per aspera ad astra

study inspiration, motivation, and positivity I follow from @astro-jen jen || Scotland || 17 ⭐️Aspiring Astrophysicist⭐️ semi-hiatus bc life is really testing me rn

[studywithkimberly]

some notes from my algorithms and data structures lecture! 📖

[whenpoetsbleed-deactivated20170]

And yet, you kept going.

a reminder; e.d. (via whenpoetsbleed)

[studyign]

got a test coming up?

how to cram for a test

fastest way to memorize

common study mistakes

how to get motivated

25 study tips nice

time management advice

how to stop procrastination

7 tips for studying math

how to study in groups

[sophocused]

super late but this was my october monthly spread 🍂

[studyelysian]

just a reminder 🍁 be proud of yourself. be proud of how much you have improved and how much you have changed. be proud of your success- and your failures along the way. be proud of your persistence and your effort..

[neuroticmedblr-deactivated20190]

how to avoid education burnout

have 3 achievable goals a day: having a laundry list of things to do everyday is super unrealistic, and you just end up feeling bad about yourself because you didn’t accomplish your goals for the day.

leave your sundays open: i love sundays because they’re my day to chill out and catch up on school work that i wasn’t able to finish during the week.

recognize when you’re at your emotional limits: forcing yourself to get work done when you are unable to comprehend your study material does not benefit anyone.

learn how to say no: people will ask you for your time and it will stretch you to the limit, whether it be at your job, in your extracurriculars, or in your personal life. know when to step back and say no.

take care of yourself physically: take breaks, go for walks, shower regularly, get enough sleep, eat healthy, see your friends

celebrate your accomplishments: go out to eat with friends after a big exam, indulge in a night off after a busy week with some netflix and wine

make a study plan beforehand: it can be daunting to see how much work you need to put in to a class or task beforehand, but this allows you to spread your work evenly so you don’t become overwhelmed.

learn how to ask for help: it is very rare that people make it through school, whether it be high school or university or any graduate program, without needing the advice of others or just a kind soul to vent to. find that person.

never forget your hobbies: you will need things that keep you sane. if you love to play music, write, play volleyball, or cook, make you sure you don’t lose these things. they will become your escape when times get tough.

log off from time to time: it is exhausting to be constantly connected to social media and your email. just physically disconnecting from these for a night to take care of yourself can really help you clear your mind.

[a-disciplined-life]

Four rules for a disciplined life

(Credit to reddit user ryans01).

No zero days. ‘What’s a zero day? A zero day is when you don’t do a single fucking thing towards whatever dream or goal or want or whatever that you got going on. No more zeros. I’m not saying you gotta bust an essay out everyday, that’s not the point. The point I’m trying to make is that you have to make yourself, promise yourself, that the new SYSTEM you live in is a NON-ZERO system. Didn’t do anything all fucking day and it’s 11:58 PM? Write one sentence. One pushup. Read one page of that chapter. One. Because one is non zero.’

Be grateful to the three yous. ‘There’s the past you, the present you, and the future you. If you wanna love someone and have someone love you back, you gotta learn to love yourself, and the 3 you’s are the key. Be GRATEFUL to the past you for the positive things you’ve done. And do favours for the future you like you would for your best bro.’

Forgive yourself. ‘Maybe you got all the know-how, money, ability, strength and talent to do whatever is you wanna do. But lets say you still didn’t do it. Now you’re giving yourself shit for not doing what you need to, to be who you want to. Heads up champion, being disappointed in yourself causes you to be less productive. Tried your best to have a nonzero day yesterday and it failed? So what. I forgive you, previous self. I forgive you. But today? Today is a nonzero masterpiece to the best of my ability for future self. This one’s for you, future homes. Forgiveness man, use it. I forgive you. Say it out loud.’

Exercise and books. ‘Pretty standard advice but when you exercise daily you actually get smarter. When you exercise you get high from endorphins (thanks body). When you exercise you clear your mind. When you exercise you are doing your future self a huge favour. Exercise is a leg on a three legged stool. Feel me? As for books, almost every fucking thing we’ve all ever thought of, or felt, or gone through, or wanted, or wanted to know how to do, or whatever, has been figured out by someone else. Get some books.’ 

[turningtricksbdwozhere-deactiva]

My friend linked this to me on reddit when I was feeling really down and it changed me. Excellent advice!

[warmstudiess]

For those of you starting college soon:

- everyone is scared - I’m scared of college and it’s my 3rd year - but I know it will be okay once I get into the routine - people don’t care what you do - people sleep in weird places - and wear pajamas to lots of places - and you make friends in unlikely places and times - friends will come and go - you might change your mind on majors - but you will be okay - you are going to do so great 💕

[bio-shmio]

this week’s spread!! seeing Alt-J tonight and I am beyond elated✨✨✨

[moody-poet-deactivated20180227]

How I Got Straight A’s in My First Year of University

I was so proud of myself when I received firsts (that’s A’s for those not attending uni in the UK) on all of my assessments in my first year at university. Here are some tips for y’all to try at any point in university. They may be specific at times to my experience—my degree is in the social sciences and humanities, and I’m studying in the UK—but I did try to make them more generally applicable, and hopefully they should be helpful to someone out there.

Part One: Everyday Study Routine

Before the start of the academic year, try to get in a little bit of preparation. See if there are any syllabi or reading lists posted online. You don’t have to pour over them, of course, but do attempt to do something, and have a basic grasp on what will be covered in your classes.

Go to all your lectures and seminars. Unless you absolutely have to miss class because you are ill or have an important obligation to take care of, it’s really important to attend your lectures every day. (Note: if you are struggling with mental or chronic illness or a disability, don’t beat yourself up if you keep missing class. Please take care of yourself.) You may be tempted to just look at the PowerPoint presentation online, but it’s much more effective to be there in person. Often the lecturer may include information or extra explanations which are not included in the presentation. It will also allow you to process the information aurally as well as visually, and you will have the added benefit of taking notes too. You may also be able to ask questions.

Do all the pre-reading for lectures. I know it’s tempting to put it off, but try to work it into your daily routine (because you will have reading to do every day). Inevitably, there will be times where you slip up and don’t have time to finish. If this happens, make sure you catch up on it at some point, because it’s very important to solidifying the concepts you are learning about. Also, the more you read in general, the better you will become at reading (and also writing).

Take diligent notes (for both your lectures and pre-reading), and keep them organized. I prefer to handwrite in a notebook, as it helps me synthesize information rather than just typing it out verbatim—but it is totally up to you. If you do use a notebook, make a table of contents on the first page, where you write the date, topic, class, and page numbers of each set of notes you take. I think it’s a great idea to include your own thoughts and opinions in notes, or linking concepts you are learning to concepts you already know about.

If you have the time, make sure to be reading books/essays/articles and engaging with ideas outside of your regular syllabus. This is one of the most important techniques (in my experience, at least) when it comes to writing essays and answering exam questions. Evidence of wider reading around a topic is a great way to boost the credibility of your argument. It also does wonders to solidify and broaden your conceptualization of certain ideas you may have covered in your classes.

Where possible, try to contribute (as much as you feel comfortable) in seminars. If you are very quiet and reserved, that is totally okay too. I’m with you. But it has helped me tremendously in the past year to push myself to speak up more often in seminars. Talking in seminars allows you to clarify concepts and engage more deeply with the material being discussed (and it might impress your seminar tutor too, though this is secondary to the learning in my opinion).

If you have some nerdy-ass friends, talk with them about your ideas and what you’re both learning in your courses. I can’t tell you the number of essays I’ve written which actually have blossomed out of conversations I’ve had with friends, where they’ve exposed me to topics I’d never heard of before or broadened my view of a concept. Learning from each other in a casual and fun setting is amazing!

Part Two: Assessment Time

When you are given notice about big assignments coming up, such as essays or group projects, try to start working on them ASAP. Trust me, I know how hard it is. This is coming from someone who has dealt for years with chronic procrastination issues and nearly didn’t graduate from high school because of it. But you must start planning as soon as you possibly can, because the due date will come screaming up and before you know it, it’ll be the night before the deadline and you won’t have a clue what you’re writing about. Work it into your daily schedule if you have to. One great tip is to write down the deadline as being earlier (say, a week earlier) than what it actually is. This will prompt you to start earlier than you normally would have.

Do a shitload of reading, widely, from multiple sources. Read everything you can on the topic you are doing your assignment on. For a basic literature review, this means looking through at least 20+ sources. That doesn’t mean carefully perusing each one front to back; it means looking through all the relevant literature to find a few great sources which will really give you a coherent argument and a big picture of the topic at hand.

Keep your sources organized. I use Paperpile, which is a Chrome extension that allows you to save and organize academic sources. I make a folder for each assessment I am working on, and anything I find relevant to my topic, I save it to the folder. This will be a life saver for you when you actually go to plan your paper and also do the referencing.

Content is important, but perhaps even more important is your argument and structure. This mostly applies to essays, but you can apply it to other types of assessments too. Try not to structure your argument in terms of blocks of content—e.g. Paragraph 1 is about Topic A, Paragraph 2 is about Topic B—but rather in terms of how you are laying out your argument. Make sure each part of your essay flows into the next, so that you are, for example, setting up a kind of dialogue or narrative between the different sources you’re using. Also ensure that any point you are making clearly relates back to your main thesis.

If you’re a perfectionist like me: train yourself to remember that there is no such thing as perfect. Try to imagine what the perfect essay would be like. Can you imagine it? It’s probably pretty difficult, right? That’s because there is no such thing as a perfect assignment. Remind yourself of this, constantly. Tell yourself that you will be okay with just doing your very best. If you think about it logically: handing in something that is perhaps not your best ever, but handing it in on time and doing pretty well, is infinitely better than attempting to have a “perfect” essay but handing it in late and failing the assignment.

I hope this helped some of you! Best of luck and happy studying this year—go knock ‘em out! xo

[ladyhannahjane]

Declutter Your Life

I’ve resolved that every Wednesday, I will write a masterpost about self care and living clean and happy lifestyles. Mainly because my blog is devoted to that too, besides being a studyblr, but I hardly ever post original content about it, so hereeee we go. :)

Plan first

Make a list of areas you want to tackle

Or items you want to go through

Set how long you’ll clean

And a little reward for yourself when you’ve reached that goal

Envision what you want your space to look like at the end

Set aside three baskets or areas: one for things to keep, one for things to trash, and one for things to donate/sell

House

There are just some ideas of things to get rid of or pare down. Feel free to add your own. :)

Bedroom

unnecessary pillows on your bed or extra blankets

monsters under your bed

chargers, wires, etc. that go to devices you don’t have anymore or that are broken

old devices, phones, ipods

books you felt kinda eh about while reading them

copies of books or CDs

old notebooks

sticky notes that have lost their stickiness

broken pencils

markers that have dried up

any art supply you don’t use

scrap paper that’s gotten too small

scrap yarn that’s gotten too small

old art projects

unfinished art projects

papers

candles w/o any smell

Scentsy-type stuff w/o any smell

Closet

clothes that don’t fit

all of those clothes you save for your “ugly days”

shoes that hurt that you don’t even like the looks of

underwear with holes (or blood stains - ya feel me, girls?)

socks without a matching pair

socks with holes

bras that are even looking tired

copies of clothes, like multiple white t-shirts

jewelry you don’t wear

childish jewelry

broken jewelry

Bathroom

hygiene products past their expiration date

faded towels

bottles with only a few drops of product left

worn out toothbrushes

hairbands that have lost their elasticity

congealed nail polish

makeup you regret buying

Digital Life

Social Media

Unfollow people, be merciless, make your social media a place of positivity

unfriend toxic people (see the next section)

go through your own posts and delete anything you regret posting

take social media breaks

Computer

upload all of your photos to Google photos or flickr or photobucket or onedrive or whatever, or even a CD, then delete them from your memory

also back up important documents or just things you want to keep to something else and delete them on your computer

go through and sort everything into files

delete any programs you don’t use

Phone

clean out your pictures, upload them to cloud or whatever

delete all of the apps you don’t use or need

go through your contacts and delete the people you don’t want to contact anymore

delete old text message conversations

give yourself a new background too, something clean and simple

Relationships

Get rid of those people who are toxic in your life, mute notifications from them, unfollow them on social media (you can unfollow someone one facebook without unfriending them), don’t answer them often

make an effort to interact with people face-to-face rather than through text or the internet

decide who you want to actively invest your energy in

School

make a study schedule

prioritize your schedule – study the hardest subjects the most

remember that grades are important

also remember that grades aren’t everything 

(pls don’t fire me from being a studyblr)

if you can’t get everything you need to do done in 24 hours without sacrificing 8 hours of sleep and a bit of time for yourself, then you’re doing too much

Best tip to stay decluttered: Learn to say no.

[jaycestudies-deactivated2016072]

guide to the perfect day

i always see ’ guides to the perfect morning ‘ or ‘ guides to the perfect night ‘ but never one where it encompasses the whole day and thus i decided to make one !!

note : 

i use the term ‘perfect’ very loosely and what you find a perfect day may not be the same as me but i hope you enjoy this post nonetheless :  )

also, this is more for the weekends and holidays as i didn’t include a school time period hehe

MORNING :

wake up by 0730 am 

our bodies are programmed to rise with the sun and thus this is an ideal waking up time 

besides, waking up earlier means that you have more time in the day to do the things that you want

try not to linger too much and just turn off your alarm and jump straight out of your bed

do try to make your bed as as the saying goes : messy bed, messy head

get ready between 0730 am to 0845 am

try to have a morning routine as having a routine at the start of the day will help set the tone for the rest of your day 

if you want an extra jolt of energy, try showering with cooler water

also try to go out for a run or walk ( just try to be active right in the morning )

have your breakfast between 0845 am to 0930 am

don’t skip breakfast !! it is the most important meal of the day and it gives you the boost of energy that you need to jump-start your day

try to opt for healthier and more nutritious options such as oats or cereal

work between 0930 am to 1230 pm

get into the habit of doing productive things in the morning this is as our bodies are at it’s peak performance and concentration 

during this time, i like to do the heavier tasks such as writing essays 

it is important to take short but frequent breaks !! ( try the pomodoro method )

AFTERNOON :

lunch break 1230 pm to 0200 pm

try consuming healthier food as it has been proven that our bodies are naturally inclined to be tired after lunch time thus try to avoid sweet or starchy food as they would make you even more lethargic

take this time to relax, maybe call up a friend to have lunch and do some catching up

start your day over 0200 pm to 0215 pm

as inspired by this post, re-evaluate your day at 2 pm

use this time to go through what you need to accomplish, what have you done and what you need to do

do your digital work 0215 pm - 0415 pm

as previously established, our bodies tend to be more sluggish after lunch, so i like to schedule my less taxing tasks here

take this time to go through your emails and start with your digital work ( i.e writing blog posts / coding / designing with photoshop etc )

i use cold turkey so that i can be the most productive and wouldn’t waste this time on instagram or tumblr

nap 0415 pm - 0445 pm

a nap in the middle of the day has been shown to be beneficial to our bodies

however, the length of it is very important. keep it to 20 - 30 mins as this will allow for energy boost while preventing the feeling of grogginess when you wake up

finish up any incomplete tasks 0445 pm - 0700 pm

it is nearing the end of the day so it’s time to wrap up any unfinished tasks

NIGHT :

dinner time 0700 pm to 0815 pm

try to eat a smaller portion of food as it’s the end of the day, your metabolism rate will slow down and you wouldn’t want to go to bed feeling bloated right? 

freshen up 0815 pm - 0900 pm 

after a long day of work, it is important to wash up and freshen up 

if there’s time, do take the time to pamper yourself a little ( maybe do a hair mask or face mask or both!! )

rest and relax 0900 pm - 1000 pm

take this time to completely relax

watch your favourite shows or youtubers 

no digital devices hour 0900 pm - 1000 pm

it has been shown that the blue light emitted from our screens can prevent the production of melatonin, which is a hormone that is responsible for making us feel sleepy

thus an hour before bed time, try avoiding any digital devices

instead, spend the time planning your outfits for the next day, packing your bag, meal prep or even just reading a book

lights out 1100 pm

to ensure that you have an adequate amount of sleep, try to go to sleep lastest by 11pm 

you can use a sleep tracker to tracker your sleep 

personally, i use the sleep cycle app which not only tracks my sleep but also has an alarm that wakes me up when i’m in my lightest phase of sleep

TADAH! that’s a perfect from day to night schedule that i would ideally follow

here’s a mini summary of how much time is spent doing what :

sleep : 8.5 hrs 

doing work : 7 hrs 15 mins ( 2 hrs of digital work + 5 hrs 15 mins of work )

resting : 1.5 hrs

get ready / freshening up : 2 hrs ( 1 hr 15 mins in the morning + 45 mins at night ) 

eating : 3.5 hrs ( 45 mins breakfast + 1.5 hr lunch + 1 hr 15 mins dinner )

other : 1 hr 15 mins ( 1 hr no digital time + 15 mins re-evaluating your day )

wooh ! i hope you enjoyed reading this post hehe 

- jayce

[studentcollections]

7:00: Turn off your alarm. Slowly open your eyes and realize where you are. Resist the urge to cuddle yourself back to sleep. Reach over to your phone and play some music or a video from your favorite YouTuber. Listen to this as you get out of bed and start your routine.

7:10: Make your bed. Completely remove all the sheets, blankets, and pillows and replace them evenly on top of your mattress. Carefully fold and tuck everything into place. 

7:15: Head into the bathroom. Take care of business while you choose a new song or video to continue playing. Wash your hands with your favorite scented hand soap. Pick up your toothbrush and toothpaste and brush your teeth as you continue to wake up. Wipe the remaining toothpaste off your mouth and pull your hair into a pony tail to get it out of your face. Wash your face with warm water, making sure to get all of the gunk out of your eyes. Moisturize your face and use the remaining moisturizer to soften your hands.

7:30: Head to your dresser and pick a clean, new outfit. Toss your dirty clothes into your hamper, and just before putting on your fresh clothes, spritz yourself with your favorite scent. Get dressed and choose one or two pieces of your favorite jewelry to tie everything together. 

7:40: Grab your bullet journal and a pen on your way out of your room. Head into the kitchen and begin making your warm drink of choice. As your coffee brews or as your tea steeps, cut up some fresh fruit and toast a slice or two of bread. Spread your favorite jam or honey onto the toast while it’s still warm. Pour your milk or creamer into your drink and set everything up at the table. 

7:50: Sip your drink and munch on your fruit and toast as you review your bullet journal. Remind yourself what your plan is for today or write out your plan. Review your weekly plan as well. 

8:00: Rinse out all your dishes and place them into the dishwasher. Head to your desk and gather all of the materials you will need to begin working, like your pen case, your laptop, your notebooks, your reading materials, and of course, your bullet journal. Quickly check your email, and then get to work. 

[studyblr]

you have yet to meet the people most important to you in 5 years. you have yet to make the memories you will remember when you are old. you have so many opportunities, so many possibilities. that grade won’t matter in a few years. friendships end. time flows, you have yet so much ahead.

[stress-and-epiphanies-blog]

01.09.17 - the first week of the year! i had a lot of fun doing this, but i’m still trying to figure it how to make it all a bit less messy. hopefully i’ll stay this motivated when school starts tomorrow. there is also a page for january before this spread, but that is apparently not compatible with my abysmal photography+editing skills so that will have to wait for now. (help me im so bad at editing photos how do people do it)

[createnotes]

i aM IN LOOOOOVE

[southernthread-deactivated20150]

[obsidianstudy]

first day of july, ‘17. 

“you are more than capable.”

ig: obsidianstudy