[fuckstudy]

Hey, I find that you're really practical when it comes to giving study tips, so how can I study effectively if I absolutely don't have the time to make notes?

Thanks anon! Been a while since I’ve answered some asks so here we go:

Despite what studyblr thinks, it’s entirely possible to study without making comprehensive, picture-perfect notes beforehand (though it that helps you by all means go ahead! + the caveat being what one defines as “effective” is up for debate: is effective studying = A in an exam? Or passing an exam you thought you would fail, even if it’s by 1%).

I think that people forget that the act of “writing notes” is, in itself, a studying strategy. So if it works for you and if you have the time for it - great! If not, dw you’re not going to fail.

Step 1: Find out what you’re going to be tested on

Firstly, it’s important to understand what you’re going to be tested on and how you’re going to be tested. Are you going to be examined on everything you’ve covered in the semester? Or only parts of it? Are some topics going to be skipped because you’ve already had an assignment/ quiz on the topic etc.

The best way to find this out is to:

Look at your course syllabus/ course guide

The “review/ revision” questions in your textbook (if you have one) or have been set by your teacher/ prof/ lecturer etc

See what topics have come up in past exams

Ask your teacher - they’re literally paid to help you

Step 2: Past papers

So, if you’re really under the pump, I suggest you start with a practice/ mock exam/ past paper.

Just do it.

Just fucking set a timer and do it. Stop when your time is up.

Because heck, you’ve been sitting in the classroom for, lets say, 10 hours per semester learning this subject. Sure, you probably weren’t paying attention half the time, let alone absorbing or applying the information you were taught, but the point is you were there (college students do not read this).

So let’s see how much went in by osmosis.

If you don’t have enough time to sit a prac exam at once, do specific questions within the time limit prescribed. 

Step 3: Target the areas you need to pass

Now go through the answers - if you aren’t given model answers, then look through your class materials/ textbook for similar questions and base your answers off that.

Then re-write that answer/ use your answer as quick notes for revision. Revise by reading aloud, look cover write check - something you can integrate into your commute/ daily life.

If you’re really under the pump, be strategic about what answers you need to get right to pass. If your exam requires you to pass 3 sections, and let’s say you’ve got 70% correct in part A, 55% in part B and 51% in part C - dedicate your time to questions in part C.

Focus on specific types of questions - is essay writing your weakest skill? Then tough luck buddy, your next study session is going to involve allllllll the practice essays.  

Why this works when you’re under some time pressure/ don’t have time to make notes

The whole point of studying is to learn (arguably in some subjects it’s more wrote learning patterns and making links between material you’ve already learned but WHATEVER, NOT A RANT FOR NOW) and then apply what you’ve learnt to novel questions which you have to complete within a strict time period, otherwise known as an exam.

You know those people who study for “ages” and still get a shit mark? It’s cause they haven’t been training for the particular/ style of exam they’re going to take. They may have revised/ memorised all the information but they haven’t practised how to apply that information in exam conditions.

It’s like an athlete who has been training all their lives for the 100m track… only to realise at the last moment they’ve been placed into the figure skating singles or whatever.

ALSO:

It may be different in some countries, but at least in Australia, teachers aren’t supposed to grade you on things that you haven’t been taught.

So for example, for a chemistry exam, if you haven’t covered redox, they can’t test you on redox in that test.**  

This doesn’t mean that the exam will be easy.

This means that they’ve given you the foundational concepts which you apply to answer questions. So the exact scenario they give you, or the theme they’ve ask you to write an essay on may not be something you’ve covered specifically in class.

However, if you covered the basic concepts in class and show that you understand those basic concepts, that’s basically a pass. Sure, it might be an ugly-oh-fuck-i-passed-by-half-a-mark pass, but it’s a pass nonetheless. You won’t get the higher marks because you haven’t demonstrated your ability to apply those concepts or to draw inferences/ conclusions from those basic concepts - but it’s still a pass.

Understanding how teachers award grades (aka what framework and guidelines they have to follow when marking your exams) may give you an idea of what grade you may get and ultimately how to tailor your studying technique (aka what to study and what to leave out).

A good way is to get onto your Education Board/ Department’s website and search “assessment criteria/ grading criteria”.

So for example, the NSW education website lists the outcomes (aka what teachers need to be able to see that you can do). Then they provide model answers.

Use these as your notes, as your guidelines, as a starting point to save you time.

**putting aside obvious exceptions such as standardised testing and weird subjects where you have a preliminary ‘test’ to introduce you to the concept, which is followed up by a substantial exam.

TL;DR THIS IS HOW YOU STUDY SMART. 

Practice the thing you gotta do, in the way you gotta do it. Build upon materials and guidelines already provided to you. Know what you need to pass. 

[sorry for the typos, shit grammar and all that jazz. been a long week at work.]

[sleepy-minimalist-deactivated20]

A summery spread

[studyfulltime]

5:11 [favourite stationery] anything from muji, mildliners and tombow brush pens…a bit of mt washi tape doesn’t hurt either💦

[aetudiant]

Every studyblr advice will tell you to write notes, but most of the time they never tell you how, so here’s how to do, properly.

First things first - you can’t write notes as you go along

It doesn’t work, it might save time because you only have to read through it once. But unfortunately, that’s not how you do it.

You’ll end up copying the textbook word for word and your notes become a bullet-pointed version of it, you wouldn’t understand it better. Trust me, I’ve been there too. 

Here’s what you do 

1. You read through one paragraph 

Make sure you at least understand what it’s saying, this is very important for the 2nd step. Search up any words and phrases you don’t understand

2. You form ONE sentence that summarises the entire paragraph 

Yes, one sentence, no this is not a mistake, you can summarise a paragraph with a sentence. If you have to, summarise it in two, but it’s good to be strict on this.

Let’s take this paragraph from the 1960s-70s American Feminist Movement Article for example

In 1960, the world of American women was limited in almost every respect, from family life to the workplace. A woman was expected to follow one path: to marry in her early 20s, start a family quickly, and devote her life to homemaking. As one woman at the time put it, “The female doesn’t really expect a lot from life. She’s here as someone’s keeper — her husband’s or her children’s.” As such, wives bore the full load of housekeeping and child care, spending an average of 55 hours a week on domestic chores. They were legally subject to their husbands via “head and master laws,” and they had no legal right to any of their husbands’ earnings or property, aside from a limited right to “proper support”; husbands, however, would control their wives’ property and earnings. If the marriage deteriorated, divorce was difficult to obtain, as “no-fault” divorce was not an option, forcing women to prove wrongdoing on the part of their husbands in order to get divorced.

This entire paragraph can be condensed to

Women were controlled, restricted and dependent on men - their role was predetermined.

3. Then add detail with bullet points under it

Women were controlled, restricted and dependent on men. Their role was predetermined 

1960s America, women were limited in the workplace and family

“The female doesn’t expect a lot from life. She’s here as someone’s keeper — her husband’s or her children's” 

Legally subjected to their husbands via “head and master laws”, no legal right to property

etc.

If you have any questions, ask or message me privately

Happy studying and good luck!

aetudiant

[studytako-deactivated20220522]

First post!! And first bujo update hurrahhhh

Also wish someone would see this cos I’m a new studyblr ;_;

[eintsein]

A MIND MAP ABOUT MIND-MAPPING

If you know me, you’d know that I am a highly visual person. I love learning from images and layouts, and my spatial intelligence is probably my strongest type of intelligence. Because of this, I often use mind maps to study, and so do a lot of other people. However, there are people who don’t really know how to make and utilize a mind map effectively. That’s what this post is for! Here’s how you can make your mind maps more effective and thus enable you to retain more information. (P.S. you might wanna zoom in)

By no means am I an expert in mind-mapping; these are just some habits I have when making a mind map that successfully does its job of helping me remember the topics I’m studying.

If you have any questions, feel free to drop an ask!

xx jo

[emerysnotebook]

2018.08.12

Neuroanatomy things :)

[motivatemycollegelife]

How to start!

Make some coffee/ tea / snack.

Instead of spending hours procrastinating on your phone, watch a motivational video while you eat.

Tidy your study space, get rid of dishes, mugs and anything that isn´t study related. Leave your glass of water.

Go wash your face with cold water.

Check time.

Turn off your phone and computer. If your study material is there, turn the wifi off.

Study.

Take a short break. (Go to the toilet, refill your glass, stretch, open a window, listen to music, talk to someone, call your mom, etc)

Follow this sequence four times.

Take a long break. (Get another snack, watch a motivational video, go on a short walk, read a book, do some yoga, take a shower, go outside, doodle, post something on tumblr, take a nap or whatever you´d like to do. DO NOT WATCH A TV SHOW YOU ARE NOT GOING TO STOP AND YOU KNOW IT PUNK. Also, make it so that your break doesn´t last longer that 25 minutes, don´t waste precious time)

Go back, keep studying.

[coffeeandpies-deactivated202012]

01.09.2018 | 15/100

I hope you’re not sick of seeing my stuff yet lmao

[plananotherday]

[procrastinationlikeapro]

23.08.2018 a long and productive day

[jemimaisnotaverage]

[thebelgianstudent]

This is so well done and simply perfect! :D 

[thisfuturemd]

Great study tips!

[emerysnotebook]

2018.08.12

Neuroanatomy things :)

[luciaastudies]

new bujo and a book im annotating for school!

[studyingbysoph-blog]

summer work :///

[gomedorgohome]

A lot of you ask how to manage your time efficiently and properly organise your work. We all know it’s impossible to stay motivated and organised all the time, but there are some tricks, that we decided to share, that could at least improve the way we manage our time.

1. Use your calendar You can either stick with the traditional paper version or use a calendar on your phone (Goolge Calendar is a winner for me). Whichever you choose remember to record all of your classes, meetings, deadlines and activities for a week (I strongly recommend to do a brief plan of your week on Sunday afternoon or evening). This way you will see when you have any spare time to fit your studying in. Hovewer remember to leave some time for unexpected events that might show up.

2. Morning planning Each morning spend 5 minutes (or 10 if you’re a very busy person) to plan your day. You can make a time log by dividing the day into hours, if it seems more clear for you. Don’t start any task or check your phone before you get your schedule fixed, because it will get you distracted and time will only fly.

3. Make a to-do list In order not to cover up my whole calendar with tasks I prefer to make a to-do list each day on a different sheet of paper and stick it above my desk. That way everytime I look up I remind myself of the tasks I want to accomplish. I write down a lot of things, but there’s a trick I’ve learned one time: don’t write down things that take less than 5 minutes to do. Just do them the moment they come up to your mind and move onto other chores. It really does save a lot of time.

4. Block out distractions There can’t be anything worse than the moment you realise you’re scrolling through your Facebook or Tumblr again (!) instead of studying. The temptation to check social media is the worst when you need your computer to write an assay or a report. There are some great Chrome extensions that block sites that distract you, such as StayFocused or Cold Turkey. You set a time afer which they are blocked and you can’t visit then anymore. Great tool!

5. Hide your phone It’s also extremely tempting to check your phone all the time, you know just to check if someone liked your new Instagram photo ;) But a quick check usually turns into minutes (or even hours) of scrolling through social media and funny websites. The best idea is to put your phone away so you don’t see it, possibly in a different room. However, if you’re in the library or a coffee shop it’s impossible to do so. In those cases, you can either leave your phone hidden in your bag or use one of the “productivity apps”, such as Forest or Chicken Clock.

6. Know your productive hours If you happen to have a free day form school during the week you probably want to use it to catch up on some studying. The same applies to weekends. A great number of us are most productive and focused in the morning and early afternoon. That’s when we should plan to do our most demanding assignments. When we’re done with them we can then move onto some smaller tasks that don’t require as much focusing.

7. Make a revision schedule —> This one’s really important! A couple of weeks before your exams sit down with your list of exam topics in one hand and your coursebook in the other. Now mark all the chapters or sections in the book that you’ll need to go through for the exam and count the total amount of pages you’ll need to learn. Then divide the number of pages by the number of days you want to spend studying this subject. You’ll get a number of pages you need to cover each day. Then write down in your calendar what section you’re going to learn each day (if you have enough time plan some rest days too!). I find this method extremely helpful in order not to get overwhelmed by the huge amount of work to do and divide my studying into a lot smaller chunks. It’s also super useful at times when I’m feeling totally unmotivated, because I get up and try to do my work anyway.

8. Take regular breaks It’s impossible to work for 4 hours straight without taking a single break (or maybe it’s possible, but the next day you’ll feel dead). Divide your study material into smaller chunks and after completing each part get a short break. Go make yourself a cup of tea or strech a little. After clearing your mind you’ll quickly get back to work with a better attitude.

9. Review your progress Regularly go through your to-do list and calendar to see if your tasks are being achieved. Award yourself with little things is you accomplish your goals and see that you have used your time wisely. But don’t ever punish yourself if you didn’t manage to do everything! We’re only humans and sometimes despite the greatest organisation we can’t manage to cover everything.

10. Be realistic As I’ve said above, don’t get frustrated when you happen not to get everything done as you’ve planned. Sure being organised is great, but don’t let a schedule dictate your life! Take an unplanned day off, have some me-time or randomly meet up with a friend. You’ll see that the next time you get down to work, you’ll have double as much power to get things done.

Good luck!

~gomedorgohome

[studywithinspo]

The evolution of my bullet journal in seven pictures. I just filmed a new video, it’s a bullet journal flip through detailing all my tips, set-ups, and decorations. if you want to see it click the link. 

[Bullet Journal Flip Through]