[mtfandom]

« lockscreen now united »

[mtfandom]

ʚ Joalin lockscreens ɞ

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[confessions-of-a-medblr]

PARA OS STUDYBLRS BRASILEIROS QUE ESTÃO SOFRENDO COM VESTIBULAR

Sei como é complicada essa fase, especialmente pra quem não tem condições de pagar um cursinho de elite. Mas teve um anjo (not me, eu nunca cheguei perto de uma apostila dessas) que fez upload das apostilas dos melhores cursinhos do país só para o proveito de todos os vestibulandos!

Brace yourselves, a aprovação is coming hahaha

Apostilas  

Etapa

Poliedro

Objetivo

COC

Anglo

Bernoulli

Essse post vai especialmente pra esses studyblrs que me inspiram diariamente com suas letras bonitas e perseverança @smellslikejasmin​ @enemblr​ @brazilianstudyblr​ @getstudyblr​ @chvestibulando​

[chemistee-blog]

E de repente é o ano de vestibular. Seja você aluno do último ano do Ensino Médio, ou aquele aluno que já terminou e agora decidiu que esse vai ser o ano. Segurar a ansiedade não é fácil, e eu, como vestibulanda recente, sei como você se sente. Mesmo que você esteja escondendo o nervosismo, ele definitivamente está lá. Decidi publicar algumas dicas depois que um amigo me pediu para eu contar minha “fórmula de estudo”. Espero que elas sejam úteis! 

“Como você se preparou para o vestibular?”

Oh, boy… Devo admitir que eu não me preparei de forma uniforme e muito menos inteligente. Essa postagem é mais sobre o que não fazer para ter sucesso. Para contextualizar, eu fui aluna de um grande colégio voltado ao vestibular durante o Ensino Médio. Encarava horas e horas de ônibus todos os dias. Cheguei a morar em pensionato no último ano. Foram anos tensos para mim, sendo que eu lidei com depressão até o ano passado. Então não, eu não fui uma aluna boa, peguei recuperação, não fiz tarefa de casa, colei em prova. Fiz tudo o que eu não deveria ter feito. Mas sobrevivi. E estou aqui para dizer que: você também pode sobreviver, e ficar melhor do que eu, inclusive.

“Nossa, mas se você era tão ruim enquanto aluna, quais aprovações você conseguiu?”

Passei na USP (Universidade de São Paulo), Unicamp (Universidade Estadual de Campinas) e UFMG (Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais). Todas as que eu prestei. Eu não ter sido disciplinada não quer dizer que eu não tenha estudado – eventualmente, eu tenho a impressão de que poderia ter feito MUITO mais, o que é verdade, mas eu fiz bastante coisa. Estive envolvida com Olimpíadas Científicas. Projetos sociais. Movimentos sociais. Negligenciei o Ensino Médio, verdade, mas sempre estive atualizando meus conhecimentos. E essa é uma das primeiras chaves: não pare de estudar. Ainda que de primeira você não consiga a disciplina necessária para estudar o suficiente todos os dias. 

“Eu também quero passar na USP! Como eu faço?”

Disciplina é a segunda chave, e provavelmente a mais importante. Motivação é uma coisa volátil, que sempre vai te deixar na mão. Quando você mais precisar da motivação, ela vai ter ido embora. Então confie na disciplina, essa sim vai te levar longe esse ano. Saiba dizer não. Saiba os horários biológicos do seu corpo, monte seus cronogramas e esteja sempre comprometido a priorizar seus estudos. Mesmo se você estiver deprimido ou sofrendo com alguma doença crônica. 

“Mas você está sugerindo que minha saúde mental e física é menos importante que meus estudos?”

De forma alguma! Saber quando pedir ajuda e quando parar para se dar um espaço é crucial durante esse ano. Mas, por outro lado, quando se tem depressão ou outra doença crônica, tudo vai ser difícil a qualquer momento. Você vai estar se sentindo mal boa parte do tempo. Você tem que se permitir momentos de descanso, eles são super importantes, mas você tem que se obrigar a trabalhar mesmo quando estiver desmotivado/triste, principalmente se esses períodos são longos. Essa não é uma dica de “neurotípico”, como eu já disse, eu também sofri de depressão. E a depressão atrasa sua vida, sendo domada somente pela amiguinha disciplina. NUNCA deixe de cuidar de si mesmo, mas saiba quando se obrigar a fazer coisas, ou você vai andar muito menos do que poderia ter andado. 

“Tudo bem, estou super motivado agora, vou estudar de cara 12h por dia e quando eu chegar no fim do ano vou estar super inteligente!”

Seja o que for que você ouviu, você não precisa de 12h de estudo por dia (não, nem se você quer medicina) – na verdade, provavelmente você passará boa parte dessas 12h cansado demais para estudar de verdade. Aliás, preze pela qualidade do seu estudo, não pela quantidade bruta. Seu cérebro tem limites e você precisa aprender a respeitá-los, caso não queira chegar ao fim do ano completamente exausto e zumbi. Sim, eu já vi diversos amigos meus completamente acabados nesse ritmo. Esperto é o aluno que estuda consistentemente todos os dias, de forma moderada – no fim do ano, ele vai estar cansado, mas não exausto, tendo um desempenho melhor nas provas justamente por não estar morto.

“Mas eu não tenho condições de pagar cursinho… Estou tão desanimado por isso. Não vou conseguir competir com os outros.”

Não é verdade! Você está na época da internet, use-a a seu favor. O que não falta são materiais de estudo, de graça ou não, no idioma que você preferir. Um que eu já usei e posso realmente recomendar é o Khan Academy. Não entende uma matéria em específico? Eles têm vídeo-aulas detalhadas sobre o assunto e, no caso da matemática, exercícios virtuais. Bingo! Há diversos outros sites e canais no Youtube populares que eu prefiro não citar por não ter experiência direta, mas procurando você acha. Esse não é o momento de desculpas, é o momento de trabalhar.

“Eu não sei estudar sozinho.”

Procure alunos da sua cidade que também estejam em ano de vestibular. Se junta com a galera, façam grupos de estudo, cada um pode ajudar os outros em seu ponto forte. Procure professores particulares em conta para te ajudar naquela matéria especialmente cabeluda. E procure simulados. Os sites de cursinho (Objetivo, Etapa, Anglo, Ari de Sá, Poliedro…) muitas vezes têm simulados. E eles também tem a resolução completa dos outros vestibulares – meu preferido é o do Etapa. De novo, o poder da internet e da comunicação social a seu favor. 

“Algumas vezes eu me sinto péssimo, como se eu nunca fosse conseguir nada… Não acho que vá dar certo.”

Primeira coisa: você não está sozinho. Esse sentimento de fracasso é algo comum que pode atrapalhar muito seu ano de vestibular. Cantar derrota antes da hora muito provavelmente vai te enfiar na… derrota. Então seja realista: reconheça suas limitações e fraquezas – não importa quantas e quão pesadas elas sejam – mas não ache que isso te torna um fracassado. Ainda assim, reconheça que as vagas nas universidades são para todos e que você também pode conseguir uma delas. Pode ser que seja difícil, é verdade, mas antes de começar, ninguém é derrotado. Uma coisa importante a se fazer é: tenha os planos A e B. E também os C, D, E, F, G… Tenha diferentes caminhos opcionais. Pesquise cursos que não sejam o que você tem em mente. Preste diferentes provas. Seguir seu sonho é importante, mas também é importante trabalhar com as opções viáveis. Seja realista, mas não se abata por qualquer coisa. Você não é um fracassado.

“Não sei se consigo passar esse ano bem…”

Consegue sim. Vai ser difícil, mas você consegue. Por isso, é importante manter bons amigos perto, e conversar com sua família para que eles possam e ajudar e não atrapalha. O apoio dos amigos e família vai se provar crucial ao longo do ano. Outras dicas importantes são: 1) Tome água. SÉRIO. Mantenha-se hidratado, faz toda a diferença do mundo. 2) Não deixe de dormir por nada. O sono é uma coisa preciosa e sua falta vai te ferrar nas piores horas [saudades de quando eu fiz o ENEM praticamente virada… mas essa é outra história]. 3) Alimente-se bem. NÃO deixe de comer. Coma bem, tenha uma alimentação balanceada e saudável. Passei um ano inteiro comendo uma barra de chocolate por dia (sim) e minhas cicatrizes de espinhas vão estar sempre para me lembrar disso. Fora os outros efeitos… Bem, vocês entenderam.  4) Saiba a hora de negar “rolês”, mas não se isole. Ou seus amigos podem realmente sumir depois de você cortar contato com eles. Não seja um ermitão. 5) Cuide da higiene pessoal. Nada de deixar de tomar banho: não duvide do poder do banho de unfuck your head.

“Ok, e dicas para prova, você tem?”

Não dicas especiais para a prova, porque cada um tem seu jeito de resolver uma prova. Eu, por exemplo, começo na 1 e só paro na última, independentemente de qual seja a 1. Talvez você prefira abordar de outro jeito. Mas, quanto ao estudo para a prova, não negligencie nenhuma matéria – lembra aquela matéria que você gosta? Pode ser ela que vai te derrubar no vestibular. Então não deixe de revisá-la. Dica especial de quem tirou nota menor em Química do que em Biologia na segunda fase, sendo que eu gosto mais de Química. E lembra das leituras obrigatórias? Ler só o livro não basta. Tenha uma boa análise teórica em mãos, seja livro de análise ou uma vídeo-aula. Eu arrisco dizer que esses são mais importantes do que ler o livro. E eu, como aluna negligente, só li dois livros da lista da Fuvest. Ainda assim, Português foi meu melhor dia, porque eu sabia dos detalhes das obra e fui bem na redação. Mas, se você puder, leia quantos livros puder, isso vai te ajudar a ganhar mais pontos do que eu ganhei. E pelo amor de Deus, não gaste tempo fazendo resumos lindos para colocar no seu studyblr. Vestibular tem muito conteúdo e a última coisa que você vai ter esse ano é tempo de sobra. Eu também adoro resumos bonitos, mas é mais inteligente focar mais nos exercícios e menos nos detalhezinhos.

“Eita, você tem mais alguma dica?”

Não se compare com os outros!! Cada um tem sua história de vida, suas dificuldades, seus pontos fortes… Comparar-se com terceiros não te faz ganhar nada além de uma dor de cabeça forte e permanente. Aliás, faça o vestibular para si mesmo, não para impressionar os outros, ou você corre o risco de sabotar suas vontades reais. You can do it, é sério. Ainda que você termine em um lugar completamente diferente do que você inicialmente imaginou, já que esse ano é um ano de conhecer-se a fundo. Queixo pra cima e bola pra frente!

Uau, essa foi uma bíblia, mas espero que tenha sido de utilidade pública. Torço muito por todos vocês <3 Qualquer dúvida é só mandar uma ask!

[study-well]

A lot of people are turning to using tablets or laptops to take their notes, for reasons that I won’t go into in this post. But, while there are lots of posts about taking handwritten notes, there don’t seem to be very many about taking notes using a laptop/tablet (I’ll refer to as digital notes from now on).

Set up folders for each topic. Create these folders before lectures/class and save your notes into the correct ones. It will keep all of your notes organised and easy to find. You might want to have different folders for lecture and reading notes. Develop a system which is intuitive for you.

Know the program. Choose which program you’re going to use to take your notes. There are lots of options available, including Microsoft Office. If you can’t afford Office, then you can look into (illegal) free downloads of it. If you have Office, you could also use Onenote. Alternatives include free programmes like Evernote which allow you to access your notes from anywhere on any device.

Get a template (M Office only). On Microsoft word, you can download different templates. See if there is a template that you can use for taking your notes. Alternatively, you can create your own template by adjusting the margins, font, size, etc. and saving your preferences. If you don’t want to use a template, you can just use the default settings.

Name the notes. Make sure that you name the notes so that you know what’s inside. On Microsoft word, when saving documents you can add tags. Then you can search these tags for any documents with that specific tag. I’ve found this to be a really useful organisational tool.

Do you need anything to take your notes? If you’re using a tablet, you can buy Bluetooth keyboards which will connect and can be quicker than typing on the screen. You can also buy a stylus which will let you write like you would with a normal pen; some devices also have the option to convert your handwriting to typed notes.

Get to know your keyboard. If you’re using a keyboard, then I suggest looking at this website which will teach you how to touch type.

Become familiar with keyboard shortcuts. Especially for things like bold, italicise, underline, highlight.

Downloads. If the teacher/lecturer puts up any material for the lecture download it. These are typically powerpoint slides. When I take notes next year, I will download these and split screen between word and powerpoint. Then I’ll be able to copy and paste material and diagrams straight from the actual powerpoint, speeding up my process.

Back up. Please, back up your notes on google docs. If your computer crashes you will have a backup of your notes that will be essential to studying! Again, for the people in the back, back up your notes!

Creating your notes. Use the technology to your advantage.

Use bold/highlight/italic. Make your heading and subheadings stand out from the rest of your text.

Use bullet points.

You can even make sub bullet points (like this) using the tab key to follow your line of thought/reason.

Highlight the important things; you could even use different colours for different things. E.g. yellow for important dates, blue for important quotes.

Develop an annotation style. For example, sometimes you might fall behind a bit, and miss a detail. When this happens to me I insert a series of dots into my notes, like this (……..) and I know that means I missed something so I can return to the recordings to find out what I missed. You could use question marks (?) to indicate something that confuses you that you need to do more reading on. There are lots of different symbols so you can develop your own system.

This also works with words. If you have certain words which you’re typing a lot then you can make them shorter and easier to type. For example, the word “participants” comes up a lot in my course, but I use “ps” because it’s shorter and quicker to type.

[studybuzz-blog]

MARCH MASTERPOST MADNESS PT II

hello again from your girl jo! i have another masterpost/advice post here — this time about time management! this is an issue we all face (I have an eternal struggle with this don’t get me started) so i thought it’d be a great idea to do this. without further ado, here we go!

WHERE DO YOU BEGIN?

there are way too many effective ways to get your life back on track I would not (and cannot) settle on one. here are a few of my personal favorites!

to-do lists: you can go wild with these, and there are so many templates out there that you can use to maximize productivity! i personally love nicole’s pomodoro printables a ton, and i would definitely recommend them! you can also DIY these with a piece of paper or a sticky note (my preferred method) if you like! mine look like these, and i list them in order of priority most of the time! with to-do lists you’ll be able to organize and allocate time that you need to get these tasks done! if you prefer paperless versions, try out Google Keep, Any.do and Wunderlist!

plan, plan, plan: this is similar to a to-do list, but kind of different at the same time! with a planner you can look ahead and make sure you’re not swamped with work on one day and doing none the next day, which is great (in my opinion)! with a planner you can also allocate timeslots for certain tasks, which is neat. my favorite planners are here: x, x

calendars: personally i love using my phone’s calendar app (the built-in Apple one) because it syncs everything from all my devices and it alerts me when i need to get something done! i love using this because it reminds me to get something done (i’m super forgetful lmao) and when to do it! i’ve also heard great things about apps like Cal and Sunrise Calendar for these things, but i have not personally tried them out yet!

other productivity apps: yes these are amazing!! i use the Homework App to keep track of my assignments and it is super helpful! Pomodoro Time and 30/30 are just a few apps that you can use to time yourself, although the regular old timer works pretty good! I personally really like using my phone to manage my time, and I often find myself timing certain tasks (like reading from a textbook, rewriting notes) so I don’t go overboard and spend too much time on these tasks!

MY ADVICE

real talk though, I’m not an expert on this, so take what I have to say with a grain of salt. What I’ve learnt so far in my schooling career is that planning is super important to managing your time well! if you don’t have a certain list of things to do, or a goal of what to finish by the end of the day, you are more likely to spend the day watching cute dog videos, right? (been there, done that) So my best advice is to plan things out. Plan everything. But don’t go overboard, and practice Unscheduling instead (this is when you don’t put specific timeblocks on anything, but instead leave out chunks of time to do your work!) 

Another thing to keep in mind when you have a large amount of time to do work (week-long breaks, for instance) is to always start at the earliest possible moment. Tell yourself that you’ll reward yourself with *insert treat of choice here* if you manage to finish all your homework and revision before the break ends! Not only will this motivate you, when you actually get it done you’ll be so relieved, and you’ll have extra time to relax after that! With time management, you really have to start at the earliest possible moment.

[zulesstudies-blog-deactivated20]

famous quotes for your bujo

 Vincent Van gogh

 “In spite of everything I shall rise again: I will take up my pencil, which I have forsaken in my great discouragement, and I will go on with my drawing.”

“I often think that the night is more alive and more richly colored than the day.” 

“What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?” 

Plato 

  “The beginning is the most important part of the work.”

 “Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything”

“Love is a serious mental disease” 

Jane Austen 

“ One half of the world cannot understand the pleasures of the other.” 

“Life seems but a quick succession of busy nothings.”

“A lady’s imagination is very rapid; it jumps from admiration to love, from love to matrimony in a moment.” 

Audrey Hepburn 

“The best thing to hold onto in life is each other.” 

“As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.”

“For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.” 

Bill Gates 

“If you can’t make it good, at least make it look good.”

“If I’d had some set idea of a finish line, don’t you think I would have crossed it years ago?” 

“Television is not real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.” 

Alice Paul 

“There will never be a new world order until women are a part of it.”

“I always feel the movement is a sort of mosaic.”

“When you put your hand to the plow, you can’t put it down until you get to the end of the row.” 

Gandhi 

“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”

“An eye for eye only ends up making the whole world blind.” 

“You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.” 

Cher 

“ Until you’re ready to look foolish, you’ll never have the possibility of being great.”

“If grass can grow through cement, love can find you at every time in your life.”

“Women are the real architects of society.” 

Charles Dickens 

“The pain of parting is nothing to the joy of meeting again.”

“Have a heart that never hardens, and a temper that never tires, and a touch that never hurts.”

“A wonderful fact to reflect upon, that every human creature is constituted to be that profound secret and mystery to every other.” 

Marilyn Monroe 

“I don’t mind living in a man’s world as long as I can be a woman in it.”

“Give a girl the right pair of shoes and she’ll conquer the world.”

“It’s better to be unhappy alone than unhappy with someone - so far.”

[studyquill]

as requested by quite a few people - a masterpost of educational podcasts. links go to either the site or the itunes podcast store. an excerpt of the description is included with each.

* indicates a podcast that i listen to regularly

entertainment

*welcome to night vale - twice-monthly updates for the small desert town of night vale

*muggle cast - everything harry potter

general information 

radiolab - investigation told through sounds and stories, and centered around one big idea

*stuff you should know - about everything from genes to the galapagos

*stuff mom never told you - the business of being women 

tedtalks

good job, brain - part pub quiz show, part offbeat news

news

no one knows anything - the politics podcast from buzzfeed news

wait wait…don’t tell me - weekly current events quiz

college

*college info geek - the strategies and tactics the best students use

*getting in - your college admissions companion

math

math for primates - a couple of monkeys who decided that arguing about mathematics was a better use of their time than throwing poo at one another

math mutation - fun, interesting, or just plain weird corners of mathematics

science

60 second health - latest health and medical news

the naked scientists - interviews with top scientists, hands-on science experiments

60 second science - the most interesting developments in the world of science

startalk - astronomy, physics, and everything else about life in the universe

nasa science cast - science behind discoveries on earth, the solar system, and beyond

history

*myths and legends - myths, legends, and folklore that have shaped cultures

stuff you missed in history class - the greatest and strangest stuff you missed

the podcast history of our world - from the big bang to the modern age! …eventually

witness - the story of our times told by the people who were there

the history chicks - two women. half the population. several thousands years of history.

entrepreneurship & finances

practical money matters - better managing their finances

the internet business mastery - learn how to create an internet based business

social triggers insider - the fields of psychology and human behavior

listen money matters - honest and uncensored, this is not your father’s boring finance show

writing & literature

professional book nerds - it’s our job to discuss books all day long

a way with words - words, language, and how we use them

grammar girl - short, friendly tips to improve your writing

classic poetry aloud - recordings of the greats poems of the past

language

esl (english) - improve english speaking and listening skills

language pod

coffee break

search in your podcast app for specific languages!

art

99% invisible - exploration of the process and power of design

tips and tricks photography 

the arts roundtable

hobbies & other

stash & burn (knitting)

practical defense - staying safe in our increasingly dangerous urban environments

zen and the art of triathlon - a triathlete’s view on living the multisport life

the art of charm - make you a better networker, connecter, and thinker

the indoor kids - isn’t just about video games, isn’t not about video games

rationally speaking - explore the borderlands between reason and nonsense

the dice tower - board games, card games, and the people who design and play them

motivational & inspirational

back to work - productivity, communication, work, barriers, constraints, tools, and more

personal growth podcast - classic and contemporary self development audio

what it takes - conversations with towering figures in almost every field

here be monsters - exploring the dark corners of the human mind

on being - the big questions of meaning with scientists, theologians, artists, teachers

[softnstudying-deactivated201607]

So, for my first masterpost, I decided to write an anti-masterpost. This is because I love masterposts, but sometimes they are just way too many links, and while some stuff is super helpful, a lot of it is repetitive or doesn’t work for me. So, these are my top 5 study tips. Just 5 tips, minimal links… ready to change your life?

1) Sleep. 

Okay I’m really sorry I know this advice is everywhere, but sleep is soooo important. I used to stay up super late and get around 3 hours of sleep, but getting sleep is essential to a functioning brain. My biggest piece of advice is to take better advantage of daylight hours so you can get enough sleep at night. Every since I started getting more sleep, I’ve been happier, more focused, and more motivated. Not sleeping isn’t glamorous, and it’s unhealthy. 

2) The Pomodoro Method. 

If you haven’t head of this yet, you’re really missing out. Using this method to do my work has made me so much more productive during the daylight hours (allowing me to get more sleep, yay!). Keeping track of your work time and your break time is super motivating and the pomodoro method is the perfect method to organize your time. I also like to have competitions with myself to see how many pomodoros I can get in one day! Here are a few links to help you get started using this method! :) 

simple & awesome explanation of pomodoro 

the app that I use on my phone (it’s free!) 

the application I have downloaded on my computer (also free!) 

3) Get off you devices! 

I used to spend so much time on social media that I would loose a ton of sleep/study time. It’s so so so important to find a way to block out all these distractions. Don’t just tell yourself “I won’t go on my phone,” because pretty soon you’ll slip and you’ll have just wasted an hour on your phone accomplishing nothing. The best way to stay off your device is to throw it out of the window, but I don’t suggest doing that so these apps work super well instead. 

this app saved me omg (the forest app, it makes you get off your phone) 

self control, an app to block distracting websites on your computer

it also works really, really well to just delete distracting apps off your phone for a day. A lot of the time I tell myself I’m going to just “quickly check” social media, but by deleting the apps it prevents this supposed “quick check.”

4) Find your study method 

It’s extremely helpful to know how you study best. All over studyblr, people are telling you how to study. You definitely don’t need to study the way other people tell you to, but it’s great to experiment with different study methods. Find out what type of learner you are, and what type of studying works best for you. Personally, I’m a visual learner and I love to make flashcards and take really pretty notes. Knowing what works for you is essential to good grades and good studying. Have fun experimenting! Here is a masterpost with some great studying methods to try. 

5) Find (and don’t over do!) your study aesthetic 

Firstly I’d just like to apologize for saying aesthetic, but what I mean by this is find the environment, mood, time of day, and tools you study best with. What do you want around you when you study? At what time of day do you study best? What music do you like to study with in the background? What stationary, planner, and other study materials get you motivated? It’s also super important not to become too obsessed with this stuff. If you are spending more time making you study environment perfect than you are actually studying then you are not being productive. Maximize your productivity with a good study environment, but don’t waste time making it overly perfect. For me a productive but not time consuming study set up/environment includes:

a desk

a planner or bullet journal

good study music (my favorite study playlists all in one spot!) 

tea (english breakfast tea before 2, herbal peppermint after 2) 

my favorite pens (I’m a steadler triplus fineliner girl) 

SO that concludes my first anti-masterpost/masterpost. I’d love it if you let me know how these tips worked out for you. My ask is open and welcoming you if you have any other questions or you just want to chat. Have an amazing (insert time of day)! 

- Annika 

[fahshunnerd]

A short guide to passing A level History.

1. History is about two things: knowing lots of facts and writing good essays. For the first one, start early. Merge the notes you wrote in class with the ones from your textbook {if you have one}. Go through it systematically, in the 3-4 months before the exam and take notes. Be concise. These textbooks are fantastically wordy and summarising everything will be a HUGE help. It might seem like a lot, but when you’re doing a chapter every week or so for a couple of months it’s very very manageable. 

2. Once you’ve summarised your notes you need to make a timeline. You need to learn the dates. It’s history. If you have really bad memory, like me, use flashcards and write an event on one side of it and the date on the other. Keep going through them, putting the ones you get wrong in one pile and the ones you get right in another. Or put the entire timeline somewhere in your room, I put mine by my mirror so I can test myself as I get ready.

3. Write an essay on each chapter: At the end of each chapter in your textbook, there should be an essay question. This is really useful, as it will give you practice in the areas the examiners are most likely to ask- and you can get your teacher to mark them and give you tips! At this stage, you should to do each question with your notes if you have to.

4. A month before your exam: No more notes! Now you need to do past papers under timed conditions. Lots and lots and lots. Every study sesh should include an exam paper, and you need to be going through and marking it with the mark scheme and examiners report after. Remember your exam technique: refer back to the question LOTS even if it seems a bit obvious to do so, sometimes examiners want stuff spelled out to them; make sure there is a clear debate running through your essay and that your conclusion supports the thread of this debate; throw in lots of dates; evaluate as much as you can- your essay CANNOT just be narrative, it must be discussing the question at hand, your opinion and why.

I really hoped this help everyone, or at least put your mind at rest. I’ve been trying to write this since Christmas but wasn’t sure how I was going to revise but now I have my guide. I know exam time can feel like a train hurtling towards you, but I know if we all work hard it’ll all pay off!!

[mickybyrd]

How I Learn Languages

As an aspiring polyglot, it’s important that I have a bunch of resources at my disposal for language learning. I use a variety of resources for my learning, such as books, websites, apps, T.V. shows, movies, etc. These are some of my resources!

-Websites-

1. Omniglot

This website is more for finding information about languages and finding languages to learn. It has a very comprehensive list of languages and you can find plenty of secondary resources for learning the language. You can find tutors for that language, and even songs in your target language. I can just about guarantee you that no matter what language you’re looking for, it will be documented here. It is absolutely amazing, and it is a FANTASTIC resource for the dedicated linguist.

http://www.omniglot.com/

2. Duolingo

This is both a website AND an app, however, I tend to use the website more frequently, mainly because I’m always on my laptop anyway. The learning system that this website uses makes out very easy to stay motivated, and the lessons are organized amazingly. Currently, the website offers about 27 different language courses for English speakers, and various language courses for speakers of languages other than English. You can set goals for yourself, take multiple courses, be involved in discussions, and even do translating activities. Beware though, it gets VERY addicting.

https://www.duolingo.com

3. Memrise

Also a website AND an app, this is my all time favorite resource for learning languages. It has SO many languages to choose from, and it even offers subjects other than languages, although foreign language learning is its primary appeal factor. 

http://www.memrise.com/home/

4. BBC Languages

Although this sector of BBC has been archived and is no longer updated, it still contains some valuable information. It includes some useful phrases, alphabet guides, and jokes in many languages. You’re bound to learn something new there, so check it out!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/

5. Foreign Service Institute (FSI)

This website offers language courses constructed by the U.S. government, and relies heavily on audio-based learning. However, many of the language courses include lessons in the form of pdf. There is a very large selection of languages to choose from, so this resource is very good for getting an excellent introduction to your target language.

https://fsi-languages.yojik.eu/

6. Live Lingua Project

Claiming to be the internet’s largest collection of free public domain language learning materials, this website is a MUST for language learners. It contains the FSI courses, Peace Corps language learning materials, and the DLI (military) language courses. It also offers Skype sessions for language learners in several different languages! The main appeal of this website, however, is the Peace Corps language material archive. There are SO many different languages to choose from, and there are many ebooks and audio files to take advantage of here.

https://www.livelingua.com/#project

7. Languages On the Web

This website offers texts that translate English texts into 55 other languages. It is not a translator, it merely provides reading material in foreign languages to learners. It is a very useful website, especially for analyzing how sentences are formed in other languages.

http://www.lonweb.org/

8. Learn 101

This website is really helpful for explaining grammatical concepts and for learning general stuff about languages, such as verbs, vocabulary, nouns, adjectives, basic phrases, foods, etc. There are quite alot of languages offered on this website, so it’s a great resource!

http://learn101.org/

9. Clozemaster

This website is great for learning languages through a sentence based, contextual experience. It’s a bit like Duolingo in that sense, and it requires you to fill in missing words from sentences. In my opinion, it’s better for people with a background in their target language, and they offer many different options for languages. It’s also good for speakers of a native language other than English!

https://www.clozemaster.com/

10. Lexicity

This is a great website for ancient language learners, and it provides resources for Egyptian, Mayan, Hittite, Latin, Old English, Etruscan, Gaulish, and several others. I have found the majority of resources that I have looked through helpful to my learning efforts. They have dictionaries, grammars, charts, and texts, and it is a very comprehensive resource.

http://lexicity.com/

11. Book2

This is a good resource for learners looking for audio files to help them practice their listening. I haven’t used it all too much, but there are many language options, so you’re bound to find a language that you find interesting on here.

http://www.goethe-verlag.com/book2/

12. Lang-8

This is a great resource for getting feedback on your writing in your target language. You can post things in your target language, and native speakers of that language will correct it, and you can do the same for other people! It’s very helpful, and is a great resource if you have to write in your target language often.

http://lang-8.com/

13. Bilinguis

This website offers a few books to read in different languages and is good for comparing different languages of the same book. This makes for good practice for reading in your target language. 

http://bilinguis.com/

14. Udemy

There are quite a few languages courses on this website, although several of them cost money. However, there are quite a few courses that are free, and are good for introducing you to your language of choice.

https://www.udemy.com/courses/

-Apps-

1. Memrise

As mentioned above in the websites section, this app is so amazing for on-the-go language learning, as well as for subjects other than languages! It helps users memorize concepts with “meme” which are pictures that will remind you of what the word or concept means, and it’s such a unique and fun learning experience! It has the feel of using flashcards, but I just love using this app so much.

2. Duolingo

Also mentioned in the websites section, this app is great for both learning new words and reviewing words that you have either memorized or have just been exposed to. There are grammar lessons available, translation activities, groups that you can join, and Duolingo makes it fun to learn a language with it’s reward system.

3. HelloTalk

This is my absolute FAVORITE app to talk to native speakers of my target language(s). You can become language partners with people, help others with translations, video/voice call, send voice messages, and have as many partners as you want! It’s an absolutely amazing app, and I highly recommend it to everyone! Warning- If you’re a native English speaker looking for a native Chinese speaker, you will get HUNDREDS of requests. It might overwhelm you for a second.

4. TuneIn Radio

This is really great for finding stations in your target language, and it helps with practicing both comprehension of spoken language as well as introduces you to awesome music in your target language!

5. Tigercards

This app presents words in the form of lists, and gives you vocab so that you can review it. Not the best presentation of words and it doesn’t really offer a memorization technique like Memrise, but it’s still helpful!

6. Busuu

This app is a bit like Duolingo, and it offers German, Spanish, Portuguese, French, English, Italian, Russian, Polish, Turkish, Japanese, and Chinese!

7. uTalk

This app offers so many different languages, it’s pretty incredible. There are games that you can play, phrasebooks, and several other features. The interface is also really awesome and simple, so it makes learning easier than usual. Definitely a must have.

8. Innovative Language

I haven’t used this app much, but I have heard that the lessons on this app are very good, and you can download the lessons so that you can view them offline.

9. FlashSticks

This has been super helpful to me, in addition to the games and flashcards that it offers, it also provides an object scanner, which uses your camera to scan objects and then tells you what it’s called in your target language! 

10. Mondly

This has been an awesome resource for me since it’s a bit like Duolingo, only with more unique language options. I’m currently using it to learn Hindi, however, there are tons of other language options. The interface is awesome, and I love using it.

11. MindSnacks

This company makes several different language apps, and currently I’m using the Mandarin, Japanese, and French ones. So far, I’ve really enjoyed these apps!

12. Spotify

Through Spotify’s “Word” category, there are many different playlists dedicated to language learning, such as for Arabic, Mandarin, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Russian, Portuguese, and Swedish!

13. Quizlet

This is more of a diy language learning resource. It is not an inherent language learning resource, however, if you learn best through lists and/or flashcards, then this app allows you to make cards and review vocab that way! I use it all the time for exams!

14. FluentU

This is an awesome app for watching videos in your target language, and is really good for learning new words.

-Books-

1. Teach Yourself

This series offers an astounding number of languages, and I have found them to be pretty effective in helping me learn languages. I have used the Russian, Arabic, Mandarin, and Irish ones.

2. Barron’s Grammar and Verb books

I really like the way Barron’s does language books, so far I have used their Japanese grammar book and their Russian verbs book, and I really like the layout of them, especially the grammar book!

3. Dk Visual Bilingual Dictionaries

These are so helpful for me, I’ve been using the Mandarin and Japanese dictionaries for a long time, and they are so comprehensive and awesome!

4. Ethnologue

These aren’t language “learning” materials, but rather they help me find new languages to learn. These are more for the linguistic lovers, since they catalog almost every living language in the world in every country, and provide language maps and statistics. There’s really fascinating stuff in those books, so I highly recommend purchasing them. 

5. The “Dirty” books

So far, I have only used the Japanese version, however, I really like what the book includes, and it’s great for learning slang in your target language, and things that traditional textbooks wouldn’t teach you.

6. Living Language

I LOVE these books so much, I’ve used the Russian, Mandarin, and French ones and I’ve found them very helpful! The layout of these are very nice, and they’re pretty comprehensive.

7. Tuttle books

Tuttle offers several different language books, and they all are very good in my opinion. I have used their books for Arabic, Korean, Mandarin, Japanese, and Hindi.

That’s all that I have right now, but if you all would like more resources than I will definitely make a second one!

[busymarina]

15 things I tell myself when I don't want to work/study

1. You are very lucky and privileged to have access to almost unlimited knowledge and you should appreciate that. 2. Be one of those rare people who step over their insecurities and succeed. 3. Only 5 minutes. Only today. (Repeat it 5 minutes later and every day). 4. You will know what to do as soon as you start. Ideas never appear from inactivity. 5. Make yourself proud. 6. One hour every day doesn’t feel much but it’s 365 hours a year. You can’t not succeed after so much work. 7. It’s not supposed to be easy. Nothing good is easy. 8. If you had a child to look after, you’d make them study because you want them to accomplish something. Don’t you love yourself? 9. “Everything you want is on the other side of fear” George Adair 10. Every mistake increases our chance to make progress. 11. If you give up now, you’ll have to return to this later anyway but from the very beginning. 12. Let the process be your result. 13. Every moment you thought your fears would suppress you has become the time you made it. 14. Maybe you think you can never find something to use your skills and mindset for. But if you continue investing in what matters to you, it will find its way out there. 15. I allow you to think globally. You have a right to the boldest dream.