Simple Student Planning

Hey there, my name is Gale! I'm a first-year university student, and I am the owner of the Simple Student Planning blog.

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What Essential Items I Think College Students Should Get

Of course this is entirely based on my needs, so you don't have to get these exact items! Also, feel free to add on in the comments below!

backpack with a power bank connector (i have this one)

corkboard to put on your wall in front of your desk to pin your important reminders, assignments, and due dates

desk lamp (i found a simple lamp, led lamp with a charger, and led lamp with a charger and a clock)

electronics/cords organizer pouch (especially if you have a crap-ton of chargers for your electronics)

noise-cancelling headphones (i feel like this is almost a non-negotiable)

plug extension cord with USB and C ports (this is the skinniest and least bulky-looking one i could find on amazon)

power bank (especially if you have long commutes or certain buildings in your campus don't have enough outlets)

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Book Recommendations For College Students

If you have recommendations as well, please comment them below!

Atomic Habits

Deep Work

How to Become a Straight-A Student

How to Win at College

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Academic/Study YouTubers

I will be updating this post from time-to-time, so please feel free to add more resources/channels in the comments!

ACTIVE CHANNELS

Ali Abdaal

Amy Wang

CrashCourse

Gohar Khan

Study To Success

INACTIVE CHANNELS

studyquill

The Bliss Bean

Thomas Frank

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Year 2, Fall Semester

Welcome back everybody! Some of you may have started uni already, but I actually started yesterday! Yay!

Anyways, I thought I would blog a little about my experience last year (my first year at uni), as well as my goals for this year.

For my first year, I initially set a goal of getting on the dean's (honours) list, which required me to get at least a 3.7 GPA. Unfortunately, it didn't work out and I didn't get to accomplish that goal. However, I'm not too disappointed about it. In fact, I'm actually kind of grateful because that goal made me realize how bad I was pressuring myself, and it helped me focus on what really mattered to me and what my limits are.

For my second year, I would still like to accomplish that same goal but with more emphasis on the little things that can affect that goal. Last year, I didn't maintain a healthy diet or an exercise routine, but I did manage to mostly keep on track with my assignments and keep my procrastination at bay. For this year, I'd like to achieve the "mini goal" of maintaining a healthy lifestyle through a regular diet and exercise routine, in hopes that will help me achieve my bigger goal of getting that 3.7 GPA. I would also like to maintain my non-procrastinating habit, hopefully with more consistency than last year.

Also, since I placed a lot of focus into my academics, I never really participated in social events, made a lot of friends, or consistently maintained the new friendships I did make. This year, I hope to make my social life more 'vibrant' by attending as much campus events as I can, making new connections, and hopefully hanging out with my friends more often!

That's it for this post! Please feel free to give tips on accomplishing goals and building habits, and if you'd like, maybe share some of your goals for this year! I wish you all good luck!

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Friendly Reminder

I just wanted to let all of you know to not spend your winter break obsessing over this past semester.

I'm a first year, and this fall semester was my first in uni. I learned a lot during that time, and I struggled a lot with the transition, the workload, and the expectations. I know what it feels like to ruminate over the failed tests, the low grades, and what it would've been like if I did _____ and _____. I was a straight-A student for most of my academic life, and university impacted that part of my identity pretty hard. I know what it's like.

But what's done is done. You tried your best. Take a break.

When you've fully rested (and I mean regained your sleep, stopped eating junk food regularly, and given your brain time to actually breathe), then you can start going over how you can do better for the upcoming semester.

But until then, please take care of yourself.

You deserve rest.

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Hey folks!

One of the goals I had for this blog was to create a little community for people to help each other out, spread tips/advice, or just build relationships.

One of the ways I thought we could do that was to create a post together where you lovely people share your study advice in the comments and I add them to the blog post!

List:

Exercising for at least 30 minutes before studying helps maintain focus (IG@/enfint.e)

Talking/explaining the answer out loud until you feel confident in the subject you are studying (@wetsocksbotherme)

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Hi what activities do you recommend to do during breaks from studying, in order to recover but without getting distracted.

Honestly I would say to lie down on the bed, look at the ceiling, and do absolutely nothing. For me, studying already takes a lot of mental effort. To shift from studying to doing something else, it feels like I’m not actually giving my brain a break to relax because it’s always actively thinking about something. Maybe I’m just easily drained, but that’s what works for me to be able to recover.

Other things I would recommend doing is listening to music, ASMR, and doing mindfulness techniques. You can also use your hobby, or go on a walk as a way to recover from studying, but I feel like that might lead to a prolonged break because of how easily immersed you can be in those activities.

But whatever you do, do NOT use your phone. Unless there’s an emergency call/text, being on your phone drains your mental energy even more and will not prepare you for the next study session. I know this is kind of common sense, but it’s just a good reminder to have.

I hope this is helpful! Please let me know if you have more questions!

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22 Reasons To *NOT* Drop Out of Uni

Edit: I noticed that some of these reasons seem superficial, but I created this list with the intention of helping non-intrinsically motivated people feel like uni isn’t this huge obligation they have to do (even when it is). It’s supposed to give them a reason to wake up in the morning feeling excited for school. Some people just aren’t motivated by reasons like, “to learn new things,” or “to change the world,” because those reasons aren’t personal to them. They have to feel like they’re not wasting their time doing this 4-year process. This is especially true for people that were forced to go to school due to their parents, outside expectations, and other similar reasons! For others, that aren’t forced to go and truly want to expand their knowledge, sometimes just have bad days and need a little extra motivation to get them going!

It's finals; I get it. We're all burnt out and/or discouraged, but sometimes we all need a little reminder of why we're doing this.

You can read these as affirmations, write them in your notebook, or say it out loud. Whatever works for you, just do it.

Some of these might work for you, some might not. Just find a reason to keep going when you feel unmotivated.

Note: I will be updating this post occasionally, so feel free to drop some suggestions!

I will finish my degree so I can be the first _____ in the family.

I will finish my degree to get my dream job.

I will finish my degree so I can make MONEHHH.

I will finish my degree so I can provide for my family (current or future).

I will finish my degree so I can live my dream life.

I will finish my degree so I can show everyone who ever doubted me that I did it.

I will finish my degree so I can make my family proud.

I will finish my degree so I can make _____ proud.

I will finish my degree so I can make myself proud.

I will finish my degree so I can be a role model for kids.

I will finish my degree so I can destroy the patriarchy.

I will finish my degree so I can show little girls that you can be a successful [insert job title] as a woman.

I will finish my degree so I can show little boys that you can be a successful [insert job title] as a man.

I will finish my degree so I can show kids that you can be a successful [insert job title], regardless of your gender.

I will finish my degree so I can say "I told you so" to _____.

I will finish my degree so I show my [role model/mentor] I did it.

I will finish my degree so I can prove everyone wrong.

I will finish my degree so I can prove everyone right. (This is for you people who have families with high overachieving standards.)

I will finish my degree so I can make Karens feel stupid when they ask me a question about the field I studied.

I will finish my degree so I will never have to work in fast food/retail again. (This is for you my poorly-treated customer service peeps.)

I will finish my degree so I can be the breadwinner and will go home to my spouse wearing a pink apron saying "I love cooking for my [insert future job title] with a 6-figure income <3.

I will finish my degree so I can provide for my seven [or insert another number] cats.

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Ways To Make Money While In Uni/College

In-person Jobs

Part-time jobs (e.g. fast food, restaurant server, retail)

Pet-sitting, babysitting, house-sitting

Campus jobs

Participate in research studies

Online/Remote Jobs

Delivery Driver (DoorDash, Uber Eats, SkipTheDishes)

Photography, caricatures, commissioned drawings

Blogging/vlogging

Podcasting

Video-streaming (e.g. YouTube, Twitch)

Language Translation

In-person/Online Mix

Paid internships (specifically in the field that you're currently studying)

Freelancing (Websites: Fiverr, Upwork) (e.g. website design)

Tutoring

Selling notes/study guides/flashcards

Selling used items (e.g. clothes, furniture)

Selling handmade items (e.g. accessories, notebooks, crocheted plushies, keychains)

Photography, caricatures, commissioned drawings

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100 Hobbies To Try

Update: I wrote this at like 1 AM, so I was kind of half-asleep lol. A few people brought up that there were a bunch of duplicates in the list, sorry about that! I redid the whole list and ordered them alphabetically to avoid any repeating words. Hope you find the new list much more helpful!

Hobbies are a great way to practice self-care, and to have as a stress reliever. As uni students, we often find ourselves stressed out about our academic responsibilities, projects deadlines, and even financial concerns. We need some way to let out those stresses, and hobbies are one way to do it. You don't have to be good at them, you just have to enjoy doing them!

Here's a list:

Acrylic pouring

Antiquing

Archery

Astrology

Astronomy

Baking

Beekeeping

Bird watching

Bookbinding

Calligraphy

Canoeing

Candle making

Cartography

Chess

Checkers

Collecting coins

Collecting crystals

Collecting funko-pops

Cooking

Crochet

Crossword puzzles

Cycling

Dancing

Diving

DIY electronics

DIY home improvement

Drawing

Embroidery

Fencing

Filming

Fishing

Frisbee golf

Gardening

Genealogy

Geocaching

Glassblowing

Guitar

Homebrewing

Hiking

Horseback riding

Hot air ballooning

Ice skating

Inline skating

Jigsaw puzzles

Juggling

Kayaking

Kite flying

Kite surfing

Knitting

Lego building

Letterboxing

Magic tricks

Martial arts

Meditation

Metalworking

Model airplanes

Model building

Model rockets

Model trains

Mountain biking

Origami

Paper folding

Painting

Paragliding

Parkour

Piano

Photography

Podcasting

Pottery

Programming

Puzzle solving

Quilting

Rappelling

Reading

Rock climbing

Rollerblading

Running

Sailing

Sculpting

Sculpture carving

Scrapbooking

Scuba diving

Singing

Skiing

Soap carving

Soap making

Stand-up comedy

Stand-up paddleboarding

Stained glass crafting

Stargazing

Surfing

Traveling

Urban exploration

Urban farming

Virtual reality gaming

Web design

Wine making

Wine tasting

Writing

Yoga

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How To Start A Bullet Journal

Bullet Journal: "A customizable and forgiving organization system. It can be your to-do list, sketchbook, notebook, and diary, but most likely, it will be all of the above. It will teach you to do more with less." (Ryder Carroll, creator of the Bullet Journal)

Supplies

Notebook (typically it's a dot-grid notebook, but you can use any type of notebook)

Pen

Set Up Key Pages

Index Page: similar to a table of contents

Key Page: create a key or legend to represent different tasks, events, and notes.

Personally, I don't use these pages because I usually have a bookmark to keep track of important pages, and I already know which symbols/colours to differentiate my tasks/events.

Create a Future Log

Purpose: To see the next several months (or the whole year) at a glance

What To Put: At least 3-6 months of the year's worth of events, birthdays, holidays, deadlines, etc.

Monthly Spread

Purpose: To see the month at a glance

What To Put: A calendar, goals, and any other elements that are relevant to your planning.

Weekly/Daily Logs

Purpose: To see your week/day at a glance.

What To Put: Tasks, events, and notes for each day/week.

You can use a combination of both!

Design and Decorate

Purpose: To personalize your bullet journal so that feels more like you, and it'll be more enjoyable for you to use it.

Reflect and Adjust

Purpose: To see what's working and what's not in your journal system.

Consistency

Purpose: To get into the habit of bullet journaling. It'll help you be more mindful and organized with your life.

Experiment

Purpose: To find what works for you. Don't use other people's designs and ideas if it doesn't work for you. Bullet journals are supposed to be systems that will help you organize.

The bullet journal is a flexible system, and you can adapt it to suit your preferences and needs. Explore different styles and find out what works best for you.

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How To Organize For School

Planner/Agenda/Calendar

Purpose: To track important dates (e.g. deadlines, test dates), and set reminders

To-Do List

Purpose: To break down big tasks into smaller, manageable steps so it doesn't feel as intimidating to start a major project.

Study Space

Purpose: To find a place where you can study in peace.

Reminder: Make sure to keep it clean, organized, and simple (i.e. Don't put too many things on the desk, like decor, or you will most likely get distracted.)

Binders/Digital Folders

Purpose: To differentiate your course work/notes.

Extra Tip: Use a file folder instead of separate one-subject folders to avoid losing important papers.

Label

Purpose: To avoid confusion.

Extra Tip: Use different colours for different subjects.

Time Blocking

Purpose: To stay on track and establish a routine.

Extra Tip: Use a digital calendar so you can see notifications on your phone.

Minimize Distractions

Purpose: Very obvious, but to get work done.

Extra Tip: Get an accountability buddy that will help you not get distracted by being beside you while you work.

Ask Questions ASAP

Purpose: To prevent any confusion, and avoid late email replies by your professor.

Regularly Check Emails and Communication Channels

Purpose: To stay informed about announcements, changes in schedules, and important information regarding your course.

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100 Things To Do Instead Of Doom-Scrolling Through Social Media

Read a book.

Write in a journal.

Learn to cook a new recipe.

Practice a musical instrument.

Start a DIY project.

Draw or paint.

Learn a new language.

Do a puzzle.

Exercise or do yoga.

Listen to a podcast.

Watch a documentary.

Play a board game.

Try a new workout routine.

Meditate.

Start a garden.

Plan a future trip.

Volunteer online.

Write a letter to a friend or family member.

Learn to knit or crochet.

Take online courses.

Practice photography.

Organize your closet.

Play video games.

Learn a magic trick.

Write a short story.

Create a vision board.

Make a playlist of your favorite songs.

Try a new hairstyle.

Experiment with makeup.

Learn to juggle.

Play a card game.

Do a home workout challenge.

Explore virtual museums or art galleries.

Do a digital detox day.

Learn calligraphy.

Rearrange your furniture.

Create a scrapbook.

Learn to play chess.

Write and perform a song.

Practice mindfulness.

Learn origami.

Plan a themed dinner night.

Do a home spa day.

Learn to code.

Play a musical instrument.

Build a blanket fort.

Take online dance lessons.

Research and try a new type of tea.

Learn about astronomy and stargaze.

Try a new board game.

Create a podcast.

Learn to solve a Rubik's Cube.

Start a blog.

Make homemade candles.

Research your family tree.

Practice a new type of art (e.g., watercolor, sculpture).

Learn to speed-read.

Write a poem.

Make a list of personal goals.

Learn to play a new card game.

Create a budget.

Build a puzzle or Lego set.

Learn to identify constellations.

Try a new fitness class online.

Make homemade pizza.

Experiment with DIY face masks.

Learn about a historical event.

Create a bucket list.

Learn to tie different knots.

Try a new type of workout (e.g., Pilates, kickboxing).

Create digital art.

Plan a themed movie marathon.

Learn to juggle.

Explore a new genre of music.

Write a letter to your future self.

Take up a new hobby (e.g., birdwatching, geocaching).

Research and try a new type of cuisine.

Make homemade ice cream.

Practice deep breathing exercises.

Create a photo album.

Try a new type of dance.

Write and perform a short play.

Learn to play a new board game.

Take a virtual tour of a historical site.

Make a time capsule.

Learn about different types of architecture.

Plan a virtual game night with friends.

Write and illustrate a children's book.

Try a new form of exercise (e.g., HIIT, Zumba).

Learn about different types of plants.

Create a DIY home decor project.

Plan a themed picnic at home.

Research and try a new type of dessert.

Practice positive affirmations.

Try a new type of puzzle (e.g., crosswords, Sudoku).

Learn about different types of birds.

Experiment with DIY skincare products.

Take up a new form of art (e.g., pottery, glassblowing).

Create a list of things you're grateful for.

Learn about a new culture.

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How To Understand The Material

Make notes, preferably during class so you can spend the extra time after class/at home doing the steps below. Your notes does NOT have to be pretty, it just has to be LEGIBLE. Your notes should include terms, definitions, labeled diagrams (if applicable), specific step-by-step processes, and examples.

Make flashcards, preferably online so you can study while commuting and there’s no risk of you losing a flashcard. I recommend Knowt.com, it’s free with no limitations (the app is still din development, so I recommend using the actual site on your Safari or Chrome).

Find practice questions in your textbook, old exams, or questions your teacher gave you and make a short test based on that. Your test should feel similar to an actual test, so put a mix of multiple choice, matching, short answers, and/or labeling diagrams.

The best way to learn terms is to put it in your own words. You can write both the textbook definition and your own, if it helps.

Once you know the foundation/basics of the subject, test yourself using the quiz you made (or a test you found online), and apply it to the questions. Make sure the questions aren’t just asking you the definitions, but also forcing you to apply the stuff you know in specific situations.

For remembering diagrams or step-by-step processes, repetition is key. Just keep doing it over and over again until it sticks. Flashcards are good for this.

Highlighting is bullshit. You are wasting your time. You do NOT need highlighters for YOUR own notes. Your notes should only have the important parts in it (look back at step one to see what should be included). The only two times I think you should highlight are the parts you are struggling to understand (but that is only AFTER you studied AND understood everything, so you don’t highlight everything at the beginning), and extensive notes that you didn’t write yourself (because it’s harder to understand the material when somebody is describing it in their own words).

If you have any other tips, please comment below and repost to help your fellow peers!

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Pomodoro Technique

Have you tried the Pomodoro Technique and found it didn’t quite work out for you? Maybe try a different work-to-break ratio!

For people who find it hard to focus, or don’t have the motivation to get work done:

5:2

10:2

10:5

15:5

20:5

For people who want to get a decent amount of work done:

25:5

40:10

45:15

For people who probably procrastinated, or can hyper-focus:

50:10

60:10

75:15

120:30

Of course you can always tweak the ratio, or make up your own! As long as it helps you, that’s the most important part :)

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Time Blocking

Time-blocking: scheduling out EVERY PART of your day

What to time-block

Inflexible events (lectures, work shifts, appointments)

Routines (getting ready for school/work, getting ready to go to sleep, etc.)

Tasks (studying, homework, projects, chores, etc.)

How to time-block:

Get a calendar (preferably digital so it’s easily changeable.) I use a mix of Google Calendar and iCalendar.

Make separate calendars for separate parts of your life (personal, work, school.) I personally separate my classes as well because it’s easier.

Schedule all inflexible events first. Why? To see how you can balance and schedule your day around those times.

Schedule the time it takes to get to school/work. It helps you see how much time you have to do stuff that doesn’t require you to commute. (You can also study while commuting, but it can be harder if you have multiple transfers, or get easily car-sick. Also, public transit can be dangerous, so be careful.)

Schedule the tasks you need to do. Homework, studying, laundry, cleaning. Estimate the time you think it takes to do those things. If you have ADHD, you should probably multiply that time to 2 (or 3), because you will most likely get distracted and not finish it in time (instead of 15 minutes, it’s probably 30 minutes.)

All short individual tasks like taking out garbage and folding laundry, you should group those short tasks together in one block and just make a to-do list.

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What I Bring In My Backpack

Laptop — main note-taking tool

iPad Pro (11-inch) (3rd generation) — to annotate docs

File Folder (with loose-leaf paper)

Stationery — 2 pencils, 3-in-1 coloured pen (black, red, blue), 2 highlighters

Chargers (laptop, iPad, iPhone)

Headphones (main way to listen to music)

Bluetooth Earbuds (if my headphones die)

Powerbank for iPhone

Small bag (to store charger wires, wired earbuds, portable charger, stationery)

Pads/Tampons

Band-Aids

Hand Sanitizer

Hand Lotion

Chapstick

Advil/Tylenol