Βαλκίς

Ravenclaw / 16 / Currently dying in AUSMAT / Number one dream is to live on a farm :)

[pagewoman]

Brambly Hedge 

by Jill Barklem

[macrolit]

Giveaw@y: We’re giving away 12 vintage paperback classics! Won’t these look lovely on your shelf? =) Enter to win these classics by: 1) following macrolit on Tumblr (yes, we will check. :P), and 2) reblogging this post. We will choose a random winner on 19 October 2024. Good luck!

Follow our IG account to be eligible for our IG giveaw@ys. For full rules to all of our giveaw@ys, click here.

[macrolit]

We're choosing a random winner in 10 days, so reblog now!

[stark-reading-mad]

16th April 2022

Can you spot the kitten?

Hindu law exam on the 19th. Usually around this time of April I am consumed by the idea that it is my birthday month but the exam schedule has ensured that my birthday is the last thing on my mind.

[desultory-suggestions]

Hello, lovelies! I’ve gotten a couple of asks about studying so I decided to condense them into one post for you guys! I’m trying to hit a bunch of different topics so if you need an even more specific post you can send an ask! Without any further ado, have some tips! My studyblr is @spacey-scholar​

Prep

First, you always need a good base for your day! Especially if you’re studying a lot.

Make a good full breakfast! Ex. Eggs and Toast, Smoothie and fruit, Pancakes and a cup of juice. 

How’s your hygiene? Do you need to shower, brush your teeth, wash your face, condition your hair? Do it! You’ll be distracted if you feel messy!

Get dressed like it’s a normal day. Staying in PJ’s is okay! But being ready for the day seriously helps focus!

Likewise, your space should be clean. A clean space is a clean mind! Remove dishes, trash, scrap paper, and extra items. Wide down your desk, organize your pens and books. Your space should feel like your space!

Now make a list of what you need to get done! What needs to be done Now, what needs to be done Soon, and what needs to be done Later? 

Order your list how you want your day to go, and don’t put super-tough subjects back to back, or subjects that are similar exercises i.e. reading thirty pages of two different books back to back is no fun.

The Studying

It’s important to buckle down with No Distractions! If you find yourself distracted put your phone away! If you need your phone, put it on Do Not Disturb until you’re done. I also do this at night for better sleep. 

Pick the best technique for you, Pomodoro, reward-based, group studying, etc.

Play music but only if it will not distract you! If you sing along or daydream it’s the wrong music! Classical, Lo-fi, and White noise are all good! My Spotify Here has some good ones.

Use a nice journal (I don’t mean expensive!) and pens/pencils you enjoy using. I like to have a specific journal and color dedicated to each subject. 

Take notes on recorded lectures and classes, if you’re doing online classes right now try to screen record or record the audio! That way if you space out you can play it later and take notes, and you can absorb the lesson better instead of being distracted.

Don’t worry about your notes, stationary, pictures, being beautiful and your grades being perfect. Life doesn’t always look the way it does on Instagram. And the people who spend hours trying to get a good photo of their coffee are not studying! 

Use flashcards! Quizlet is good if you need premade ones! If you can save up and buy them, Barrons AP Flash Cards are the best in my opinion. Very clean, not too long, very durable, and cover all subjects.

Feeling Distracted 

If you catch yourself drifting off and getting into your head, get up and take a quick walk, stretch, or energizer. 

It’s okay if this happens, don’t guilt yourself! practice affirmation. The best and smartest still get distracted. 

If you are drifting, why? Are you hungry? Tired? Thirsty? Bored? Get a snack and some water, take a break and rest, find a way to make your studying more enjoyable. 

Remember that Motivation and Discipline are different things. Sometimes we just won’t be motivated, we won’t want to do it and it will be rather frustrating. But the cure to this is not shaming its discipline. Remind yourself “This may be hard, and I may not want to do this, but I want to reach my goals and If this is what It takes I will make it happen. 

Always do just one more page of you’re tired. One at a time and oh you did it! Maybe just one more? One more? Eh, one more just to finish the train of thought, Oh just- I’m done? Nice!

If you really can’t focus just move on and come back to this subject, you can always ask for help.

Supplementary Things

There are so many apps you can use to study, for free! My favorites are Tide, Quizlet, Focus Keeper, Forest, Flora, Egenda, SpanishDict, Photomath, and Kahn Academy. 

You can also join a study group! You may know one, but if you don’t, there are a lot of online ones! I’m in a study Discord and have been for a while! it helps a lot and motivates me to finish my work!

You can make a studyblr, but don’t do it just for the aesthetics! It’s about studying, and sometimes that gets messy! Sometimes we fail a test, we spill our tea on our notes, we cry because we don’t understand the formula. That’s the part you don’t see!

Having cute stationery can really help, as well as nice organizers and decorations for your space! I don’t have much money so I get a lot of stuff on Amazon or FB Marketplace.

Health

Remember that no matter what you are good enough. It’s okay if you fail, it’s okay if you struggle.

It’s also okay if your path doesn’t go the way you expected! Maybe you go to a different school than expected! Or choose a trade instead! Maybe you take a gap year! Maybe your passion changes! Maybe it changes six times!

Your health is always more important than your school. If you are in pain, mentally or physically, if you are anxious, exhausted, burnt out, talk to your teachers about it! You matter more than a grade.

Your best is good enough! And your best doesn’t look the same as someone else’s best! Don’t compare!

Now go get out there and study!

[macrolit]

Giveaway: We’re giving away 12 vintage classics by Truman Capote, Mary Shelley, Chinua Achebe, Shakespeare, John Keats, and others! Won’t they look lovely on your shelf? =) Enter to win these classics by: 1) following macrolit on Tumblr (yes, we will check. :P), and 2) reblogging this post. We will choose a random winner on 3 July, at which time we’ll start a new giveaway. Good luck! Follow our IG account to be eligible for our IG giveaways. For full rules to all of our giveaways, click here.

[moonlight-jpg-deactivated202211]

191120 (D-4 till final exam)

knuckling down as i draw closer to the pointy end of this sem. i couldn’t be more thankful for plant friends and sweet snacks while I’m holed up in my bedroom for most of the day

listening to: SAWAYAMA

[offensivelight]

Sometimes I’m glad I didn’t read classic literature when I was younger, cause now I have a much greater understanding of the English language and can appreciate more fully the stories and the skill taken to write them, all with the excitement of not knowing what’s gonna happen next.

[offensivelight]

Sometimes I'm glad I didn't read classic literature when I was younger, 'cause now I have a much greater understanding of the English language and can appreciate more fully the stories and the skill in which the text was written, all with the excitement of not knowing what's gonna happen next.

[funnyandhilarious]

There Is One In Each Classroom

[sarcastic-fish-deactivated20210]

I hope you realize there are some kids out there where their parents don’t settle for anything less than the best. That A- might seem good to you, but that kid could have a whole series of degrading comments and ‘you could have done better’ thrown at them at home. It’s the way they were raised, anything less than perfect is a failure.

[codingdilemma-deactivated202108]

Repost for the comment

[talkingoutofyourbass]

Yeah, lemme tell you about the time I got 99% on an exam, and my father bellowed at me, “WHERE’S THE OTHER ONE PERCENT?????”. It broke my heart, and almost thirty years later, it STILL hurts.

[lovethisotp]

You know what one of my most vivid memories of Year 7 science is? Throughout the year I’d gotten 96%, 98%, 99%, 99.6%, which was my teacher’s way of saying ‘I know you know your shit, but don’t slack off, I want to push you to be great’. Well FINALLY I got my prized 100%, and I packed it in my bag especially to show my grandpa. You know what he says? ‘So you ARE smart. Why couldn’t you get this mark on all those other tests then?’ The next year I had such high expectations on me, when I got 80% I was shattered.

[bubbly-flamingo-deactivated2016]

Every time I get a report card, my dad points at the lowest grade and says “what happened there? Maybe we should start working on that next semester.”

One day, I get ALL As except an A- in English. I had worked hard for that A-, English was my worst class, and I had been getting consistent Bs and B-s for the past few semesters. He sees my report card, points at the A-, and says “what happened there? Maybe we should start working on that next semester.”

This, friends, is why I will be VERY stressed if I get an A- on a test or a paper, even if you got a lower grade. Because if all my grades aren’t perfect, I will get constantly harassed about it by my parents.

[princeofwittenberg]

Can I talk about the fact that teachers will do this too? You get some good grades at the beginning of the year, and then whenever you have a bad day or slack a little they go “well look at that, why couldn’t you have done better?” Or the kids around you who happen to get a better grade than you on something and go “YES! I GOT A BETTER GRADE THAN ___ I MUST BE AWESOME!” 

Seriously guys, this is fucked up.

What you guys don’t know is that person has probably put extreme pressure on themselves already, and you have just made them feel like shit.

[howdygato]

Also, if you raise your hand in class and get the wrong answer when you’re the “smart kid, goody two shoes, teachers pet” the entire class makes a joke out of it.

[polyam-bug-wannabe-deactivated2]

It really hurts too when you are the “Gifted” kid in your household. You are held to a higher standard than most of your friends and siblings. I am not allowed to get a B. Ever. Period.

My little brother? He got at least 2 B’s last year and it’s totally fine. I got an 89% in Psych 2 last year that I didn’t know about and I was torn a new one. Why? “Because you are smart and you can get an A.”

It took until 9th grade for 90-95% to be more acceptable. I took an AP class and the moment I dipped below an A I was banned from interactions with friends outside of school. 

All because I was “gifted” as a child. Because I was told I was smarter by default. And where am I now? Every failed answer I berate myself and then spiral, and spiral further because “I’m too smart to not control myself”. With every test that I get less than an A on I want to cry.

And the best part is that my parents are teachers and refuse to listen to me tell them that all of this screws with my head. How can I love myself when my standards are tests and grades?

Sorry I went on a rant, but when people make comics like op did I get really heated. There is a reason people do that. And that reason isn’t pretty.

[stillstudies]

when I first started my studyblr a couple of years ago, I have to admit that what drew me in (as what draws most people into this community) was the aesthetic of it all. the pretty notes, the creativity, the encouragement to get up in the morning with the motivation to really do something meaningful today: to “get shit done”. and since the beginning, I wanted to live my online life like I was trying so desperately to live my real-life; with complete honesty. I’ve been open about the reasoning for my participation in this community- the fact that I barely graduated high school, got rejected by most of the colleges I had applied to, and was ashamed that I had to go to community college. although these are all dark experiences that I no longer count as “failures”, but as instead growing pains, I still carry around that baggage in the form of a fear of failure.

I get asks all the time about how to stay “productive”, how to stay “motivated, how I “do it” and how I “stay on top of it all”. the truth is, sometimes I don’t. I don’t blame these folks for asking me things like this because, if I saw a bunch of edited and filtered-to-perfection posts (which I do) I’d wish I had that life too. and maybe it took months of finally going to therapy and finally being diagnosed with an anxiety disorder in the midst of a global pandemic to realize that, but I’m okay with the imperfection. most days, I’m okay with not getting every single thing on my to-do list done. sometimes half is enough. sometimes zero is enough. and even when I wake up in the morning and I don’t feel so okay... I’m learning how to be okay with that, too.

in all honesty, I’m proud to say that I’m not that girl I was straight of of high school, no matter how “popular” she was online. because the truth is, in the grand scheme of things, my follower count really doesn’t matter. it won’t make me more happy or make me more successful or make my life any easier. I understand that being able to be okay with the horrible, ugly, un-instagram-able messiness of life is a privilege. and we’re all still learning; I’m still learning. and we all get stuck sometimes. please don’t let the internet trick your mind into lying to you. it doesn’t matter how many supplies you have or how much you got done today. it doesn’t matter if you don’t have content to post online. you belong exactly where you are.

[heyrosiebee]

🌻 little habits/things to do more of 🌻

dailies

make your bed. (no, really.)

set your top 3 to-dos for the day.

do your top 3 to-dos for the day. (heh)

stretch.

unpack your bag when you get home.

prepare your things for the next day before sleeping.

skincare. (your basic cleanse and moisturize)

sweep the floor of your bedroom.

talk to your plants. (if you have plants)

update your financial report/expense tracker.

take a good photo.

meditate.

hug at least three people. (seriously.)

weeklies

polish your school shoes.

mop your bedroom floor.

dare i say, laundry. (don’t put it off!)

exfoliate.

take a leisure walk.

review your past week and plan your next week accordingly. (a part of your routine may not be working–try something new)

make a piece of art. (a sketch, a collage, a quote in pretty lettering, a god-awful poem..)

sanitize your gadgets. (whip out the wet tissue and wipe away at your phone, your laptop, your mouse, your earphones–just don’t forget to IMMEDIATELY follow that up with a dry cloth to prevent fogging and short circuits)

watch a TED Talk.

make a new playlist.

monthlies

wash your bag.

wash your shoes.

change the sheets of your bed and your pillows.

clip your nails. (honestly)

wax/shave. (if you want. i just really like how fresh my skin feels after i torture it with razors and wax strips)

wipe your shelves/the tops of your furniture clean. (try to avoid dusting. it just scatters the dirt everywhere. use a damp cloth instead)

see if there’s anything in your storage that you don’t need/want anymore and give stuff away or sell them.

review your month and plan the next one accordingly. (just like your weeks. remember to refer to your Life Goal/Year’s Goals page)

finish reading at least one book. (and review it!)

discover new songs.

- 🍂

[greenstudies]

Get your life together in 8 weeks

Feeling in a slump? In desperate need of refreshment? After exhausting months of studying for exams like me? Well I have this plan to get my life together again and I thought I might share with you!

📚 Week 1: Rest and prep

Spend 3 days resting

No planning and no routines 

Don’t do anything you don’t want to do

Sleep in if you want

Binge that show or play that video game

1 day of cleaning your space

Keep it small and surfice level

Clean the dust and the floors

Change your sheets and towels

Declutter the things around

Let in fresh air

1 day of mental health reset

Focus on yourself and your mind with meditating or journaling

Go through your full routines

Read or be creative

Do your favourite self care activities

1 day of social media detox -no social media allowed

1 day of dopamine detox

You have to get bored

You are allowed to go for a walk or work out (no music tho!)

You can journal and meditate

A little bit of cheating: if you feel to desperate you can read

💖 Week 2: Family, friends and love

Spend this week with others as much as possible

Make small gifts for others

Hang out playing games or just talking

Make sure to tell people what they mean to you

🍓 Week 3: Body detox

Make sure to change up things in this part depending on your goals, health and your body’s needs!

No meat, bread (and other pastry) and sweets

No fried food

Drink water only

Fast for 16 hours a day (imtermittent fasting -a lot of you are concerned but don’t worry about me personally. It is safe for me. If you consider doing this do a proper research!)

Work out daily

Go for walks/jogging and spend as much time outside as possible

Take medications and vitamins properly

🧹 Week 4 and 5: Declutter and organise your space

Declutter and organise your closets and cupboards

Go through your clothes

Deep clean your space

Donate things you don’t want or need

😴 Week 6: More rest

3 days resting completely (like the first 3 days)

4 days of active rest

Follow routines

Be creative

Garden/clean/cook

Work out/go cycling/do yoga

Read or learn something new

🎨 Week 7: Be creative daily

Create something every day

📆 Week 8: Planning and new routines

Plan your future

Find new routines

Get into stable routine that makes you happy

Keep in mind that these are all suitable for me and you can change things up as much as you want! I hope you find some inspiration in this and good luck on your journey!

[apparencies]

01/09/2020 • All I do anymore is sit in cafés and drink oat milk cappuccinos while pretending to do any semblance of productive work

[procrastinatingnightmare]

It seems no matter how hard I try, I can’t seem to keep up with my study blog lol. This year has really been hectic and honestly I didn’t feel worthy of having a study blog since I was struggling so much to keep with school. So in an attempt to find people going through the same thing as me, I wanna share how miserably I’m failing at school.

This school year has been really tough and a drastic change from what I’ve been used to. This year I’ve been studying to prepare for my Western Australian ATAR exam, a programme I have NO knowledge on. My entire life I’ve been studying under the British programme. I honestly didn’t think I would have this much trouble, but even though I’m studying more than I ever had my entire life, I’m struggling so much to do well in tests and assignments. I’ve gone from getting straight As to barely getting a single B, and I really don’t know how to go about changing that, with only two months before i have to sit for my ATAR exams. At this point I just want the school year to be over.

The worst part for me is that people still think I’m “smart” when I’m not and I feel like I’ve failed.

[eintsein]

An Overview of Note-Taking Styles

Note-taking is one of the most essential skills a student should master. It allows you to record and review information to be used in the future. But what’s the best way to do so? Here’s an overview of note-taking styles that can help you maximize your learning!

[vixvigil]

there’s such an unhealthy stigma, especially in academic communities, surrounding taking time off or dropping out. putting education above your health and well-being isn’t okay and should not be the standard. obviously there are positives to school/college/uni, but the environment created by the education system can be so horrifically damaging in so many ways, and demonising stepping away from or leaving it only makes it worse. as much as education is important, your health and well-being are infinitely more so. 

it is okay to take breaks. it’s okay to take a year off. it’s okay to leave if that’s what you need to do. dropping out does not make you stupid, nor does it make you a failure. take care of yourself first and foremost. traditional education is not the only way to learn.

[rinkodesu]

How to learn multiple languages at once

There are many methods you can use and the possibilities are endless! For starters, it’s good to stick to a base rule that if you’re a beginner in languages, first learn 1 language to intermediate and then tackle others books📚

🤓 I try to learn one language to an upper-intermediate level so that it’s good enough to be a language of instruction for the other language. For example, once I learnt Korean to a good enough level, I was able to study Japanese using textbooks written in Korean.

⏰ You can also use the 80/20 approach if you’re learning 2 languages at once. Spend 80% of your time on one (main) language, and then 20% of your time on the other language. This works best when they are two different languages or if you are intermediate+ in both.

📖 You can also choose separate days for separate languages. I found this method tricky for me because I don’t always feel like studying the language I scheduled. If it works for you, that’s great! I prefer to study multiple languages in little bits in one day (e.g. doing Spanish grammar in the morning, Korean vocab in the afternoon, and watching a French series at night, for instance)

📱 Finally, you can use different methods, notebooks, apps or systems for your languages. I know people who have separate YouTube accounts so they browse YouTube only in one language (and all their recommended videos will be in that language too). You can choose to have one app only for one language so you make that connection in your mind (E.g. Busuu is only for Spanish, Lingodeer for Japanese, and Duolingo for French). Whatever works for you! 💕  Here are some useful related videos: