, dudu tujuan utama. Urip kita wis ora usah dipaksa mlebu mode hoarding utawa nguber-nguber dunya nganti ngos-ngosan kaya wong kesurupan.

Ora kabeh hal ing dunya iki kudu kita duweni saiki. Apa wae sing penting ana, cukup, lan iso nggo sarana ibadah, wis alhamdulillah.

Prinsipe simpel banget: sing wis ana disyukuri, sing durung ana ya diusahakake sak mampune tanpa kudu ngoyo. Sing kudu kita catet kandel-kandel ing nggon memori batin: ana iku ora kudu saiki. Sesuk-sesuk ya kena, mben-mben yen wis wayahe dadi takdire ya bakal teka dhewe. Sing tenang, ora usah kesusu!

Sikap pasrah sing elegan lan santai iki jan-jane sinkron banget karo prinsip qana'ah sing diajarake dening para leluhur lan wong-wong sing jernih hatinya. Kita asring krungu unen-unen bijak sing jeru banget maknane:

"Sopo sing nrimo ing pandum, uripe bakal ayem."

Logikane ngene: Gusti Allah iku wis ngatur timeline lan porsi rezeki kanggo saben makhluk-Nya kanthi presisi, gak bakal salah alamat. Yen kita meksa pengen nduwe kabeh hal saiki uga, jan-jane kita lagi nuruti nepsu lan ego sing ora bakal ana barepe. Efeke? Pikiran dadi sumpek, turu ora jenak, lan batin gampang rontok pas ndelok pencapaiane wong liya. Padahal, urip iki dudu balapan sapa sing paling cepet sugih utawa paling mentereng casing-e.

So, urip kita bakal jauh luwih hemat energi lan bebas saka overthinking yen kita gelem ngedonke jangkar sabar ing njero dada. Nek emang urusan utawa pepenginan kita durung keturutan dina iki, ya wis ora apa-apa. Dijeda dhisik, ditarik napas sing jero, lan percaya wae yen skenarione Gusti Allah iku panggah sing paling apik lan paling indah ing wektu sing pas.

Semoga hati kita terus diparingi jembar nggo nampung takdir, diwenehi rasa cukup karo apa sing ana, lan ora gampang kegodha karo urusan dunya sing mung sak tethilan iki. Maneh, sing tenaang, ora kabeh kudu saiki ...

[kurniawangunadi]

Bekerja untuk Bahagia

Makin dewasa, tuntutan hidup seolah tidak ada habisnya. Kita berharap bisa hidup dengan tenang, nyatanya dikejar oleh tagihan. Hidup dari gaji ke gaji. Mau punya rumah, seolah menjadi mimpi panjang. Sementara, untuk bisa hidup dengan cara berbeda, kita tak punya keberanian.

Di tempat kerja, kita bekerja karena uang-nya, itu sesuatu yang umum. Tapi kita bertanya-tanya tentang mengapa kita tetap di sana, meski tidak bahagia tapi juga tidak berani keluar tiba-tiba.

Kita mulai mempertanyakan arah hidup kita sendiri, sebenarnya kemana, seperti apa. Apakah seumur hidup akan tinggal menetap di satu tempat, menjalani pagi hingga sore dengan aktivitas yang sama. Kemudian berkeluarga, anak-anak tumbuh dewasa, mereka menikah, lalu kita tiada? Seluas itu bumi yang kita pijak ini, tapi jarak terjauh yang kita tempuh ternyata hanya provinsi sebelah? Begitu besarnya bumi ini, tapi kita seperti hidup terbentur kanan dan kiri?

Kenapa kita tidak mencoba sesuatu yang selama ini kita takutkan? KG

[bayuvedha]

Lupa Cara Berhenti

Seni Menata Hati Eps. 23

Banyak manusia lelah bukan karena hidup mereka kekurangan, melainkan karena mereka tidak pernah mengizinkan hati mereka untuk merasa cukup. Semakin banyak materi yang berhasil digenggam, justru semakin raksasa pula keinginan baru yang lahir. Hingga akhirnya, hati berubah menjadi seperti cawan bocor yang terus-menerus diisi, tetapi tidak akan pernah benar-benar penuh.

"Kekayaan (yang hakiki) bukanlah dengan banyaknya harta benda, melainkan kekayaan yang sebenarnya adalah kekayaan jiwa (rasa cukup)." — Hadits Riwayat Bukhari dan Muslim

Pagi ini, buatlah sebuah keputusan besar: berhentilah sejenak dari lelahnya kejar-kejaran dunia. Tataplah apa saja yang telah berhasil kamu miliki hari ini, peluk dan syukuri setiap nikmat yang masih Allah sisakan di tangan, lalu nikmatilah hidupmu sendiri tanpa perlu terus-menerus menengok dan membandingkannya dengan pencapaian orang lain.

Sebab, kita sering kali mengira bahwa kita membutuhkan lebih banyak hal untuk bisa bahagia. Padahal, kita hanya perlu menurunkan ego keinginan kita. Hati yang mengenal kata cukup (qana'ah) adalah hati yang posisinya paling dekat dengan kedamaian abadi.

"Seandainya anak Adam diberikan satu lembah penuh berisi emas, niscaya ia akan mencari lembah yang kedua. Dan tidak ada yang bisa menyumbat mulutnya (menghentikan keserakahannya) kecuali tanah (kematian)." — Hadits Riwayat Bukhari

[ikhtiaranugrahhidayat]

S(ad)eptember.

God is going to replace everything I lost with something new and way better.

Every Soul Crossed, Every Lesson Learned: Destiny’s Deliberate Design:

Meeting people is never an accident. Someone cannot walk in and out of your life without reason. Lessons and the growth that you experience are never spontaneous. It is always meant to be. There is a higher purpose and an end beyond you and I, which we’ll never know until we reach it. So, I want you to stop treating your experiences as casual occurrences that just happened and start looking for a deeper meaning, an end or a goal.

Something that helps you flourish, that teaches you the important lessons that only people and their existence can give you. There is a plan for you and you must find it if you want to conquer it. Think about it, in a world consisting of 8,05 billion people, each capable of teaching you something, why did your path cross with this person? Because you needed a particular lesson at some point in your life. Think about it deeply, only then will you stop treating your growth as an accident and start appreciating it as a beautiful journey meant just for you.

Until now I realized something that “Actually I don't have a favorite place, but I have my favorite person and whenever I am with my favorite person, it becomes my favorite place even though maybe I go to that place many times it will never happen. feel bored with him”.

First of all, I just wanna say thank you to those few people around me that make me alive every moment and distract me from what’s going on in my head. Y'all deserve the world and the main reason: my place. Sources: Notesbabe. Theonelinner. 2amaashima

[pendongeng]

Membulatkan Keputusan

Jika standar memilih adalah karena sekedar keinginan, pasti Allah beri ujian. Sebaliknya, jika yang menjadi standar adalah dilihat dari agama dan manfaatnya untuk Islam, pasti Allah berikan petunjuk terbaikNya.

Keputusan terbaik adalah keputusan Sang Khaliq. Sekalipun harus menyakitkan, sekalipun harus berbuah ketidak mungkinan, sekalipun harus berakhir, tidak mengapa. Sebab sedari awal pilihan nya diserahkan pada Sang Maha Tahu yang terbaik untuk hambanya.

Lagi-lagi setiap standar pilihan harus kembali pada syara. Karena dari sana kita pahami, mana kebutuhan dan mana yang hanya sekedar keinginan.

Sebuah kebutuhan juga tidak hanya dilihat dari kebutuhan pemenuhan diri seorang. Tapi juga kebutuhan untuk yang lebih besar, seperti kebutuhannya untuk umat, untuk Islam, juga kebutuhan untuk menjaga keimanan.

Kita juga hanyalah manusia manusia banyak kurang. Tapi selagi kekurangan tidak mengganggu jalan keimanan, kenapa harus menjadi patokan?

Cukup memakai standar ridho Allah yang membuat yakin. Selebihnya tidak perlu lagi dipertanyakan. Manusia hanya diberi kewajiban berikhtiar, tetap Pencipta yang tentukan.

[taufikaulia]

Untukmu yang Merasa Jalan di Tempat dan Tertinggal di Belakang

Orang-orang yang dulu di belakang, sekarang ada yang udah satu perhentian bareng kita, ada juga yang udah jauh di depan.

Ini bukan cuma soal siapa yang start duluan. Ini soal kecepatan.

Percuma kalau start duluan, di tengah jalan hilang arah karena ngerasa di atas angin jadi leha-leha. Banyak istirahat, alasannya buat self reward.

Sementara ada orang lain, start belakangan, kendaraannya gak bagus-bagus amat, tapi konsisten, gak istirahat kecuali kalau bener-bener capek. Dia sadar dia tertinggal di belakang. Kayuhannya makin lama makin kuat.

Ujian orang yang ada di depan adalah silau sama prestasi diri sendiri. Kelamaan bersolek di depan cermin karena saking kagumnya sama diri sendiri. Gak sadar kalau dunia terus berubah. Akhirnya ketinggalan. Terus panik harus mengejar dari mana.

Ujian orang yang di belakang adalah kerja keras. Berkorban waktu, tenaga, dan apapun yang bisa dikorbankan.

Gak usah sombong kalau kamu udah di depan. Kesalip dua tiga orang itu gak kerasa. Ntar baru kerasa kalau kamu udah bener-bener ketinggalan di belakang sendirian.

Gak usah putus asa kalau kamu masih di belakang. Maju aja terus. Jalan masih panjang. Garis finish belum kelihatan. Terlalu dini buat menyimpulkan kamu sudah kalah.

Udah, maju aja.

—Taufik Aulia

[steffenator88-deactivated202302]

Tokyo 2019: Day 3

Here we go with day 3!

I’m a nerd, if you don’t know. This trip was a nice blend of new spots to see in Tokyo, beer, and my desire to find the cool places of Tokyo mentioned in Persona 5. 

I did revisit Meiji Shrine, which is my favorite shrine to go to in Tokyo. It’s just amazing to me how you come right out of the station, walk under the first torii gate, and BOOM, silence. It’s a really nice and peaceful walk, and as I’ve mentioned before, it’s always a humbling experience. Being there a second time did not disappoint. 

I lingered in the area and walked around Takeshita Street in Harajuku, probably a little too early in the morning. Shops were just opening, but there were still quite a few people. I really wanted to get some shopping done at the bazaar down the way in Harajuku, BUT IT WAS CLOSED I WAS SO SAD! (I looked and it’s always closed weekday I decided to go ToT) I also struggled to find a well known shop for gyoza, and while I knew they wouldn’t open until I swung back around on my way to my hotel, I’m glad I took the time to find it.

Since it was still pretty early and I didn’t want to go to the beer place just yet, I took a detour and went out to Aoyama-Ichome, because anyone who plays Persona 5 would want to at least see the station. I even took the Ginza line to get there! I was actually surprised by how different it was in real life. Clearly there was no Shujin Academy, but it was just like every other part of Tokyo. Pretty developed around the station and nothing like I figured it would be. It was still pretty neat though. 

(Above: the spot I’m assuming the P5 Protag could wander around in the game. I saw it as I was leaving however…)

(Below: I just wanted everyone to know I was serious about going all the way out of my way to be here.)

I decided on lunch (I FOUND MY CURRY BUN) and then realized I was sitting almost a mile away from where the Olympic Stadium was going to be. I thought there would be all sorts of cool things to see there, but sadly, it was still being worked on and there was no cool place to take a picture with the rings like I was hoping for. It was huge however, and hopefully going to be used at some point…

The next spot on my to see list was Shibuya. It sounds weird, but I didn’t come out here the first time because I didn’t see the point. I CLEARLY messed up in that regard. This place was a lot of fun, even if I got lost in the train station due to construction. 

However, it was way too early to enjoy the people. It was nice to roam around and get good pictures of everything before it got crowded, but the Scramble was nothing special and the pictures on the rooftop weren’t all that impressive. So, I decided to see what I could and return much later that evening. 

Now, I was not super impressive with Aoyama in reference to P5, but I was FLOORED by the scenes in Shibuya. They even nailed the green train (below; bottom)! I was beyond impressed. Then I even found the site where the gang would hold their meetings at the station (below; top)! It was eerily awesome. Got the nerd in me really excited. 

(I saw the picture of the burgers and immediately thought of Big Bang Burger in Persona 5. I sadly am not maxed out on my guts to get through that…)

So knowing I was returning to Shibuya, I headed farther south to Ebisu. Never been, but I read they had a beer museum and who could turn that down? Sadly, I’ve never even had an original Yebisu beer, being a Sapporo person for Japanese beer not in Japan, so I didn’t even know what to expect. Ebisu was really cool, being so far away from the heart of Tokyo, more mature and less chaotic, and I really enjoyed it. 

The beer museum was…very different. The first thing I noticed was how NICE it was inside. Like I thought they would kick me out for not abiding by a dress code. They had a cool little gift shop inside, but then I found the vending machine for the beer selection. Basically, you pay at the machine for what you want to sample, and I chose to try two beers (with the help of an employee because I had no idea what I was doing). 

I lost my mind when I saw a mojito beer.  IT EVEN CAME WITH A MINT LEAF! And at the time, I was coming off a porter/stout kick, so I chose a dark beer (it was pretty light and also really good.)

Now, there was also a tour to go on, for an extra fee, but it was only in Japanese. There was a museum section that told you all about the history of Yebisu, in English, and I highly recommend that. And the beer. Go for the beer!

Then, it was back to Harajuku for my gyoza! I was relieved that there wasn’t a line (which I read is very common) and was seated right when I got there. And that gyoza….oh…my…goooooooood it was the best. Sad I didn’t order more…

Then, it was back to the hotel to drop off all my goodies before a little rest and my return to Shibuya. It was getting dark around 6, so that’s when I headed out. It was cool to be there while light enough to catch the change before all the lights came on and it was almost a different scene. Much much busier. And the Scramble…I’m not a people person at all, but I would walk across that in that chaos a million more times. It was the coolest thing ever! But do this at night for sure!

I’m grateful I looked into a perfect vantage point for the Scramble, which oddly enough, was where I sat earlier that day thinking I was waiting for my Phantom Thief buddies! I’ll have to attach the videos from me actually being in it to the ones I took from this spot in another post because it was really incredible to see. If you only go to Shibuya for this, it will be worth it!

And that was how the night ended. Worth it.

[ikhtiaranugrahhidayat]

Goodluck to do your final—exam. https://www.instagram.com/p/CADLZz2DeJ989yf248xpAAS1a5tXm2sCMtN5zw0/?igshid=15vvvd0yrw6gq

[ecostudier]

how to stay focused in class!

If you’re anything like me, you might have a hard time staying focused in long classes or maybe even during short classes. I tend to drift off into a daydream when the material the professor is lecturing on is difficult or boring. But over the course of my semesters at university, I’ve picked up a few tips on how to stay focused in class and figured things out myself. I have a few classes that are almost three hours long (they only meet once a week) and I’ve trained myself to stay focused as best as I can during that time.

Take the best notes

 A professor in my freshman year told my class that if we had a hard time focusing or just paying attention to what he was saying, to try to the best notes in class. By this, I don’t mean to take pretty studyblr notes, but to take notes on the important things the professor is saying so that you will be able to come back to your notes and study well from them. Following the lecture and trying to take good notes to come back to will make you want to pay attention. This is by far the best thing I do that helps me stay focused.

It’s super important that you don’t write down everything that the professor says, but rather the important things. I’ve found that if I’m just mindlessly writing down everything they say, I’m not paying attention to what’s important. Learn to filter out what is important and what will actually be on exams.

Handwrite your notes. First, it’s scientifically proven that handwriting notes helps you remember things better, and I’ve been told this by every professor I’ve had. Plus, it helps you filter out what’s not important and what is. If you’re typing on a laptop, it’s incredibly easy to just type out every word the lecturer says, and you don’t learn as well.

Learn to not daydream in class

I know it can be tempting to just think about something else, your lunch, your plans later, etc. during class to make the time go by faster, but even just listening to the lecturer drone on and on, no matter how uninteresting, will make something go into your head rather than thinking about something completely different.

Daydreaming (and doing other things during class other than paying attention) can be addicting, so tell yourself that you can do it once the class is over. For example, if you want to online shop, reward yourself by doing so after you’ve paid attention in class and taken good notes.

Make sure you’re actually able to focus

If you have an attention-related disorder, make sure you take your meds!

Eating before class is so important. I can never focus on what I’m doing if I’m hungry. So, eat breakfast or lunch, or take a snack to eat before class with you if you can’t eat a full meal. I always have a protein or energy bar with me in my bag just in case I get hungry.

Make sure you’re hydrated as well! Your body and brain won’t function at its best if you’re dehydrated.

[daisystudies]

productivity while working from home

hi all! i hope everyone’s been well and healthy. if you’re like me, switching to online classes & working from home is not always easy – here are some tips to still be productive while working from home!

1. do your best to stick to your normal routine. this includes eating normally, sleeping normally, etc. - do your best to do what you have been doing before isolating. there are already enough changes in your life with school or work… you don’t need to stress your mind & body out more by changing your sleeping and eating habits!

2. don’t work in your bed. i know it’s tempting… but don’t do it. even if you go to your living room or desk, you are more likely to feel like you are in your normal routine. working in bed was never a good idea before, and it still isn’t. don’t. do. it.

3. attend all lectures - even if they are optional. on zoom (or on most other video chat sites that your professor/teacher may use) you can literally turn off your video – this way, even if you have bedhead and are looking a bit rough you can still go to class. but seriously - going to class is 10x easier now. get the most out of your classes and education and attend your lectures.

4. PRIORITIZE. YOUR. HEALTH. the whole reason we are not in school/at work right now is to stay healthy!! pay extra attention to your hygeine and don’t leave your house. if you feel sick, email your professors and ask for extensions. just be extra conscious of your health needs during the pandemic. 

5. get dressed! even if you are changing from pajamas into leggings and a tshirt, try to get dressed in the morning. studies have shown that putting on regular pants before working from home increases productivity. at the very least, change into different pajamas (for hygeine purposes).

6. take advantage of your new routine! a lot of professors are doing pre-recorded lectures, meaning you can watch them any time you want. do this and your work whenever you are most productive… do you work best in the morning? grind out your lectures then. can you focus more in the afternoon? perfect.. do your work then! either way, see this as an opportunity to work when you want & at your own pace.

7. take walks & spend time outside. please remember to social distance, but spending time in your backyard or on a walk (especially if you live in a more isolated area) is crucial. your body is probably used to getting a certain amount of steps & sunlight every day, so do your best to give it the nutrients and exercise it needs. 

8. keep daily lists. with such an unstructured environment, it can be hard to remember done everything you need to do. every day, make a list of things you hope to accomplish (don’t make it too long) and make sure everything is checked off by the end of the day.

9. don’t be upset with yourself if you struggle. this is a difficult time for all of us, for many different reasons. we will all experience some sort of disruption in our work. just pick yourself back up and keep going.

10. don’t be afraid to reach out to your professors. they are just an email away, and more often than not, are happy to help you in whatever you need. if you’re having trouble with the new structure of the class, or are confused about the class in general, they are more often than not happy to help.

if any of you need anything at this time, don’t hesitate to reach out to me x

[greenstudies]

Achieving balance in studies

Rather recently I have noticed that my approach to life is either “Everything has to be done and it has to be perfect” or “I do not care about anything at all”. You may be sitting in front of your computer, shaking your head and you’re right.. not healthy. So I put together some things that could help both you and me achieve some balance:

Studies and work should not be your number one priority -No matter how important grades are for you, school should NEVER be your number one priority

Make health your number one priority -I have told you what shouldn’t be your number one priority and now it’s time to give you a good number one! Health, be it physical or mental, should always be what you put first in life.

Focus on long term happiness -Vague statement, I know, but stay with me. Thinking of your long term happiness could help you fight procrastination at the moment because short term gratification does not matter. On the other hand you may also realise that studying isn’t what’s making you happy now and it won’t make you happy later and that’s okay too.

Self care is just as important as your work -This one is honestly the hardest for me. Self care is what will get you in working shape without burning yourself out completely.

Things don’t have to be perfect and you don’t have to do everything -It’s okay to choose not to do something or to half-ass it. Always having everything perfect while lacking in every other part of life is pretty much the opposite of balance.

Spend time with people -You can sometimes turn down a hang out with friends when you need to study but make sure it happens rarely. Don’t put school first when it comes to relationships and connections.

I hope these will help all of us and have a great night!

[hacwu]

hello!! as an online college student, i’ve been lucky enough to already have some experience with online schooling, so i’m here to offer all my advice for the students of quarantined schools! due to the covid-19 outbreak, it’s been very difficult for many who’ve had to switch to online school. however, there are many way to make it simpler and faster, and i’m here to give my best tips!!

firstly, make a list. whether you’re more comfortable with a physical to-do list or a virtual calendar to schedule things out (i’ve used google calendar almost my whole life but i just got the app elisi and it’s beautiful, minimalist, and easy to use! available on pretty much every device). planning out your work is the most efficient way to get it done.

don’t try to do everything at once. while it’s best to get things done soon, space out your work efficiently so you don’t feel overwhelmed!

create a simple, comfortable study space. it doesn’t have to be a perfectly organized desk or gorgeous setup at the kitchen table; i do all of my college work from my bed with a comfy throw blanket and fairy lights up. the most important thing is that you are in the right position to do work, you are comfortable, and that you are able to keep everything you need close to you.

work in chunks. to best knock out your work, take it an hour at a time with 10 to 15 minute breaks in between. make some tea, get a snack, stay energized.

drink lots of water. you are not immune to the coronavirus. it’s also easier to stay energized and focused when you’re hydrated.

MOST IMPORTANTLY: COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR INSTRUCTORS. at first i was very timid to communicate back and forth with my professors when something was wrong but i have learned that it is the most important thing to have good communication. if you don’t understand a concept, have trouble with the online system, or just need general help in your academics, sending them an email is the best way to solve the problem.

reward yourself!! once you’ve finished an assignment, give yourself a little treat (maybe a half hour of minecraft or your favorite snack to munch on!!)–it’s the best way to encourage your mind to work harder.

don’t work too late. you’re off from school. unless it’s the night of the due date, don’t push yourself until it’s done. the morning is just a sleep away.

these are some good playlists for background music.

another important tip! communicate with your classmates in case you don’t understand something. everybody learns differently and some pick up info different than others. 

make fancy notes!! get fancy with your stationery!! you have plenty of time now and can go bonkers with your beautiful notes.

continue to check your temperature and monitor symptoms. your school has closed for a reason. your safety and health are important.

retain a relatively normal sleep schedule, similar to the one you have when you normally go to school. slipping out of your regular sleep cycle can and will kick your ass when it’s time to go back.

lastly, eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. take a nap when you’re tired. remember to go to the bathroom and keep your water filled. take care of yourself.

if i think of anything else to add, i will!! just wanted to bring forth my advice in hopes that it benefits anybody who is at home b/c of quarantine or school cancellation :)

[ayatstudies-deactivated20211215]

types of academics: tag yourself

nocturnal: messy notes, never sleeps, wakes up after noon, sarcastic, coffee addiction, turns everything in late, sweats, netflix, needs a lot of naps, deep cleans their room maybe once every 2 months, messy buns, says they’ll be productive but never is until it’s past 2 am

“perfect”: balances work, social life, and health, never sleeps past midnight, aces everything, pretty notes, coffeeshops and libraries, cardigans, makes their bed every morning, mom friend, skincare routine, organized playlists, neat handwriting, autumn, coffee with cream and sugar

extroverted: loud but beautiful laugh, twirly handwriting, polaroids, colorful pens, skirts, wants to/does dye their hair, goes to parties but leaves early, summer, travels a lot, teacher’s pet, throws sleepover study nights, paints nails while reading for homework, leather jackets

chaotic: amazing music taste, probably good with technology, doesn’t bond with professors, has few close friends but lots of acquaintances, parties a lot, never focused (but when they are they’re really productive), really bad at reading people, cram sessions, bad sleep schedule

independent: has only one friend per class, gets everything done on time, prefers office hours over asking questions in class, rain, print-out lecture notes, one yellow highlighter, beautiful smile, the color green, painter, likes studying outside, sensitive to high-energy people, striped sweaters

[eunoiamaybe]

my “sort-of-complete” online classes and exams tips

This is a longer-than-usual post with tips for the 3 stages of online classes: focusing during an online class session, reviewing/studying for online classes, and preparing for online exams/ quizzes. So I decided to insert the “Read More” link to (a) not take up too much space on your dash, and (b) feel more confident in adding more tips as time goes on.

These are tips that I’ve compiled from my experience of taking online classes during my last 1.5 years at university. But having all of your courses moved online is so much more complicated. Since I’m currently doing an internship, I have tried my best to produce this post based on the comments of my friends IRL and on Tumblr (hence the “my”). However, I hope it can still be useful for you and many who were all abruptly put in this same situation.

So feel free to share your own tips and experience! I will probably go back to this once in a while to make some changes to it and add your tips. Good luck to everyone who is currently/ about to take online classes. You are almost there! 🍀 I believe in every single one of you!

~  Click away for them tips   ~

Keep reading

[miaonthemilkyway-deactivated202]

Waking up in the morning and be productive isn’t that easy for most people, it’s just way easier and cosy to just go back in bed!

I get why you love so much staying in bed, trust me. But it’s also true that in these uncertain times where we don’t have the outside motivation of school or work, it’s very important to learn how to be productive at home.

Being productive brings you closer to achieving your goals and creating a consistent routine will help you do that quicker. Not knowing what to do all the time makes you waste so much time that could be spent actually doing things!

How to structure your morning routine effectively:

When you are creating your productive morning routine it’s important to know exactly what your goals are. Do you want to exercise and get fit? Do you want to get your homework done? Do you want to work on your blog?

You need to tailor your routine according to those goals, so don’t follow other people’s routines just because they look good and “aesthetic”, that won’t get you anywhere with your own goals.

The first few days of trying your new routine are just a trial. If something seems off, you don’t feel good or you just can’t follow it, don’t get discouraged! Try again the next day and if the problems persist, it’s time to make some changes to your plan!

Also, your routine doesn’t necessarily have to include big tasks such as cleaning the whole house or completing an entire project, it could be composed of many little tasks such as making your bed. Putting all those little tasks into a to-do list might be helpful at first so you can check-off all the completed things and see what you were and weren’t able to accomplish. It will also look longer but at the same time, less intimidating considering that those smaller tasks will take you less time! ☀

Ideas for your own morning routine:

Make your bed

Drink water

Brush your teeth

Take a shower

Exercise

Do a face/hair mask

Read

Bible or religious studies

Bullet Journal

Clip your nails

Shave

Do your eyebrows

Try a new outfit

Try a new make-up look

Go for a walk

Stretch

Read or watch the news

Clean your desk drawers

Clean your backpack or purse

Unload/Load the dishwasher

Unload/Load the washing machine

Try a new recipe

Go grocery shopping

Connect with your loved ones

Call your relatives or friends

Gratitude Journal

Listen to an educational podcast

Learn how to code

Take an online class 

Meditate

Pray

Learn something you’ve wanted to learn for a long time

Study a new language

Take vitamins

Take your daily medication

Eat fruit or veggies

Water your plants

Change your sheets

Vacuum

Mop the floor

Clean your kitchen sink and counters

Clean your toilet 

Clean your bathroom sink and counters

Clean your bathtub or shower

Plan out your meals for the week

Do some meal prepping

Pay your bills

Do laundry

Pair socks and fold underwear

Plan your next vacation

Plan out your next business

Start a side hustle

Write a blog post

Take a new hobby

Draw or paint

Sing or play an instrument

Dance

Declutter your inbox

Organize papers and documents

Open the mail

Review your monthly budget

Check on your credit score

Create a wish-list

Make a doctor’s appointment

Wash your car

Organise your garage or storage unit

Update your resume

Look for a new job

Konmari your home

Sell things you don’t use

I hope you liked this post and find it useful! Don’t forget to click the little heart and reblog!

q: if you were forced to be on any reality show, which one would you choose? ☀

Love you, 

Mia, xx

[study-sleep-tea-repeat]

Tips for Doing Online Classes

I know a lot of us have had our schools switched to an online format so here are some tips to succeed in online classes! I’ve taken a few courses online before all of this but I’m still figuring things out, so if you have any more tips please comment them so I can add them to the list!

Use a system to keep track of due dates and other important info

I would keep using your planner or bullet journal if you already use one, and if you don’t already have a system now is the perfect time to set something up! There are a lot of tutorials and ideas out there on how to turn a simple notebook into a useful productivity system that could save your grades

Check your email (and any sites where class info would be updated) regularly

If you need have a hard time remembering to check, you could try setting reminders on your phone. I recommend checking email 2x per day (more often on important days where there might be more updates, like around finals and such) since then you’ll get all the info you need without constantly worrying about it

Don’t be afraid to reach out and email your professor for help. Just because you’re not physically in the same room as them doesn’t mean they aren’t there for you!

Work at a specific “school” space if possible

For example, working at a desk or table instead of in bed can be really helpful in being productive and feeling more normal

If you’re the kind of person —like me— who thrives with a bit more structure, create a daily routine for yourself

This could be as detailed or vague as you want it to be, but just having a general plan can be really useful in keeping yourself on track and getting everything done each day. I’ll make some more posts about this soon if you need help with this! 

Figure out if you work best with taking notes online or on paper, and keep doing that even for the online classes

If you know you like taking notes in a physical notebook, then keep doing that! It can feel like you should just take notes online since the classes are online, but you really don’t have to! Stick with whatever systems work best for you. This also goes for other things like physical books vs. ebooks, Quizlet flashcard sets vs. paper flashcards, etc.

Work on school-related tasks for a minimum amount of time per day

I like setting 3 hours as the daily minimum for me to work on schoolwork, since it’s not an intimidating amount of time for me but also doesn’t feel overwhelming. Plus you can always keep working if needed! This can also vary depending on how old you are, since people who are in middle school or high school might need less time to work on schoolwork than college students, it all just depends on you and your workload

While working on schoolwork (especially while watching video lectures) put your phone away and stay off social media on your computer

There are a bunch of apps and browser extensions to help you block certain sites while on your computer (I use the Chrome extension StayFocusd or the app SelfControl) and I definitely recommend using an app like Forest for your phone if you have a hard time staying off of it

Try to do submit of your assignments and exams at least an hour ahead of time (ideally more, give yourself as much time as possible!) in case you have tech issues

If you’re having a hard time understanding a concept, try to find other resources to help you (online tutor, Khan Academy, YouTube, etc.)

Make time to take care of your mental health (meditate, journal, etc.) as well as your physical health (yoga, dancing, go for walks, etc.)

Ensure that both of these important aspects of health are addressed every day, even if it’s something small

Let me know if you want me to elaborate on any of these for a future post! I’d love to make more content about online classes since so many of us are in similar situations

What have you found to be helpful with taking online classes?

[anatomyandcappuccini]

Studying from home, a new lifestyle during #Covid19 plague

Every library is closed, so are universities and you may be desperate because the library was the only place where you were able to focus.. I totally get you! But as someone who’ve spent most of its school years studying at home.. I can assure you that it’s totally fine! You just need a few techniques and organization skills and you’ll see that everything will be ok ! So here we go : 

Clean and declutter your study space. Store the books you don’t need anymore and only keep the essentials on your desk. I’ll share with you an old article I wrote on Tumblr about how to upgrade your workspace!

Block distractions : give your phone to your mom, use the Forest app, the Flipd app or just put it in airplane mode !

Cut the outside noise : a good playlist (my Lofi playlist for example :P), earplugs and the door shut can help you be in the « library » mood…

Make a study plan and try to stick to a routine.. It’s easy to lose track of time when you spend all of your days at home! This is why keeping a healthy routine and set hours for meals and breaks is really important!

Since it’s easier to get distracted at home, make sure to take more breaks than the usual (for example a 45min study session and a 10 min break).

If you have online lectures and a #studybuddy that you trust, why not split the work (for example you follow half of the lectures and your colleague the other half) and then sharing your notes? Also, why not creating a Google Drive with your colleagues so everyone shares their notes? The quarantine will be long so a little support from each other is more than welcomed!!

You can also have skype sessions with your colleagues to debate about a subject, or quiz each other so you don’t feel too alone and you keep track of your progress :)

You can also take the time to go deeper into the subjects you have to study and not only scratching the surface like you may be used to do ! This is also a great way to discover if you’re more interested in some subjects than others and who knows, maybe you’ll find a new passion !

If you feel like you can’t focus anymore then.. stop. It’s totally fine to not being able to study all day, especially when you have nothing else to do and when the deadlines are still far and unsure. So Take this time to enjoy your family, work on yourself, read a book, or start a new hobby.

Studygram