Em's Studyblr @professerturtle - Tumblr Blog

how to study with a mental illness!!!! aka a guide to simultaneously caring for yourself and your academics

(disclaimer: this is from purely personal experience and is not a substitute for seeking professional help. these are just personal tips as i was formally diagnosed with depression and anxiety in the third year of college, but had been showing symptoms even in high school. different methods help for different people, but i really hope some of these things can help a struggling student out, because one of the reasons i went on studyblr in the first place was that i felt really lost and anxious.)

1. done is better than none. sometimes an assignment you have to turn in would be objectively easy to complete, but it takes longer to do so because you’re afraid that the final product won’t be as good as you want it to be, or as good as a professor expects it to be. it’s hard to remove those expectations, but it is a little easier when you remember that getting some points (no matter how many they are) are better than getting a deduction for late submissions or not turning in the project at all. many people – including myself – suffer from perfectionism in university, but it is overall more important to complete something to the best of your own ability, and learn from the feedback on the project later on. more importantly, often, you’re doing better than you think you’re doing, so surprise yourself. you can do it. just start. 2. keep careful track of your deadlines. much of my undergrad anxiety came from the fact that i knew something was due, but couldn’t keep track of it, or didn’t want to confront it. it’s better to confront it because you have more time to do it slowly and thoroughly. as soon as you hear about an impending exam or paper deadline, keep track of it. personally, i use google calendar. from there, you can make smaller plans and break down your goals to make it more doable! 3. don’t be afraid to ask for help. there used to be a huge stigma against mental illness, but thankfully, many educational institutions are much kinder and more considerate about it. if you really can’t meet a deadline or come to class, let your professor know. most professors are kind, reasonable people who genuinely care about you and your well-being. even one of my scariest professors granted extensions to a girl who was genuinely struggling with serious depression, and the college of law i’m in takes mental health very seriously to the point that they instruct faculty how to deal with such cases. if you’re not able to talk to a professor, try to ask help from a classmate or a friend who can share notes or fill you in on how they accomplished a certain assignment. many people will be happy to help. you are not a burden, love. 4. be kinder to yourself. mental illness is like any illness. it often keeps us from doing as well as we’d like to be because it’s a genuine and serious health problem. sometimes it helps to keep this in mind when we flub a report in class (as i did several tens of times in undergrad), get a bad score, say something ridiculous during recitation, or mess up a paper. it’s okay to do your best while you heal. you know you’re trying your best, and slow growth is still growth. 5. on that note, care for your other needs. one of my happiest and most fulfilled semesters (even though it was my busiest) was when i had time to see a psychiatrist, run, pack lunches and fruit to school to eat healthy, and have a reasonable-ish sleep schedule. this was during my thesis semester. while i had to take an incomplete, and finish my thesis the next sem, because i was attending to my own needs, i felt like a living, breathing, learning, happy person. and i finished my thesis the next semester. it’s better to look after your own physical health and needs before your academics. 6. sometimes, it’s better to do nothing and rest. you deserve it. part of the reason i’d been doing horribly in law school was that i didn’t sleep and it was making me mildly unbalanced and incredibly suicidal; not to mention the fact that i wasn’t really retaining any information or performing well. rest days are just as important as days when you study because rest IS productivity. 7. take your meds. see your psych or therapist if you have one. avail yourself of mental health services on campus if there are any. these genuinely saved my life at a time that i thought i was beyond saving. please go seek help if you can. BONUS: MY STUDY SETUP ON A TERRIBLE MENTAL HEALTH DAY (like today) - i try to clear the space and clean up as much as possible. it makes me feel like i have things under control, and have my work things where i can see them. - i eat something healthy, like fruit, and get a lot of water. i keep a water jug on my desk because it clears my thoughts and helps me replenish the fluids lost from crying (1/2jk). it also really keeps up my strength for the study process. - i turn on a calming playlist, like a jazz or lofi or ghibli playlist. in another window, i turn on a rain sound video on a softer volume, and it helps center me. - it helps when you have a soft or calming scent to calm you down. i use a lavender room spray, and it makes me feel cozy and productive, but in undergrad, i used this tea-tree lavender mix and it smelled like sunny afternoons and guitar coffeshop playlists. it really is nice. - there are breathing exercises and gifs all over the internet. they help calm you down when things seem Too Much. i really hope this helps, guys. don’t hesitate to message me if you’ve been having a hard time with school or life or anything. please, please care for yourselves. you can do it. – sam

kaylareads

i love books

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.

- 🍂

eintsein

Redefining My Bullet Journal System

The bullet journal is probably something you’re no stranger to. It’s been circulating around the internet for a while, and it’s one of the main subjects of studyblr posts. However, when I started college last semester, I found that I no longer relied on my bullet journal to organize my tasks and structure my responsibilities anymore. Instead, I tried out a bunch of productivity/task-organization apps: Taskade, Actions by Moleskine, Any.do, Todoist, Wunderlist. None of them seemed to have what I needed, so I decided to give the bullet journal method another try.

The first thing I reflected on was why I stopped in the first place. At first I thought it was because the method itself allowed for a lot of freedom and I’d get confused as to what things to include and how to structure everything. But then I realized that it was in fact because I had previously been bullet journaling for other people instead of myself. Since I had what one could call an ‘artsy bullet journal’, I tended to focus more on the artistic aspect so that it would get more likes and reblogs after I posted it, when I should have been focusing on how it can organize my life. I realized that the bullet journal is a tool; the focus should be on life itself, not the bullet journal, but you can use the bullet journal to add value to your life.

At the beginning of the year, I deconstructed my organizational needs and attempted to apply that to my bullet journal method. I stopped looking at other people’s bullet journals and started thinking about my own needs and preferences. I thought about how I would best organize my time so that I could accomplish all of the things I want to accomplish in the different aspects of my life.

Supplies

The fact that I only have 2 main supplies allows me to bullet journal anywhere, anytime.

The Structure

The Practice

Simply having the tool to organize your life isn’t enough - you should also have a practice, a habit, for using it.

Going Forward

One thing I’d like to work on is future logging. As of now, I think in terms of months, since the my main commitment at the moment is my education, and monthly planning has worked out for me. But I think if I’d like to tackle on larger projects - e.g. my YouTube channel that I just started - I’d need to do a lot more future logging.

Another useful thing I want to try out is to summarize my journal entries in the form of notes. Recently I’ve been audio journaling (15-20 minutes of me talking to myself), and it’s been pretty effective. However, I have no way of ‘skimming’ the entries like I would a written journal entry. Summarizing them would help me retain main ideas of each entry and remember the things I said that are or could potentially be important and useful.

Final Thoughts

If you don’t think your bullet journal is adding value to or improving productivity and organization in your life, I think you should reconsider the way you’re approaching the system. I found a method that works for me; yours might be different. While it can be beneficial to draw inspiration from other people, do whatever helps you the most, not what other people tell you you should be doing. After coming up with an appropriate structure, make sure you maintain the practice.

lysvenska

I have finally found my own bullet journal style. I started bullet journalling almost two years ago, but I didn’t manage to be consistent with it as it didn’t fit my daily needs. With tones and tones of inspiration you can find on the internet, this may be hard to find your own style and what correspond to your life. I used to make ten different trackers for things that didn’t add any value to my life, and I couldn’t understand why people managed to fill their journal every day while I couldn’t. When I entered uni, I finally found the perfect spread to correspond to my academic and personal life. Nothing more complicated than two dedicated sections for my homework and my events, and enough space to schedule my tasks throughout the week. Keeping it simple is the key! ✧･ﾟ: *✧

as-studypeach

DNA and the Genetic Code

After a short hiatus, I am back with a post on the nature of DNA, including a summary of what it is, what genes are, and what kinds of mutations occur. Next up is meiosis and I have plans for a post on protein synthesis (transcription, translation). Happy studying!

DNA is a polynucleotide made up of the monomer units of nucleotides. Nucleotides consist of an organic base, a pentose sugar and a phosphate group. In DNA, the bases can either be adenine, cytosine, guanine or thymine, and the pentose sugar is deoxyribose. Nucleotides are held together in complementary base pairing using hydrogen bonds – the bond between the sugar and the phosphate are called phosphodiester bonds. DNA exists in a double helix, containing two strands which run antiparallel to each other. Genetic information is stored in the base sequence of DNA.

Prokaryotes have no membrane-bound nucleus and their DNA is usually free-floating in the cytoplasm. Their DNA is arranged into a singular loop (circular) but some bacterium can also have extra circles of DNA called plasmids. Plasmids usually contain additional genes for survival such as antibiotic resistance. Eukaryotes, on the other hand, have linear chromosomes tightly coiled around proteins called histones in the nucleus. The existence of circular DNA in mitochondria or chloroplasts gives evidence that these organelles were derived from prokaryotic cells that had been engulfed.

Genetic information codes for the functions of cells by instructing what proteins the cells should make. There are 20 amino acids, which are the building blocks of polypeptides and therefore proteins. Because there are 20 amino acids, we know that it must be necessary to have three bases coding for each acid. A triplet codon essentially means the three bases which make up a code for a certain amino acid.

However, having three bases coding for each amino acid offers a total of 64 coding combinations means there are 44 which code for things other than amino acids. Some of these remaining codons code for existing amino acids, e.g. UUU and UUC both code for phenylalanine. Therefore, we can say that the genetic code is degenerate, since some of the codes are redundant. Other sequences may code for the start or stop of a polypeptide production.

The genetic code is said to be universal, since most triplets code for the same amino acids in different organisms. It is also said to be non-overlapping, because each base in the sequence is only read once. This means that the code UCCGAC can only be read as UCC GAC and not UCC CCG CGA GAC.

Genes are sections of DNA which code for polypeptides and functional RNA such as rRNA or tRNA. Polypeptides make up proteins so genes essentially code for proteins in an organisms. Genes are always located on a particular position on a section of DNA called a locus. The same genes are found at the same locus on every chromosome.

Chromosomes become visible at the start of mitosis (cell division). They are shown to be two ‘threads’ joined at the centre. Each thread is called a chromatid and is held together by histones. The centre of a chromosome is a centromere. Eukaryotes have varying numbers of chromosomes – humans have 23 from each parent (haploid) making the diploid number of 46 chromosomes in every cell. Each pair of chromosomes, derived from our mothers and fathers, are called homologous pairs because each one carries the same genes but not the same alleles.

An allele is an alternative form of a gene. For example, everyone has the code for eyes but you may inherit green eyes from your mother and blue eyes from your father. If the alleles are the same, it is likely you will present that characteristic. If they are different, the alleles will have different base sequences so code for a different polypeptide.

Changes in base sequences lead to mutations, meaning a change in the protein’s function. There many kinds of mutation. Imagine we start with the code BIG RED FOX.

Substitution mutations occur when nucleotides are replaced by a different nucleotide. As with any mutation, this could cause no effect (due to the code being degenerate – the replacement may code for the same amino acid as before). However, some substitutions can change a cell entirely. The polypeptide produced will differ by a single amino acid which could be crucial in functions such as forming the tertiary structure of a protein or preventing the contraction of sickle-cell anemia.

Our code may now read correctly but does not mean the same thing:

BUG RED FOX

Another kind of mutation is the deletion of bases, which could cause a frameshift. This occurs when a nucleotide is lost from the normal DNA sequence and usually means the code for the polypeptide completely changes. Since the code is non-overlapping and read in triplets, one deleted nucleotide causes the sequence to be read differently.

Our code would read:

BIR EDF OX (and would continue with the rest of the sequence – remember, everything is read in triplets!)

A sub-type of a frameshift mutation would be the insertion of a base. As you can see, it also throws the way the code is read:

BIG RED FLO X

Chromosome mutations are not uncommon. These are where whole chromosomes or parts of chromosomes change in structure. They can happen in two ways: the addition of entire chromosomes (e.g. having three or more sets of homologous chromosomes), often called polyploidy, or in a process called non-disjunction.

Non-disjunction is where pairs of chromosomes fail to separate in meiosis. This usually results in gametes with one more or one less chromosome. A typical example of non-disjunction in humans is Down’s syndrome, which is an additional chromosome 21.

SUMMARY

DNA is a polynucleotide made up of the monomer units of nucleotides. These consist of an organic base, a deoxyribose sugar and a phosphate group. The bases can either be adenine, cytosine, guanine or thymine and are held together in complementary base pairing using hydrogen bonds – the bond between the sugar and the phosphate are called phosphodiester bonds.

DNA exists in a double helix, containing two strands which run antiparallel to each other. Genetic information is stored in the base sequence of DNA.

Prokaryotes have DNA free-floating in the cytoplasm, arranged into a singular loop but some bacterium can also have extra circles of DNA called plasmids. Plasmids usually contain additional genes for survival.

Eukaryotes have linear chromosomes tightly coiled around proteins called histones in the nucleus. The existence of circular DNA in mitochondria or chloroplasts gives evidence that these organelles were derived from prokaryotic cells that had been engulfed.

There are 20 amino acids so we know that it must be necessary to have three bases coding for each acid. A triplet codon means the three bases which make up a code for a certain amino acid.

Having three bases coding for each amino acid offers a total of 64 coding combinations - therefore are 44 triplets which code for things other than amino acids. Some of these remaining codons code for existing amino acids, therefore the genetic code is degenerate, since some of the codes are redundant. Other sequences may code for the start or stop of a polypeptide production.

The genetic code is said to be universal, since most triplets code for the same amino acids in different organisms. It is also non-overlapping, because each base in the sequence is only read once.

Genes are sections of DNA which code for polypeptides and functional RNA. Genes are always located on a particular position on a section of DNA called a locus.

Chromosomes are made of to be two ‘threads’ joined at the centre. Each thread is called a chromatid, held together by histones. The centre of a chromosome is a centromere. Each pair of chromosomes, derived from our mothers and fathers, are called homologous pairs because each one carries the same genes but not the same alleles.

An allele is an alternative form of a gene.

Changes in base sequences lead to mutations, meaning a change in the protein’s function.

The deletion of bases can cause a frameshift. This occurs when a nucleotide is lost from the normal DNA sequence and usually means the code for the polypeptide completely changes. Since the code is non-overlapping and read in triplets, one deleted nucleotide causes the sequence to be read differently.

A sub-type of a frameshift mutation would be the insertion of a base.

Chromosome mutations are where whole chromosomes or parts of chromosomes change in structure. They can happen in two ways: the addition of entire chromosomes (often called polyploidy) or in a process called non-disjunction.

Happy studying!

emmastudies

Hi i'm gonna start uni this year and i have no idea how to prep for it! excersise books or looseleaf? ipad or laptop? ahhhh what do you recommend what to do to prepare

Hey! I personally love loose leaf - mainly the Arc Notebook from Staples compared to other systems but the Maruman Kurufit Binder is a pretty good alternative. Especially if you like the system but perhaps want something smaller. For me, exercise books always present issues after you’ve used them - e.g. doesn’t lay flat and had that wave in the middle making it hard to write, maybe its too small and uncomfortable (what I found with a lot of A5 notebooks, etc). When I found the Arc, I thought it was genius and I’ve used it for 4 years now! I love that I only need to take the current work and don’t have carry a years worth of work just because it’s in that notebook! I can then take the page out and put them in my proper binder for that year/class/etc. It is just much easier!

As for laptop vs iPad, that is a call I can’t make for you but can share my opinion! For me and my degree, I couldn’t only rely on the iPad. I feel having the iPad and computer was best - I could leave my heavy laptop at home and use the iPad more for digital writing! I however definitely couldn’t do or would be reluctant to do heavy research and essay writing on the iPad - it would just be overly complex, not having a mouse, etc. My recommendation is to try to get as much information as you can about what you’ll be doing and potentially the activity you’d need the iPad for. As a supplementary piece, I think it is very helpful and worth having if you can. I definitely don’t regret using it but feel had I bought it as my only device when I first started university, I would have needed to get a laptop quickly after. I have this post with all my other posts about iPads so you can have a nosey around :-)

Here are some other supplies I’d recommend - obviously, pick ones out to suit you!

a backpack - the best solution for carrying around a lot of things! I tried going with a shoulder bag on my first day and it was the worst thing ever!!!! Never again will I do that to myself! Get yourself a sturdy backpack with strong straps! You, your back and your shoulders will thank me later!

a 4 ring binder (and plastic sleeves) - any brand will do really! I would recommend getting one per subjects since it saves running out of space if you try to fit things into one. It is also sometimes cheaper to purchase several at once!

notebooks - I use a single Arc Notebook for all my subjects and love it. I find it easier to have a single notebook with dividers, rather than carrying several individual books. However any notebook(s) would be fine. You can decide if you’d like spiral, A4/A5/B5, etc.

planner - this can be any you like or even digital version! I tend to go for smaller planner if I’m actually taking it to uni. I am currently using one of my digital planners and the Hobonichi A6 planner. Before all my planners have been super thick and just annoying to take to uni. So being able to have an A6 planner and then one on my iPad makes it really easy. Here are some recommendations of physical planners!

pens - I would recommend getting a pack with a selection of colours. I usually recommend the Staedtler 432 pens since they’re well priced, easily accessible and come in packs. They don’t smear and have worked well for me. Other pens I like are the Pilot G2, Staedtler Triplus Fineliners, Zebra Sarasa, Muji Gel Pens. Obviously, you don’t need a million different packs!

highlighters - I use the cool, warm and light packs of the Zebra Mildliners. They’re nice but not the be all and end all. I’ve used the Stabilo Swing Cool in the past and they were good! I do really like the Pastel versions of the Stabilo Boss - they’re really pretty colours! I think having a selection that matches your pens is so helpful when you’ve organised a colour code.

pencil case - I only take a few pens to uni so my pencil is only small. I don’t think it’s necessary to take a huge pencil case so just any will be okay! I previously used a muji clean one but it makes a nice in my bag so I recently got a Bellroy grey one! It is a bit more professional so I can use well into the future.

etc - this goes for sticky notes, page flags, etc! I love to-do list pads and post-it notes to help keep me organised!

printables - I’ve uploaded a few to my Tumblr and some more to my Etsy! (You can use ‘student10’ to get 10% off any purchase!). I do have a large selection of ones that could be really useful to start university with!

I hope this helps! xx

oculusrepairo

A scanned copy of my complete list of derivatives. My professor offered this bonus assignment and told us the best one would receive a 110. I was really going for that 110!

emmastudies

2018 Student Guide

With the start of 2018 well underway, I wanted to make a masterpost full of links on how to adjust your perspective with studying. Perhaps you want to become a better student overall, improve your focus or get into your dream college, there is always something we want to do better! Hopefully these tips will make 2018 your best academic year yet!

Organisation

2018 student planner

planner brand recommendations

planner vs bullet journal: pros and cons

how to set up a bullet journal

setting up a digital bullet journal

bullet journal spread ideas

bullet journal decoration hacks

bullet journal brand recommendations

whats in my bag

my favourite stationery

back to school basic supplies

how to improve your handwriting

handwriting font suggestions

balancing study and work

desk/workspace essentials

student finance tips

2018 monthly planner printables

Productivity

productivity and time management applications

how to remove distractions

types of procrastination and how to deal with them

google chrome new tab options for improved productivity

10 small ways to improve your productivity

applications to block websites

no distraction writing applications

100 days of productivity challenge

how to focus in class

how to stick to a schedule

how to stay alert

how to build self-discipline

how to organise for exams

my after school routine

how to reduce perfectionist ideas

Motivation

what to do when you’ve tried everything

how to gain back motivation

motivational monday printables

how to stop avoiding studying

what to do when you feel exhausted before studying

how I stay motivated

tips on maintaining motivation

10 tips to increase your motivation for study

how to start a studyblr

how to utilise your studyblr for motivation

how to set up a studygram

dealing with competitive people

how to bounce back from ‘failure’

how to learn from a lower than expected grade

how to structure a weekly review

how to deal with a difficult class

things to do during holidays/study vacations

Studying

applications for students

how to take effective class or lecture notes

how to take notes from a textbook

how to prepare for exams

my note-taking method

my notebook system

how to write faster

how to study more effectively

how to summarise information

how I organise my binders

good habits to implement

how to study (my method)

how to revise from notes

how to organise a colour code

how to memorise information effectively

how to memorise quotes

how to use flashcards

how I reduce waffle and narration in essays

tips for essay writing

how to find out where you’re going wrong

how I prepare to study

different ways to study

how to study during the semester

how to annotate a book/novel/etc

how to get ahead in school

how to break up a large textbook

studying as a visual learner

how to practice and present a speech

mindmapping apps and extensions

how to deal with online classes

how to study a language

how to study maths

how to improve group assessments/projects

ipad study inspiration

Self Care

how to improve your sleep schedule

how to wake up earlier

how to study when sick

over-coming self doubt

dealing with stress

how to balance studying and anxiety

how to balance studying and depression

apps that help with depression

ways to reward your productivity

my favourite tv shows

my favourite podcasts

ways to use empty notebooks

how to be more sociable

tips for getting a job

advice for the first day

things (personal, academic, etc) to do every week

Printables

2018 monthly planner printables

2018 student printables (includes 2018 overview + calendar, daily + weekly + monthly planner, 30 habit tracker, class overview and timed worklog)

2018 GoodNotes monthly and weekly planner

weekly study schedule

weekly planner

weekend planner

daily planner

assessment planner

subject to do list planner

study session planner

exam revision printable pack (includes revision checklist, formulas + definitions sheet, essay + project planner, weekly schedule)

note-taking printables (includes dotted, grid, lined, cornell method)

organic chemistry printable

literary techniques and devices sheet

100 days of productivity tracker printable

ultimate student organiser pack

study and revision pack

2018 student planner

2018 weekly planner

pomodoro tracker

grade and assessment planner pack

essay guide and planner pack

productivity planner

student reading journal printable

student finance planner

goal and habit planner

customisable weekly study planner

crimefighterphd

Quick reminder, especially for you younger undergrads: Discipline is a skill, not a character trait. And just like any skill, it can be practiced and improved upon incrementally. Try not to get discouraged if you have a day, or multiple days, where you are less disciplined than you would like or need to be. Don’t quit. Don’t spend the next week binging Netflix because you think it’s a hopeless endeavour. Just get up the next day and try again. Each day you try is more practice, and each day you practice, you’ll get a little bit better, and that continual improvement will pay dividends in the long run.

Keep at it.

logicversesemotion

This is a chart that my chem teacher gave to everyone after our first exam.

emmastudies

This is a really good step by step guide!

phd-one-day-deactivated20181216

How to read a scientific article

Hey y’all! This post is aimed at people who are making the transition from textbook-based science classes to article-based science classes. Scientific journal articles are dense compared to textbooks and aren’t written with the intent to teach basic concepts but rather with the intent to expand scientific knowledge. It can often be very confusing to figure out what is going on. Here’s how I was taught to read them 10+ years ago and how I still approach them today.

(I) After reading the title, start for real with the Results section.

Why would you do this when you know the abstract will give you a basic overview of the study and the introduction will set the context? Because you want to be an active reader. You want to figure out what happened in this study in a way that makes sense to you rather than be able to parrot what the author’s say happened. This is the major difference between reading a textbook (where you need to regurgitate the information later) and reading an article (where you need to be able to intelligently discuss the content either in class or in writing).

Look at the tables and figures first. Can you tell what the independent variables were? What the dependent variables are? What might the relationship between them be? What trends or patterns do you see? Depending on your style, it may be a good idea to mark up your document with this information or jot some notes down somewhere else.

Now read the text part of the results. What parts of the figures are the authors choosing to highlight in the text? Are there any results buried in the text that you can’t connect to part of a figure?

Now pause and think. What is the most important result of the study? Highlight where this appears in the text and figures. Remember that important doesn’t necessarily mean statistically significant! A good p-value doesn’t signify real-world meaning; you need to make that connection yourself. Take a moment in this step to notice what results still don’t make sense to you– no need to panic or write questions down yet because you haven’t read the rest of the paper.

(II) Get the gist of the Methods.

Chances are your professor did not assign you this reading with the intent to make you replicate the study. You don’t have to understand every sentence (or even most sentences!) of the methods unless you’re an advanced graduate student. You do have to be able to explain in layman’s terms what the researchers did.

Particularly important questions to answer that can be found in the text include: What were the independent variables? What were the dependent variables? What variables were controlled for, either statistically or through researcher manipulation? What statistical methods were used to look for an association? In health research, we use the acronym PECOT to deconstruct method’s sections.

P = population– who was being studied?

E = exposure– what variable were the researchers trying to determine the impact of? This might be an intervention (ie., a smoking cessation video) or something outside researchers’ control (ie., at least 5 years of daily smoking).

C = comparison– who is the population of interest going to be compared to? This may be a formal control group (ie., smokers who were shown a video on handwashing) or something outside researchers’ control (ie., former smokers of a similar demographic background who haven’t had a cigarette in 5 years).

O = outcome– what were the researchers looking for? This is also known as the independent variable.

T = time– how long were participants/subjects tracked and when were measurements taken?

(III) Read the Introduction.

Now that you have a very good idea about the design and results of the study, you’ll be better able to understand the introduction of the study. The basic goal of an introduction in any scientific paper is to explain why the study happened. The background may give you some helpful context, or it may be redundant at this point. I typically don’t spend much time on the introduction except for the end where the study purpose/research question and hypotheses are usually written. Mark these in the text! You should already have a good idea of the study’s purpose from the methods and results. Here’s some questions you should answer internally or in your notes at this point:

Did the methods align with the purpose?

Did the results support the hypothesis?

What are the scientific implications of these results?

(IV) Read whatever is at the end of the article: Discussion, Conclusion, Reflection, Limitations, Research Implications etc.

It is very important that you save these sections for last because these sections are where researchers tell you what to think of the results. You need to be prepared to critically engage with their interpretation of the results by already having your own. That’s what the three questions above are about! Of course, the discussion was probably written by multiple advanced scientists and you are but a lowly student. That doesn’t mean you should accept their conclusions without seeing their logic. As you read the discussion, think about these questions:

Do the researchers think the results support the hypothesis?

How are the researchers interpreting the primary results? [Bonus: what other interpretations are there, and are they mentioned?]

What do the researchers think the scientific implications of these results are?

What limitations do the researchers acknowledge, and how could those limitations be impacting the results?

(V) Synthesize it.

Try to boil down everything in the paper to just a few sentences that an 8th grader could understand. Whether you think through it internally or write it down is up to you. I usually print out my readings and write my synthesis on the blank back page using the following sentences starters:

The researchers wanted to know whether…

They found that…

This means that…

Taking the time to write the synthesis and any lingering questions you have can be really helpful if, like me, you do reading far in advance of class and need a quick refresher to glance at before class starts. It can also be helpful for paper writing or exam studying later. Consider revising your synthesis after you participate in the class discussion or hear your professor’s take on the article in lecture. Don’t rely on the abstract– that’s someone else’s synthesis, not yours.

—

I hope this was helpful!! Don’t feel bad if this process is ridiculously time consuming. I have spent probably 3-4 hours on a 5-page study before. The goal of science writing is to be as concise as possible, which makes reading short articles more difficult than longer ones. I am a graduate student at a top American university, and I typically read 9-12 articles per week this deeply. If a professor assigns more than 4 research study articles per week for a regular course, make sure they explain what students are supposed to be getting out of each article so you can target your reading better. Chances are, you can skip some sections and focus on coming to class with clarifying questions rather than a firm understanding.

Happy reading!!

@phd-one-day

emmastudies

Do you have a post that has the links to all your freebies?

All of the freebies are linked below :-)

2018:

2018 free student printables (2018 overview + calendar, daily + weekly + monthly planner, 30 habit tracker, class overview and timed worklog)

2018 monthly printables

2019:

2019 student printables (2018-19 overview, 2019 overview, 2019 key dates, year in pixels, monthly portrait planner)

monthly printables to be added soon

Timed schedules/planners:

study schedule printables

week at a glance printables

weekly planner (monday and sunday start)

weekend planner

daily planner

Studying:

languages study pack (two options - 16 pages of premade tables or 8 pages of customisable/blank tables)

study planner pack (daily + weekly + monthly study planner, 10 minute planner, study plan, study tracker, subject and chapter summary, and priority breakdown)

DIY flashcard printables (2 covers, dotted, lined, grid, Q&A versions)

assessment planner (two options)

subject to do list planner

study session planner

back to school printable set (includes 2017-18 academic year calendar (monday + sunday start), semester overview, assessment + grade tracker, revision checklist, untimed weekly organiser, study session tracker)

exam printable pack (includes topic revision checklist, definitions + formula sheet, essay + project planner, weekly schedule)

binder / subject covers / topic pages (16 colours)

Misc:

to-do list printables

100 days of productivity tracker printable (explanation of 100 days challenge here)

literary techniques and devices sheet (goes with this post)

note taking printables (includes dotted, grid, lined, Cornell paper)

organic chemistry printable

Motivational quotes/art printables:

motivational monday quote printables

Handwriting:

cursive handwriting cheatsheet (goes with this post)

normal handwriting cheatsheet

If you’re using Safari and it is saying ‘too many redirects’, try the following:

open a private safari browser, and try from there

use an alternative browser such as google chrome

or go directly here

I do plan on adding more and am always open to suggestions so feel free to leave requests for me! xxx

emmastudies

What are your top tips for dealing with a bad grade or failing a class? :-)

conmentatia-deactivated20180731

As someone who managed to fail not only a class but an entire year of university, here’s what’s been working for me:

Give yourself a specified grieving time. You’re going to feel absolutely miserable after you fail - disappointed, angry at both yourself and your university/professors, emotionally drained and you’re probably going to convince yourself that you ARE a failure, so why do anything, ever again? You’re going to lie in bed all day and wallow in your own negativity for a while, and you need to let yourself do this! But - after a day or two, you’re also going to need to have a stern talk with yourself, have a cry if you need to and make yourself physically move on from this. Get up, take a shower, have a cup of coffee and go for a walk. Make yourself feel like a human being again, and then have another talk with yourself - this time, focusing on “ok, so what can I do about this?”

Identify the reason behind your failure. Did you procrastinate it to death? Why? Were you scared of failure? Were you scared of success? Do you feel like it’s too big, too much for you to handle? Did it stress you out to the point of being paralyzed to even begin? Do you simply just hate that class so much you’d rather feel like this for failing it than face it? You didn’t have the time? You didn’t make the time?

Forgive yourself. Personally, I could answer yes to all of those questions. I was a mess during my second year of uni, and I just couldn’t dig myself out of the hole I was in. Everything piled up, fast, and I just didn’t have the energy to deal with any of it. I’m not proud of myself, but I also no longer resent myself for this. Even if you didn’t have any “real” reasons for failing, you still need to find it within yourself to allow yourself to move on from this. Otherwise, you’re just trapping yourself in a loop of guilt and self-flagellation which is only going to stop you from actually doing anything to make it better.

Make a game plan. Sit down with your notes, and skim over everything. Determine what you need to do in order to get this done and WRITE IT DOWN. Find online resources that will help you when you get stuck. Find someone to explain the things that are still flying over your head. If your professors/assistants are approachable, ask them for pointers. Look for blogs or ask your classmates how they dealt with this class. If you get stuck on something, move on and come back to it later, but DO COME BACK TO IT. Maybe research what study technique is best suited for this particular exam, try to get some past exam papers so you can see what your prof focuses on - in short, try to make it as easy for yourself as possible to do the work and get payoff!

Once you make a plan, do your best to stick to it. It’s hard to get back in the studying game after a long rut. It’s even harder when you know you’ve already failed this once, and the fear of that happening again is constantly looming over your head. But, the only way you have any chance of beating this is by trying. Get up in the morning, look over your game plan, do things over and over again until they finally stick, allow for it to take time. If you fall back, that’s ok, you’ll do better tomorrow. Take breaks, but don’t let them last a week. Get some sleep. Go for walks. Try to eat healthy. Even if you don’t put as much work in as you’ve scheduled for that day, that’s ok too, you did something - and that’s always better than doing nothing!

Give yourself scheduled break-time! Prevent burnout at all cost! If you’re anything like me, you have now achieved a delicate balance of productivity and PANIC, and it’s very prone to tipping on either side depending on your frame of mind. Do anything you can to keep it in the productive zone, which includes giving yourself time to recharge. Take “activity breaks”- don’t let yourself just sit and stare at the material on your screen all day, get up and move around, wash the dishes, make yourself a snack, play some music and dance around… whatever works for you! Also, set an “ending time” to your day and STOP THEN. All-nighters fueled on the panic of “I didn’t do everything I needed to do today” are the absolute worst thing you can do to yourself. Get some rest and try again tomorrow.

Find a commitment device. Either it be an app, a studyblr, a classmate, a friend, your mum - whatever works for you! Find a way to keep yourself accountable for what you’re doing and it’s going to help to keep you actually doing it.

And, finally, the thing I wanted to share the most:

Try the 5-second rule to keep yourself motivated.

This is a life-saver for people like me, who procrastinate as a reaction to stress. The “5-second rule” was invented by Mel Robbins, who used this method and is now a successful business-woman after her life literally fell apart. If you have time, please do yourself the favor of watching this video (x). In short, she has found a scientific way of beating procrastination, (even reigning in the symptoms of anxiety and depression) which is this: Every time you catch yourself thinking about doing something, be it as small as “Oh, I should probably take out the trash.” or “Oh, I really should study for this scary exam.” count down from 5, breathe in, and GO. This is going to stop your brain from having the time to talk you out of it.

She did her research and found out that, by counting down 5,4,3,2,1 you are actually not giving your brain the chance to react in a way that’s going to stop you from doing whatever it is that you know you need to be doing, because it’s going to shift to the prefrontal cortex, which is the decision making part, from the basal ganglia - which is where your habits live. Procrastination is actually a habit your brain has developed in order to protect you from emotional hurt - of fear of not being good enough, or failing, or being laughed at, etc. It also works for intrusive thoughts, I’ve found - every time you can feel yourself sinking down that hole, when your mind goes “Why are you even doing this, you know you’re not good enough, so why bother?” try counting down from 5, take a deep breath, imagine yourself succeeding and go back to it. So, if you have done all of the above, made plan after plan and scheduled everything to death, but somehow just can’t make yourself do it - give this a try, it might just be the thing to get you going.

Good luck, you’ve got this!! :)

emmastudies

this is fantastic, thank you!! x

sizvideos

spankingmackenzie

I needed to see this gifset today..

tobiasxva-deactivated20170810

fucking amen

levv17

DO WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO UNTIL YOU CAN DO WHAT YOU WANT TO DO.

Oprah Winfrey

caffeineandaccounting-deactivat

** Please Note that I am not a native English speaker, so I apologize for any grammar mistakes. **

I’m not very good at summarizing. I never have been. I only end up confusing myself and feeling like a huge failure.

Since I’ve been doing Distance Learning, I really didn’t have any other choice than to summarize. This is how I do it.

1. Make a list beforehand of what you need to study.

Go through your textbook, write down all of the headings and subheadings along with any other information that you think is important. Take your time doing this as this list will serve as a guide once you start studying for your exam(s). You can tick off each heading/subheading as you study when you’re confident that you know your work. By doing this, you’ll know what you need to work on or spend some extra time on.

2. Choose a color scheme that works for you - and stick to it!

3. Always read through the paragraph before highlighting.

Read. Read. Read. There is absolutely no point in just highlighting sentences/words that look important. You’ll only end up wasting your time and confusing yourself. The whole process will be so much easier if you actually understand what you are reading.

4. Use sticky notes to add information/answers to questions.

5. Use diagrams/flow charts or any other visual aids that will help you to understand better.

6. Always try and simplify as you go along.

Try and summarize in your own words. Try and simplify it as much as possible. Use other resources - the internet, teachers, other students etc. to help you understand better.

I always have this quote in the back of my mind when summarizing:

“If you can’t explain it to a six-year-old, you don’t understand it yourself.” - Albert Einstein

This isn’t always easy. Sometimes textbooks can over complicate simple things and confuse you even more. Always, always, always try to simplify as much as possible.This will help you so much in the long run.

7. Bullets.

Oh, man.

Don’t you just hate reading long, never-ending paragraphs?!

I do.

Don’t be afraid to break down paragraphs while reading.

It will save you some time once you start summarizing because you can break up long paragraphs into bullet points.

It makes it easier to read, too.

8. Always keep a pencil nearby.

This is great for making some NB or ??? notes on the side or just a * if you need to look up a word etc.

9. Google is your friend.

Don’t know the meaning of a word? Google it. Use one of the synonyms to simplify your summaries. This is a life saver ;)

10. Take breaks. Please. And drink water.

Sitting at your desk for hours on end without a break is not good for you. Headaches, back pain, numb feeling in your legs, stiff neck, wrist pain etc. etc.

Get up. Stretch. Go for a short walk. Watch a YouTube video. Listen to a song. Eat a snack. Moderation is key, though. Always remember: your health is important.

I’ll post an update later about what kind of note taking method I use!

These tips are based on my own experience, if you have anything to add, please feel free to. :)

lidsblog

OMG this is a god send! Thank youu!!!!

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