the noble and most ancient house of black

studyblr wannabe, but not really "as we make things, as we break things" —send me a quote, lyrics or anything and I'll handletter it for you

[mental-health-recovery]

You’re not reading this by accident.

Everything is going to be okay.

Breathe and remember that you’ve been in this place before.

You’ve been this uncomfortable, anxious and scared, and you survived.

Close your eyes and feel the universe within you making a way for you right now.

[prongsuptonogood]

help

can someone help me check an essay? it’s very short 

[yeon-studies]

What to do when you really don’t want to study.

I think we’ve all been there - the class is important and you know you need to study but when you sit down you end up feeling grOSS AND YOU don’t want to. So here are some tips to overcoming that:

 Take a deep breath and reevaluate why you need to study. Try to stay positive.

When I’m not motivated I keep saying things like “what if I just don’t do it?” And then - surprise! - I end up not studying and suffer/regret it later. When coming up with reasons to study, try to keep it positive. Don’t say things like “if I don’t study I’ll fail the class.” Instead, say things like “if I study, I have a better chance at doing well on the exam. Future-me will be so proud of current-me.”

If you truly cannot find a single reason to study, set your studying aside for later and do another productive activity or take a long break.

Drill it into your mind that you really don’t need motivation to do well.

Even if you find the reason to study, that doesn’t necessarily mean you are very motivated. Sometimes we feel like no motivation = unable to study. This isn’t true.

Make a deal with yourself. Try studying for ten minutes. And actually try to study. If by the end of ten minutes you feel like you can continue studying, great! Keep going! If not, then you can take a break and do something else.

Choose a study scheduling method that works for you.

Some people feel great studying for hours on end once they get in “the zone.” Others feel the need to take quick breaks every half hour. Studying and scheduling methods are different for everybody! Play around with scheduling to find out what works for you.

In high-stress times, work (studying, assignments, etc.) can feel pretty overwhelming. To organize all the stuff you have to do, write it down! This takes some of the stress of remembering tasks off from your brain, so that your brain can focus on the more crucial things.

If you’re making a to-do list, keep the general list short. This way, you won’t feel overwhelmed by too many tasks. (You can keep sub-lists on separate paper/sticky notes to break down each task.)

If you’re making a time-table, keep your schedule loose. Give yourself buffer time to complete each task, just in case you overestimated your efficiency.

It’s totally okay to overestimate efficiency! - ifyou do, you learn more about yourself and how you study best.

Small (pomodoro) breaks

Pomodoro technique in a nutshell: 25 minute blocks of working with 5 minute breaks in between. Feel free to change the length of the blocks according to your preferences! During your breaks, you can

Get more water

Get snacks

Make tea/coffee

Stretch

Do a tiny bit of yoga

Walk around the room/building

Stretch

Five-minute meditation

Head massage

Try to avoid looking at a screen. When you look at a screen, you stimulate your brain and it won’t get its rest. Also, the internet might suck you in and your break could last longer than intended. (cough tumblr)

Long breaks

Sometimes I really really really really reALLY don’t want to study. Or do anything. And I feel kind of gross and am on the verge of a mental breakdown. If you feel this way, stop.

Take a hella deep breath. And another one. One more. Aaaaand one more just for good measure.

Get away from your desk. I associate desk with studying, so getting away from it helps me relax. Lie down on a bed, or move to a different room if you can. If you can get near a window, try looking into the distance to relax your brain and eyes.

Breathe for a couple of minutes, then evaluate how you feel. Again, try to stay positive. Instead of “I feel shitty and I don’t want to do anything,” try “I feel tired right now and resting can help me feel better.”

Based on this evaluation, estimate the amount of time you need to rest. If you have a lot of studying to do, try to keep it under an hour. Set a timer for the amount of time you have decided on. (remember to include buffer time!) Getting back to work on time can make you feel more productive, which conduct better productivity!

During a long break, do an activity that makes you feel good and takes your mind off studying. You can

Take a long walk. If you live near a park or a trail, try strolling around in it.

Eat healthy food. Junky comfort food can make you feel groggy, especially foods that are fried. Instead, try eating some fruits or nuts.

Take a shower/bath

Talk with a friend

Make some art

Enjoy a long coffee break. (avoid caffeine if you feel anxious/panicky, though)

Play with a pet

Take a power nap

Longer meditation/yoga

Again, try to avoid looking at screens. Also, avoid thinking about studying. Let yourself have the luxury of NOT THINKING ABOUT STUDYING for a while, so you can return to it with a fresh mind.

Mental health days

Sometimes everything is just too much and you might feel the need to stop everything for a day. If so, take a mental health day!

Think of mental health days as physical health days. If your body isn’t feeling well, you are allowed to stay in bed and sleep/not do anything for a day. Similarly, if your mind isn’t feeling well, you are also allowed to stay in bed and sleep/not do anything for a day.

Let your parents and teachers know that you don’t feel well and can’t go to school. From my experience, most teachers are pretty understanding and will let you have the day off. (You might have some work to make up later, though.)

Do not study on mental health days. Don’t even think about studying on mental health days. Instead, just focus on getting better. You can

Sleep in

Clean your room

Take a super long bath, complete with bath bombs and candles

Watch a good movie

Read a good book

Sing your favorite songs really loudly

Literally anything that (IS HEALTHY and) makes you feel good about yourself.

Study groups can keep you going, even when you kind of don’t want to

Setting up a time (like a date!) can keep you on track

Study with someone you trust to keep you accountable. Don’t study with someone you know you’re going to gossip or watch cat videos with.

If you really feel the need to cancel a study date, it’s ok! Just like canceling any kind of date, it’s 100% okay to back out if you feel uncomfortable.

Stay safe, stay healthy, and happy studying!

[minimaliststudy]

recover from ‘burnout’ in five steps

1. reward yourself for working so hard. take a long bath with your favourite bath bomb, take time to cook your favourite meal, paint your nails. recognise that you worked hard and it was tough and that you deserve time for yourself

2. catch up on sleep. nothing makes studying harder than being exhausted. clear your schedule and have a lie in. even if you don’t sleep late, stay in bed and enjoy a guilt-free lazy morning

3. do something fun. invite your friends over for a movie night, take your dog for a walk. remind yourself that there is more to life than textbooks and notes

4. make a plan. start getting ready to get back into study mode. make a todo list, a study schedule, and a list of your deadlines

5. organise your space. declutter your desk so you have a clean space to be productive in. tidy desk, tidy mind

start again.

[cwote]

12 Steps For Self Care

If it feels wrong, don’t do it

Say exactly what you mean

Don’t be a people pleaser

Trust your instincts 

Never speak bad about yourself

Never give up on your dreams

Don’t be afraid to say “no”

Don’t be afraid to say “yes”

Be KIND to yourself

Let go of what you can’t control

Stay away from drama & negativity

LOVE

[mushstudies]

I always see a bunch of posts recommending different sites for different purposes, so I figured I’d compile them all into one big post of helpful sites and apps for students!

Just a heads up: Most of these are free, but there may be a few exceptions. I haven’t used all of them in great detail, but have used most of them even if just for a while!

PLANNING / ORGANISATION

My Study Life (honestly great for school + college + anything)

Google Calendar (a site, but you can link it with most devices)

iStudiez (requires payment so I haven’t tried this but it looks great + available on everything!)

Wunderlist (lets you tick off tasks as you complete them!)

MUSIC / SOUNDSCAPES

Harry Potter Soundscapes (v soothing + also has GoT, LotR, etc)

MyNoise (easy to adjust sounds, great for studying + sleeping, lots of options)

Coffitivity (coffee shop noises, I legit use this for most study sessions)

Noisli (easily adjustible, options for productivity + relaxing, v cute)

Rainy Mood (rain sounds, nice and calming, good for sleep)

BOOKS + STATIONERY

The Works (SUPER CHEAP STATIONERY, I use this shop all the time)

BookDepository (discounted text books + regular books alike)

AliExpress (lots of cheap + cute stuff but shipping takes forever)

Paperchase (not the cheapest, but super pretty stationery and stuff)

World of Books (good for relatively cheap books, similar to Book Depository)

LANGUAGES

Duolingo (you’ve probs already seen this so I won’t even explain)

HelloTalk (AMAZING for connecting with native speakers)

101Languages (surprisingly helpful for vocab and phrases)

BBC Languages (good for beginners, lots of videos + listening / quizzing exercises)

MindTheWord (chrome extension, integrates your target language into your regular webpages, pretty interesting to try)

MENTAL HEALTH

The Thoughts Room (anonymously vent or release your thoughts without anybody reading or judging)

The Comfort Spot (cute anon venting site where you can receive help and advice from other anons)

Stop Breathe Think (meditation site, I believe there’s also an app)

Kooth (free anon online counselling, but I think it’s only available in the UK)

The Buddy Project (amazing system designed by a high schooler, helps people with mental health issues support one another, requires a Twitter account)

FOCUS / PRODUCTIVITY

Forest (app which lets you plant a virtual tree for every session of productivity!)

Habitica (super cool site/app, turns your irl tasks into a RPG format!!)

Momentum (lets you set out your goals for the day)

STUDYING

Khan Academy (meant to be v good for STEM subjects)

Quizlet (brilliant for flashcards)

FutureLearn (online courses in anything + everything)

S-Cool (lots of resources for lots of subjects)

TheStudentRoom (honestly great for all kinds of stuff)

[lavanderly]

*:･ﾟ✧How to find time to read*:･ﾟ✧

hello everyone! i have decided to write this masterpost because this topic has always been quite important to me: especially now in the summertime, i find myself packed in books i have to read for school and/or that i want to read for personal culture, but the time, as usual, seems to be never enough. Driven by the need of having social life, getting enough sleep, studying for next year’s school lectures and also read everything i want (and have to), i have managed to develop this method that allows me to do all my duties and still have enough time to read four books during a day. so here’s some steps that will defenitely help you find your time to read!

1. Try to wake up early. Maybe this wasn’t what you wanted to hear but it is fundamental if you want to have more time. If you are not a morning person, i suggest downloading the app alarmy (android download // apple download). I have been using it for ages and it really works for me - you simply take a pic of something before you go to sleep (for example i took a pic of the bathroom sink) and in the morning the alarm won’t go off unless you take the exact same pic, so that you are literally forced to get up. (I have a few methods to wake myself up in th morning, if you’re interested I’ll make a masterpost about this!)

2. Read as first thing in the morning This is actually quite interesting. Reading as first thing in the morning is incredibly beneficiant since it actually activates the brain cells and it makes you feel more awaken and productive since the very beginning of the day, expecially if you read something you deeply enjoy. I love waking up, washing my face and going back to bed to read half an hour or so The Art of Being Happy by Shopenhauer  while i drink a glass of iced water. I truly reccomend you to try this because it really sets the tone of your day.

3. Read in between your study sessions. If you follow the pomodoro method you should be a step ahead in this point but even if you don’t, every day is the right day to start something new! The pomodoro method is basically a method in which you study for 25 minutes and then take a 5 minutes break. I have modified this method to make it more suitable for my needs, and so i usually study for 35 mins and then i have an 10 minutes break; during this break i manage to read some pages, and it motivates me both to work harder during the session and to remain focused!

4. Read half an hour before lunch and dinner and half an hour later. it seems pretty dumb but it is not: before and after a meal are possibly the times in our day where we are most likely to be distracted by hunger or by lazyness; so instead of forcing ourselves on doing work that wont’t be productive, a better option would be to just stop and relax our minds by reading. By doing this, we will gain two hours out of our busy day to read without wasting any study time. 

5. Listen to audiobooks!!!! I literally cannot stress enough how convenient audiobooks are. You can do anything else but still be reading! Another way to take advantage of audiobooks is by having the book under the eyes and just listen to the audiobook and follow in the book. This lowers by so freaking much the chances of get distracted, and it will make the reading more fluid and, for some, interesting (Luckily, youtube is full of free audiobooks of almost any classic book you want to read so you won’t have to pay for audiobooks)

so, to conlude this masterpost, let’s do the math: We have 24 hours. Lets say we wake up at 6.30. We will read an hour and then we will start our day. We accomplish from 8 to 11 am 3 pomodoro study sessions with 24 mins of reading. Then we have half an hour before and half an hour after lunch. We manage to make 5 sessions form 2 to 7 pm, with 40 mins of reading. Another half an hour before dinner and half an hour after. If i’m not wrong, we managed to read about 4 hours before evening, without stealing any time to the study and having the whole night ahead to go to sleep early, have social life or, most likely, continue to reading for another couple of hours

If you have read all the way to here, i am so thankful for your existence and for your patience, I truly do hope this masterpost will help you!!! If you have any suggestions or question or anything feel completely free to message me ≧◡≦

[isthsnametakenyet]

About the 100 Days of Productivity Challenge

Hello fellow nerds, hope you’re all doing well!

If you have been following my studyblr, you will know that my first ever 100 Days of Productivity has come to an end. Throughout the course of my participation in this challenge, I have gotten quite a few questions about what this challenge actually is. As I am starting a new 100 Days of Productivity on January 31st, I thought I’d write up an ‘About The 100 Days of Productivity Challenge’ post that covers what the challenge is, why it is awesome, and how to participate in the challenge.

WHAT IT IS

The 100 Days of Productivity Challenge is one of the most popular online productivity tags that motivates people to get things done! The challenge itself, put simply, is to try and accomplish at least one productive thing a day for 100 days. What is considered ‘productive’ is completely up to you. It can range from cleaning your desk to writing a 20-page research paper. Really, whatever you consider being productive can be classified as so. The challenge is super flexible, and I think that is why so many people love to participate in it!

WHY IT IS AWESOME

It establishes productive habits - 100 days is a pretty long time. Getting into the routine of doing one productive thing a day for this period of time really helps to develop productive habits that will improve your efficiency and organisation.

It is a great way to monitor the work you accomplish - The challenge offers a great way to keep track of what you achieve, whether you choose to document it online or on paper.

It motivates you to actually get things done - The expectation of completing one productive thing a day really does motivate you to actually do that one productive thing, and in the end, you achieve more than expected.

It provides you with motivation and support - This has to be one of my favourite aspects of the challenge. There are so many people who are apart of the online study community that participate in the 100dop challenge. We all encourage each other to achieve our best and support each other when we aren’t coping so well. This genuine support and encouragement makes being productive so much more enjoyable.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

It’s quite simple, really. You do one productive thing a day for 100 days, and you document it however you like. A lot of people, like myself, choose to post a 100 Days of Productivity Challenge Update each day on their online accounts with a photo and summary of what they achieved. I will be using #raf100dop to track my next 100 days, which I recommend you do as well! I’ll be sure to regularly look through the tag and support your posts!  

If you would rather not post your documentation of productivity for this challenge online, you can keep tabs on what you achieve on paper instead! I would recommend either keeping a study journal where you write down what you get done each day or use online printables (I really like @emmastudies printable) to document your productivity.

TO REMEMBER

You can start taking part in this challenge whenever you like! There is no start and end date. I will be starting on January 31st, the start of my new school year. You are more than welcome to do the same!

You don’t have to be a dedicated study blog or account to partake in this challenge. Everyone is encouraged to get involved!

This challenge is meant to motivate you to be productive, and to make being productive fun! Don’t feel too pressured to post every single day. If you can’t cope with consecutive posting, you don’t have to! Just do what you are comfortable with.

—

That’s all for now, I hope this post has been helpful! If you are confused or have any questions, please feel free to ask! And if you do decide to participate in the 100dop, make sure to tag #raf100dop so I can check out your posts! 

~ Raf (aka isthsnametakenyet)

[eintsein]

[skulstudy]

Good habits

Waking up early (like every day, even on weekends)

Going to sleep early (so you can wake up early)

Going for a walk every day (at morning or at night)

Drinking water before and after every meal

Eating breakfast

Stretching

Exercising

Reading something

Doing your work as soon as you get home

Planning your time

Taking time for yourself

Getting a shower

Brushing your teeth

Washing your face

Talking to your friends

Writing how your day was (memories for your future self?)

Being less than 3 hours on the phone

Not pressing the snooze button

Doing something good for someone

Being thankful for the day you got to wake up and for the day you lived through

[sprouht-studies]

TIPS & TRICKS FOR NOTE MAKING hey guys!! I recently reached 2k followers (!!!) and to thank you guys for the amazing support, I decided to do a tutorial on how I make my notes!!! do refer to the pictures above!! also, thank you guys so much for your support!!!ヾ(＠⌒ー⌒＠)ノ i love you guys so much 💕

[prongsuptonogood]

hello!

you know what? i think i’ve started most of my posts with “i know i haven’t posted in while but...”

i’m still on vacations so i’m digging through my phone trying to find decent photos so that my account doesn’t die

// listening to: caring is creepy by the shins

[studyingisfortheweekend-blog]

Alternatives for 25 overused words in writing

1. Interesting- note worthy; thought-provoking; fascinating; attracting; appealing; attention-grabbing; captivating; gripping; invigorating; engrossing; engaging; electrifying.  

2. Beautiful- striking; stunning; magnificent; lovely; charming; gorgeous; radiant; dazzling.

3. Good- acceptable, wonderful, exceptional; positive; brilliant; first-rate; notable; stellar; favorable; superb; marvellous; prime.

4. Bad- awful; lousy; poor; unacceptable; crummy; dreadful; rough; inferior; substandard; atrocious; appalling; dreadful; defective.

5. Look- glance; fixate; observe; stare; gaze; peer; scan; watch; study; browse; eye; glimpse; review; inspect.

6. Nice- lovely; superior; pleasant; satisfying; delightful; likeable; agreeable; correct; adequate; swell; fair; okay; approved.

7. Very- extremely; exceedingly; exceptionally; immensely; tremendously; abundantly; particularly; remarkably.

8. Fine- satisfactory; worthy; respectable; exquisite; suitable; well; imposing; decent; admirable; praise-worthy; decent.

9. Happy- cheerful; delighted; pleased; content; amused; thrilled; elated; thrilled; ecstatic; on cloud 9. 

10. Really- genuinely; truly; honestly; actually; undoubtedly; certainly; remarkably; incredibly; downright; unquestionably; extremely.

11. Sad- miserable; gloomy; devastated; down at heard; distraught; distressed; dispirited; sorrowful; downcast; feeling blue; desolate.

12. Big- massive; huge; giant; gigantic; enormous; large; colossal; immense; bulky; tremendous; hefty; sizable; extensive; great; substantial. 

13. Shocked- taken aback; lost for words; flabbergasted; staggered; outraged; astonished; astounded; stunned; speechless; appalled.

14. Small- tiny; petite; mini; miniature; microscopic; minuscule; compact; pocket-sized; cramped; puny; undersized; limited; meager; modest; minute; pint-sized. 

15. Angry- irate; enraged; touchy; cross; resentful; indignant; infuriated; wound-up; worked-up; seething; raging; heated; bitter; bad-tempered; offended; frustrated. 

16. Know- understand; comprehend; realize; learn; perceive; recognize; grasp; sense.

17. Change- alter; transform; replace; diversify; adjust; adapt; modify; remodel; vary; evolve; transfigure; redesign; refashion; advance; transition; shift; adjustment.

18. Old- aged; ancient; matured; elderly; senior; veteran; decrepit; seasoned; venerable; past one’s prime; doddering; senile.

19. Think- ponder; reflect; conceive; imagine; contemplate; consider; determine; realize; visualize; guess/assume; conclude; envision. 

20. Funny- comical; ludicrous; amusing; droll; entertaining; absurd; hilarious; silly; whimsical; hysterical; joking; witty; facetious; slapstick; side-splitting; knee-slapping.

21. Go- move; proceed; advance; progress; travel; walk; journey; depart; exit; flee; make one’s way; clear out; get underway.

22. Give- grant; donate; hand-out; present; provide; deliver; hand over; offer; award; bestow; supply with; contribute to; send; entrust.

23. Get- acquire; obtain; receive; gain; earn; gather; collect; buy; purchase; attain; score; secure; take possession of; grab.

24. Easy- effortless; simple; clear; smooth; straightforward; uncomplicated; painless; accessible; apparent; basic; plain; child’s play; facile; elementary; cinch. 

25. Fast- agile; brisk; rapid; nimble; swift; accelerated; fleeting; high-speed; active; dashing; winged; hurried; turbo. 

[cat1212]

Loki thinking: I remember that, had such fun that day

[sisistudies-deactivated20180629]

Please read if you’re a student

You are NOT PROCRASTINATING, if - you’re sick - you have headache - you feel pain - you’re exhausted - you feel anxious - you have had big changes in your life that make you feel tired/restless/anxious/sad - you have to skip a class/take rest because of reasons I mentioned above. It’s not procrastinating. You’re not lazy. Everyone needs to have rest and take care of themselves when they’re sick. IT IS NOT OKAY TO WORK IN PAIN. Don’t burn out. It’s not worth it. Do not feel guilty. After some rest and relaxing you will study even more effectively. If you feel pain, - take a medicine if it works for you - put all of your books away - take warm shower - eat at least 1 healthy thing and 1 treat/feel-good-food, drink water - go to bed, sleep or read a book/listen to music that is not related to your school (if you have headache/migraine I suggest you to switch off the lights and just sleep) - just take your time - it’ll be all okay.

[redmanejournals]

2.Jan.2018

I was really inspired by @jordans-studyblr post (this one) and I wanted to make one of my own. (although my pictures aren’t nearly as good)

5:00 - I woke up to a really intense pink and orange sky. 

6:00 - Planned the day. I’m already behind on my bullet journal because I’m going crazy using Asana. Actually I’m falling in love with it. My planning usually took 4 to 5 days and I could cut it short to less than 3 hours with Asana. I really trying to simplify my processes because I tend to be the master of pointless perfectionism-that-doesn’t-actually-look-perfect.

7:00 - Time to read. I took a break from reading in those last few days of 2017, but now I’m back at it again. Still reading “Inferior” by Angela Saini

9:30 - Had breakfast. I do intermittent fasting, that means I don’t eat between 7:00 pm and 11:00 am. So I don’t always have breakfast but when I do I make sure that it’s very extra.

10:00 - I reviewed the basics of HTML. I found it was very unnecessary, but I did it for the sake of being thorough.

Made lunch.

13:00 - Started studying Italian. First time ever. ‘Twas fun. I’m going to write my language learning goals soon and I’ll explain more about it.

16:00 - Afternoon chocolate milk. Just because.

17:30 - Preparing to start studying Computer Science. I was checking on the book I’m going to use earlier and saw that they use some Calculus stuff. I wasn’t planning to study Calculus now but maybe I won’t have much of a choice. Not complaining tho.

[jordans-studyblr]

6?/100 days of productivity 11.8.17

~hey folks! long time, no speak. i literally haven’t posted original content in ages, but anyways. i got this cute idea from my fellow fave, @studyflash ,so i hope you enjoy! this was my study day ~

8:30- i woke up to a gusty and damp campus. its been raining all day, and although it’s beautiful, i can’t stand it :( 

8:57- i started reading some poetry to just get my brain going and ready to study

11:10- i finished studying for my biology class (i used anki).

13:47- i went to my biology lab class. i was literally so scared to go today because we had an oral presentation, but i nailed it 

14:55-i finished my oral presentation and started doing research for my lab paper. learn a lot of information about reef corals lmao.

16:27- not really studious, but i walked back to my dorm, and now i am giving my brain a break by making this post before i go out and study for my english quiz tomorrow. yipee.