Trying to study

Anna | 26 | italian | psych student

[smartspo]

now that most of us are at home, i thought this could be useful to the ones who aren't that used to learning material on their own and aren’t sure where to start, or which order of steps to follow. happy studying! 💗

studygram

[lifelonglearninggoals]

Consigli di studio: LIS

Cos’è la LIS?

LIS è la Lingua dei Segni Italiana. Forse è poco noto il fatto che che ogni paese abbia una sua lingua dei segni e acnora meno che la LIS non sia riconosciuta a livello nazionale.

Perchè studiare la LIS?

Personalmente, ho deciso di iniziare lo studio di questa lingua dopo aver fatto conoscenza con un ragazzo sordo. Il fatto di non aver potuto comunicare con lui mi ha messo molto a disagio e mi sono riproposta di non trovarmi più in una situazione simile. Consigli pratici

Il primo consiglio che mi sento di dare è quello di iscriversi ad un corso. Imparare questa lingua da soli non è facile: prima di tutto le fonti online sono pochissime, e, in più, è importante capire la cultura che sta dietro all’uso della lingua. Il secondo consiglio è quello di segnarsi ad ogni lezione i vocaboli che si sono imparati. E’ molto difficile appuntarsi graficamente i segni, ma per potersi esercitare in seguito è fondamentale avere la lista dei vocaboli conosciuti. Terzo, non esitate a chiedere al vostro insegnante di ripetere qualcosa o di verificare se state segnando correttamente. Quarto, appena finita la lezione, o comunque il prima possibile, filmatevi mentre segnate. In questo modo avrete una guida per ripassare in futuro. Quinto, esercitatevi. Create un gruppo di studio con gli altri corsisti e vedetevi (o fate videoconferenze) per confrontarvi e provare qualche semplice frase. Come ogni altra lingua, meno la utilizzate, più velocemente la dimenticherete.

[lifelonglearninggoals]

Ho aperto un blog di consigli sullo studio universitario :)

[studynostalgic]

you’ve gotten a bad grade. the assignment you turned in was not as good as you expected. the exam just went awful. we all know the feeling when this happens. but i’m here to help you!! don’t stress my friend everything will be okay

first of all: it’s okay!!!!!! everybody fails sometimes! i know it feels awful because you worked your ass off and now this happens. what’s important is that you don’t give up. academic success is not everything, so don’t beat yourself up too much. (also like there’s so much wrong with this system, but that’s a topic for another time)

- ̗̀ right after  ̖́-

give yourself some time to be sad, angry, frustrated, etc. talk to someone or journal your thoughts down and just get everything out. (it would be best to talk someone who isn’t in the same situation, so instead of maybe making your classmate uncomfortable, talk to somebody who will listen and give emotional support)

nobody excepts you to go right back to studying. in fact it would be better to get your mind off of things and distract yourself a bit. do something you love and relax a little.

but! don’t forget to pick yourself up again and take the next step:

- ̗̀ mindset  ̖́-

put your “failing“ into perspective. how bad is it really? is it the end of the world (no it isn’t). do you only think it’s a bad grade because you keep comparing yourself to your classmates?

don’t!!!!! compare!!!! yourself to others!!! focus on yourself. you don’t know all the other things your classmates may struggle with and your academic performance does not determine your self-worth. so what you didn’t do that good? there are so many other great things about you, believe me mwah

- ̗̀ identify the cause  ̖́-

what was the cause you didn’t do as well you expected?

did you study the wrong things? or did you study them the wrong way? were the concepts just way to complicated and you didn’t understand them?

did you panic while taking the exam?

didn’t pay attention in class?

did you not start early enough?

is your teacher just awful™?

whatever the reason try to identify it and find a solution. try to apply it the next time. but remember that there is not always a cause, sometimes things are just like they are. if that seems to be the case, just remember that it’s probably not your fault and try to continue doing your best.

- ̗̀ solutions  ̖́-

ha you thought you have to figure out the solution all by yourself. but i’m here to (hopefully) help you.

don’t be afraid to talk to your teacher/prof! most of the time they want to see you succeed, so maybe there is something you could do to improve the grade or you could try to tackle the issue you have/had.

find a study method that suits you and make it a routine. there’re so many helpful posts on here (just search up “study tips”) so there is to 100% something that works for you.

study schedule? some people do better with one, some don’t. with one, you can exactly plan out when and what to study for the upcoming tests, so you’ll be able to improve your grade. also, try to plan in when you’re going to revise hard topics again or the ones you didn’t understand if there were any.

do your homework and assignments! they help so much with improving your grade and the teacher/prof sees that you’re willing to make an effort.

join a study group or visit a tutor. they are a great way to find help and make you remember that you’re not alone and that there’s a solution to everything.

be a pro at exam taking. i’ll maybe do a separate post on that because there is so much i could say, but the most important thing is: be positive. give yourself a pep talk and don’t stress. you got this.

okay, that’s everything i have to say! i hope i could help u a bit <3 remember: you got this!!

[tea-core-deactivated20200304]

based on this post, with my own additions. these tips can be used both for school tasks and for everyday tasks like cooking or cleaning, but they are mostly focussed on school!

not working because you feel tired?

eat and drink something! often I don’t notice that I’m hungry or thirsty and just feel really fatigued and don’t know why. then I eat/drink and feel better really quickly!

have something with a bit of caffeine.

try to expose yourself to natural (or at least bright) light.

do a mini workout to get your heart pumping. skipping is fun?

keep yourself stimulated. play upbeat music, use bright colours in your notes, etc.

not working because you’re struggling to think straight or or organise your thoughts?

talk through what you need to get done with a friend, your teacher/professor, etc. they can help you organise your thoughts around the task and come up with a plan!

break the task up into small, easy to approach chunks. write them down.

use a visual planning method like a mindmap to organise your thoughts - putting them down like this can help you sort out the confusing tangled mess of thoughts in your brain.

not working because you feel bored or frustrated with the task and are struggling to push through it?

reward yourself for completing parts of the task (keep the reward non-distracting though, or it can lead to the next problem!). you could set up an accountability system with a friend - they could, for example, promise to bake you something if you manage to get a task done on time.

list the reasons why you should finish the task. use these as motivation.

relieve your restless energy by doing something active during your breaks (like working out), and by keeping yourself stimulated while working on the task (for example by using a fidget toy).

if it’s frustrating because it’s difficult, get help!

modify the task to make it a bit more fun. relate it back to your interests, use fun stationery, etc. this might involve asking your teacher/professor if you can complete an alternate task. they’re usually pretty accommodating.

not working because you’re distracted by other activities?

use an app like ‘Forest’ to encourage you to work solidly on your task for a period of time without getting distracted.

block distracting websites.

write down thoughts and activities that you want to come back to later after finishing your task, rather than getting caught up in them.

related to above - use the Chrome extension ‘Tab Snooze’ to put distracting browser tabs away for later.

if you don’t need internet for your task, go work somewhere where you can’t access the internet.

not working because you feel stressed about the task and trying to do it makes you feel worse?

try the two-minute rule - work on the task for just two minutes. you might find that after this time the initial anxiety around starting the task has faded and you can continue to work on it.

similarly, break your task up into small, manageable chunks and approach them one-by-one. remember that something is better than nothing, even if that something is just writing out the subheadings in your report.

try to make your work environment calm and comfy to soothe you while you work on the task - turn a heater on if you like it to be warm, keep the space minimal and organised, play calm music, etc.

get help from others! a chat with a friend or teacher/professor about the task can help reassure you and they will probably also have helpful advice about how to approach it.

[stu6y]

[10.20.17] social studies notes ✧ semester break is near and i’m so excited! i can’t wait to sleep without feeling guilty lol :-)

follow my instagram

[gwenstudies]

nov. 16th

today i mainly worked on making summary sheets for an upcoming history and politics exam, but i also continued reading animal farm for english class.

hope ur day was good!

[lilicriticallanguages]

How to Create a Self-Study Schedule

If you’re studying any foreign language on your own (or without a course) you’re going to need to be extra organized. Your language study is in your own hands and so is how much you learn. There is no one holding you accountable or motivated either. So it’s entirely up to you to make sure you’re organized and planning enough material that your learning at a comfortable pace. There are roughly two ways to learn languages on your own. There are roughly two ways to go about planning your language study: intensively or casually. Here are my tips for intensive studying and I’ll post about casual studying soon:

Continua a leggere

[studypuddles]

Susanna’s French Verb Masterpost!

Hello! I’ve been inundated recently with messages from lovely studyblrs asking me to post the verbs from my French verb wall - so voilá! I’m really sorry for the delay, I’ve been meaning to get around to it for ages, but what with oral exams, art projects, geography projects, graduation planning and general Head Girl stuff it’s been hectic.

I hope these help a few of you out, I know from experience how difficult it is to find a concise collection of all the French verbs (or certainly those necessary for the Leaving Cert/similar exams). I love having these stuck up on my wall beside my desk, they make French homework an absolute doddle. And by the way, my mum is a French teacher, so you can rest assured that this isn’t a load of ol’ inaccurate baloney!

Hope you all have a splendid day!

[veryfunnymemes]

[mistybox051]

!!

[blackxmansxhaki]

Fr? Lemme check this out

[ms-demeanor]

Here’s the link to all of the free online classes offered by Harvard:

https://www.edx.org/school/harvardx

But TBH I prefer the MIT Open Coursewear approach. Feel like taking a class on the policy and economics of nuclear engineering? MIT’s got you covered:

https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/find-by-topic/#cat=engineering&subcat=nuclearengineering&spec=nuclearsystemspolicyandeconomics

In fact they’ve got  you covered with A LOT of their courses, everything from fine arts to immunology.

Have fun :)

[pluto-the-demigod]

WHERE HAS THIS BEEN THE LAST TWO YEARS

[lifelonglearninggoals]

Alzo there are courses in italian!

[physiologies]

reviewing some psychiatry articles before my exam tomorrow!

[lawyerd]

378 | I have to start studying at cafes with larger tables

[eintsein]

Staying Focused: Tips for Maintaining Focus while Studying

You’ve sat down at your desk. You have everything you need on your table or somewhere around you. You start to work. You think, “this is going well,” until a notification pops up on your laptop screen. And then another notification pops up on your phone. And during that period when your eyes were off of your study material, you also noticed a bag of chips, a magazine, your unfinished journal spread, your roommate bobbing their leg up and down and up and down, the pattern of the wood on your bookshelf, a text message, your bed … suddenly you can’t remember what you were supposed to be doing but instead think about how much you want to sleep. Or how hungry you are. Or how much you want to go hang out with your friends. Or your entire life choices.

I’m sure we’ve all been there. Sometimes it’s really difficult to stay focused while studying, and with all the distractions that surround us, it really isn’t surprising. However, there are ways that you can minimize the chances that you’ll give in to those distractions and focus on your work instead. Here are some that have worked for me:

Prepare for the session

The first thing you should do is clear your space. Don’t have things lying around that could make you distracted - put all your food where you can’t see them, your phone inside your bag, etc. However, there also comes a time when you have a thought that’s super important, but you can’t extend that thought or you’ll get sucked into a chain of other distracting thoughts. I like to have a notebook or piece of paper nearby where I can jot down these compulsive thoughts that I’ll get back to later - this is usually my bullet journal.

You could also find a study space where you’re the least prone to distraction. For me it’d be a cafe, since I would only have the things I brought with me. My dorm is where a lot of the distractions are: my books, all my journals and stationery, and my bed. Some people like studying in the library, but personally I find it distracting when other people around me are studying as well (especially when it’s super quiet and you can hear every pen click and page turn).

In addition, you might also want to do things like have a snack, go to the bathroom, and check your phone before you start your study session, so you won’t have the urge to do those things during your study session.

Block out your time and assign specific tasks

I’ve found that whenever I have a very vague schedule - like “I’ll study [ subject ] from 3 to 5 or something” or “I’ll complete these 5 tasks in 4 hours” or even worse “I’ll learn the whole syllabus in the next 2 months” - I don’t get as much done as I could. It’s hard to focus when you don’t really have a specific thing to focus on. You know how on the weekends especially, you have a whole list of things to do but every time you do one thing you get distracted by the thought of another? That can be solved by time blocking. Set aside a specific period of time to do a specific task, and eventually, those will accumulate into more productive hours.

It’s even more efficient to block smaller periods of time - 5 or 10 minutes or so. For example, even though I use the pomodoro technique of doing a task for 25 minutes then taking a 5-minute break, I break up those 25 minutes. If I were studying my flashcards, I might set a goal of finishing one stack - usually one topic - in 10 minutes (depending on the thickness of the stack). If I simply assigned 4 pomodoro sessions to review all my cards, this would make me prone to stretching out the amount of time I spend on a single stack, and in that stretching of time comes a loss of focus. It is a lot easier to focus for 10 minutes on one thing than 25 minutes on 3 things.

Note: What has helped me study for exams is scheduling out my time in months, and then weeks, then days, then hours, then minutes, so I’ll know the direction I’m going in, but I also won’t be overwhelmed by the amount of tasks I have to complete since I can do one small task at a time.

Practice, practice, practice

Like everything else in life, in order to be good at something, you have to practice. Learning to maintain focus is the same. At first, focusing for 25 minutes might feel hard and maybe even painful, but as you complete more pomodoro sessions, you’ll find that focusing for 25 minutes is effortless (or whatever period of time you usually work/study for).

Another way to practice focusing is by meditating. Meditating is part of my morning routine, and it’s definitely helped me stay focused in other activities, so you might wanna give that a try. 

Work alone

I can tell you that of all the group study sessions I’ve had with my friends, most of them are much less efficient than if I had chosen to work alone. (The exception was when I was stuck with a bug in my code and my friend helped me figure it out.) Friends are very distracting, and even when you promise yourselves you’ll work on assignment or that you’ll only discuss the topic you’re studying, your conversation will inevitably stray from that.

Take breaks

When you’re tired, you’re sure to be distracted, so one way of combating that is to take breaks. It refreshes you so that you have more energy to focus during your next study session.

Aside from that, you should schedule your distractions during your breaks - go to the bathroom, grab a snack, go on your phone, or during longer breaks you can talk to your friends, take a nap, etc - so that you won’t give into those compulsions during your study sessions. Because you’ve already done those distracting things, when you’re studying, you’ll end up thinking something along the lines of, “Oh, I’ve already checked Instagram five minutes ago; my phone can wait,” or “I just had a snack, I can go get another one once I’m finished.”

That’s all the tips I have for you right now about how to maintain focus while studying. I hope this has been helpful, but as usual, if you have any questions, or some of your problems aren’t covered in this post, feel free to reach out to me by dropping an ask or sending me a message. Also, linked below are several of my posts that you mind find helpful. Have an awesome day!

Relevant posts

How to Beat Procrastination

The Mandatory Midday Break

4 Secrets to Efficiency

Getting Stuff Done: How to Deal with Lack of Motivation

[polcry]

15.2.17 // 6oC ☁️

32/100 Days of Productivity 

Bad morning: crappy grade, boiler issues, distinct lack of will to live. At least I finished an essay, I s’pose. 😒

[gudetama-studies]

Some early morning revision 🙈🙈 // 03.11.2018

[coffeeandpies-deactivated202012]

18.01.19 // good morning!

[eintsein]

HOW TO APPROACH CLASSES A guide to getting the most out of your classes and lectures

By Eintsein

Design inspired by this post by @journalsanctuary

[literastudy-deactivated20241017]

Just a heads up that audio recording of your classes may not be permitted by your institution unless you have a special permission because of a disability. It’s also a good idea to ask for permission from each professor first, many of them are uncomfortable with recordings for many reasons.