Margaret Studies PoliSci

High Point University 2019

[margaretstudiespolisci]

Update

I haven’t been on tumblr in over a year and completely forgot about my failed attempt at a studyblr. Anyway, I graduated!!! 

I haven’t been doing much studying for the past few months and don’t plan on doing much in the future. I’ll probably delete this soon, but I just wanted to update if anyone still follows/cares.

[margaretstudiespolisci]

My desk (it usually doesn’t look this good)

[margaretstudiespolisci]

September Desktop

I created this wallpaper on Google Drive. You can make a copy and customize it for yourself. 

[emmastudies]

please reblog this if you’re a new or smaller studyblr (preferably with your own content) so i can follow and reblog from you!! xx

[margaretstudiespolisci]

Tuesday was my first day of classes. I’ve now been to each class once. I’m taking American Politics, Democracy Development & Conflict, Campaigns & Elections, and Public Opinion.

[deeplylearning]

Need to take a nap? Use this guide to help you decide how long you should rest! Just be sure to avoid the “bad nap”!

[margaretstudiespolisci]

Printables and Stuff

I have two personal binders in addition to my academic binders. One is called Study Tools and is a lot of printables, as well as a few blog posts and articles. The other is called Mental Health and is pretty much the same.

Study Tools

Study Tracker (me)

Backpack Checklist (me)

2018 Free Student and Calendar Printables (Emma Studies)

Page 6: Class Overview

Note-taking printables (Emma Studies)

Page 5: Cornell lined

Assessment Timeline Planner Free Printable (Emma Studies)

Weekend Planner Free Printable (Emma Studies)

Exam revision printable pack (Emma Studies)

Library Study Plan Booklet (The Happy Arkansan)

10 Great Places to Study That Aren’t Your Bedroom (The Blonde Lifestyle)

Taking Advantage of Your Professor’s Office Hours (The Blonde Lifestyle)

Study Tips (WikiHow)

THIEVES textbook reading strategy (WikiHow)

Mental Health

Self Care Ideas (me)

Weekly Self Care Checklist (me)

Habit Tracker (me)

Mood and Mental Illness Symptom Tracker (me)

25 Questions for Self Reflection (Demons Inside My Head)

“I Can” Worksheet (Demons Inside My Head)

Daily Mood Tracker (Demons Inside My Head)

5 Components of Self Care (Demons Inside My Head)

Self Love (Demons Inside My Head)

Sleep Log (Demons Inside My Head)

The Best Parts of Me (Demons Inside My Head)

The Three Best Yoga Poses For Stress Relief (Buzzfeed)

Ease a Throbbing Headache With These Soothing Yoga Poses (Popsugar)

[ms-margaret-louise]

Monthly Habit Tracker

I made this to try to establish some good habits. TBD whether it works.

make a copy here 

[ms-margaret-louise]

School Supplies

This is some of my favorite school supplies. Nothing is sponsored and all opinions are my own. 

ClassMate TechPack Large from Land’s End

also available in medium and extra large

(new for 2018-19, review to come)

Prep Avenue Planner in Preppy Stripes (sold out for 2018-19)

still available in Gorgeous Ginger Jars

(new for 2018-19, review to come)

PILOT FriXion Color Sticks Erasable Gel Pens 10-pack of Assorted Colors

I haven’t used the specific pens before, but I’ve used the retractable. I like erasable pens for in my planner so I don’t have to worry about making mistakes and plans changing. 

Staples Better Binder 

I’ve been using these binders for a long time. They’re available in a lot of colors (which is great if you like to color coordinate) and sizes. I’ve color-coded by class before, but now I usually just have one binder for MWF and one for TTh. They’ve held up pretty well and just look and feel a bit nicer than your average binder. 

Paper Mate Clearpoint Elite Mechanical Pencil

I usually take notes in pencil because I like the flexibility of being able to erase. These pencils have a nice, smooth feel like you’re writing with a pen.

Sharpie Retractable Highlighters

I highlight books and papers I have to read. I like to have a variety of colors so I can color code: vocabulary words in yellow, dates in orange, quotes in pink, etc. Because they’re retractable, you can’t lose the cap, and clicking them is just fun. 

Post-It Page Markers

I usually put page markers in books so that I can find things easily again. I’ll either color code like I do for the highlighter, or sometimes I color code by chapter. 

Neu Year Academic Calendar

(new for 2018-19, review to come)

Avery Big Tab Write & Erase Durable Plastic Dividers

Dividers are important to keep my binders organized, especially since I often have more than one class in each binder. I like dividers with pockets because most of the paper I get from professors isn’t hole-punched. 

AND I almost forgot.., I’ve had the same MacBook Air since 2013. 

[ms-margaret-louise]

Wallet

Student ID

Cash

Debit card

License

Keys

Laptop

Charger

Earbuds

Binder

Books

Pencil case

Pens and pencils

Highlighter

Mini stapler

Planner

Snacks

Nuts

Fruits

Veggies

Phone charger

Tissues

Altoids

Umbrella

Post-it tabs

Cosmetic bag

Chapstick

Hand sanitizer

Lotion

Stain Remover

Hair bands

Bobby pins

Pad

Mints

Lint roller

Deodorant wipes

Cleansing wipes

Bandaids

[howtomusicmajor]

How to Handle Having TOO MUCH To Do

So let’s say you’re in the same boat I am (this is a running theme, have you noticed?) and you’ve just got, like, SO MUCH STUFF that HAS to get done YESTERDAY or you will DIE (or fail/get fired/mope). Everything needs to be done yesterday, you’re sick, and for whatever reason you are focusing on the least important stuff first. What to do!

Take a deep breath, because this is a boot camp in prioritization.

Make a 3 by 4 grid. Make it pretty big. The line above your top row goes like this: Due YESTERDAY - due TOMORROW - due LATER. Along the side, write: Takes 5 min - Takes 30 min - Takes hours - Takes DAYS.

Divide ALL your tasks into one of these squares, based on how much work you still have to do. A thank you note for a present you received two weeks ago? That takes 5 minutes and was due YESTERDAY. Put it in that square. A five page paper that’s due tomorrow? That takes an hour/hours, place it appropriately. Tomorrow’s speech you just need to rehearse? Half an hour, due TOMORROW. Do the same for ALL of your tasks

Your priority goes like this:

5 minutes due YESTERDAY

5 minutes due TOMORROW

Half-hour due YESTERDAY

Half-hour due TOMORROW

Hours due YESTERDAY

Hours due TOMORROW

5 minutes due LATER

Half-hour due LATER

Hours due LATER

DAYS due YESTERDAY

DAYS due TOMORROW

DAYS due LATER

At this point you just go down the list in each section. If something feels especially urgent, for whatever reason - a certain professor is hounding you, you’re especially worried about that speech, whatever - you can bump that up to the top of the entire list. However, going through the list like this is what I find most efficient.

Some people do like to save the 5 minute tasks for kind of a break between longer-running tasks. If that’s what you want to try, go for it! You’re the one studying here.

So that’s how to prioritize. Now, how to actually do shit? That’s where the 20/10 method comes in. It’s simple: do stuff like a stuff-doing FIEND for 20 minutes, then take a ten minute break and do whatever you want. Repeat ad infinitum. It’s how I’ve gotten through my to do list, concussed and everything.

You’ve got this. Get a drink and start - we can do our stuff together!

[allydsgn]

WOAH THIS SOUNDS HELPFUL. I’M GOING TO TRY THIS IMMEDIATELY. Also, I made a chart for myself, but if anyone else wants it for reference (or if this is wrong and I misread you can tell me) here it is:

[autisticphding]

Going to try this.

[ms-margaret-louise]

my weekly schedule for the upcoming year. I think it’s important to have designated chill time (aka free time) to avoid burnout. The evenings will change a bit because that’s when clubs meet, but I don’t have the days and times. I love this schedule because I don’t have to wake up early and I’m taking all PoliSci classes.

see my morning and evening routines in my previous post. I made this using Google Calendar.

[ms-margaret-louise]

Morning Routine

Up at 11

Morning podcast (Up First or The Daily)

Drink water

Start coffee

Check weather

Stretch / yoga

Shower

Get dressed

Make bed

Open curtains

Eat Brunch

Brush teeth

Wash face

Walk dog

Check to do list

Check backpack

Evening Routine

Turn off all screens

Walk dog

Wash face

Brush teeth

Pajamas

Tomorrow’s outfit

Pack bag

Set up coffee maker

Check planner

Check to do list / reflect on what I got done

Journal / meditate / read

Medicine

Check alarm

Bed by midnight

[otterfire]

Treat yourself how the Fab 5 would

Wash your pretty little face and brush your hair

Get out of the clothes you’ve been wearing for a week

Clean your room and make your bed

Actually cook a healthy meal

Be gentle with yourself and give yourself a little pep talk

-

Be your own fabulous five, it’s going to get better

[twloha]

You got this.

[ms-margaret-louise]

yass!

[ms-margaret-louise]

my desktop

I created this wallpaper on Google Drive. You can make a copy and customize it for yourself. The To Do list is just Apple Notes. I got the folders here. 

[ms-margaret-louise]

Last year’s desk when I was studying for finals. Stay tuned to see this year’s desk in a few weeks

[ms-margaret-louise]

Introduction

Hi, I’m Margaret. I’m going into my 4th year at High Point University in High Point, NC and planning on graduating in December 2019. I’m studying political science. I’ve been struggling a bit in school recently because I have anxiety and depression, so I’m trying to use this community as inspiration. I’m going to try to post some not so perfect pictures to show my reality. 

Thanks to @emmastudies for the inspiration!