Strawberry Studies

My studyblr to share some tips and help motivate not only me, but hopefully you too! :) The coolest nerd you'll ever meet. 😎 Perpetually learning. { s e m i - h i a t u s } +🍓 // she/her // INTJ // Gwen Stacy lover personal blog: @straxberry

[mathed-potatoes]

A little over a year ago, I took the exam that destroyed me. 

I’ve never been a good exam-sitter, but when I was applying to programs I was determined to do my very best. I knocked out the midterm, and started studying for the final a month in advance. I got sick while preparing for it, but I wouldn’t quit. That illness progressed to pneumonia, but I still wouldn’t quit. It took months for me to recover, including a brief hospital stay and finding out I would need surgery on my lung. When I finally took that exam, I had to take it on an empty stomach because I had to get that lung surgery the next morning (a deal I struck with the doctors, who had wanted me to take it sooner but I refused because of the exam). 

Friends, let me tell you, that was a really dumb and very bad decision I made. It wasn’t worth it. I failed that exam anyway, by a lot. It was not a good exam - the whole class failed it, and I wouldn’t have passed it in less stressful circumstances - but that’s not the point. What’s bad is that I might have failed a lot less bad if I hadn’t systematically destroyed myself to prepare for it, what’s worse is that I really, really hurt my body - permanently. That’s really not okay. There are very few valid reasons for causing harm to yourself like that, and an exam is not one of them. 

Here’s what happened in the aftermath: I developed a fear of taking exams like nothing I’ve ever known.  I have to pass 3 department exams for my program, and the last time I signed up to take one I ended up having to back out after I landed myself in the ER again with what turned out to be a panic attack. (For those of you who haven’t had a panic attack…dude, it really feels like you’re dying. Mad respect for you people who get them often. You’re tough as iron)

So, here it is a year after the initial event, and I had to try again to take a department exam. 

Well, the second I sat down to prepare, my immune system straight-up quit. I got a cold. Okay, that’s not too bad…only, once you’ve had a really severe case of pneumonia, your lungs are sort of not good at being lungs ever again, and every time thereafter that you get sick you get ‘mini-pneumonia.’ Anyway, that cold turned right into mini-pneumonia. I pretty quickly found myself having a bad time. 

So here’s what I did yesterday: I took that exam. I didn’t prepare, and I failed it, and I’m really proud of that. It was an easy exam that I could have passed if I had kept to my schedule…but I trashed that schedule when I got sick. Instead of studying, I drank fluids, slept a ton, and ate a lot of soup. I’m relieved to know that these exams are within my reach if I have proper time to prepare. I’m really proud of myself for putting my health first. That was the right decision, and that’s what I’m proud of. I will pass my 3 exams in time, no sweat, and I’ll do it without destroying my body, my mind, or my enthusiasm for mathematics. 

I’m posting this because I wish somebody had told me before that it’s okay to fail exams. It’s not the end of the world. Most professors know exams are not ideal measures of how much you know, but there’s just not other way to efficiently evaluate large classes. If you work hard and take pride in what you do, one (or several) bad exam(s) won’t matter in the great scheme of things. You can differentiate yourself in other ways. You have something valuable to contribute, and you deserve to do it on your own terms. 

[strawberry-studies]

So important. 👆

[kyonite]

this is the perfect grade of good luck

reblog in 5 seconds and all of your grades will inch ever closer to perfect

[tecochet]

so my exams are around the corner, i need to study, but i procrastinate alot. can you maybe draw something that will make me motivated to study everyday?

just look at the moon every now and then :)

[clarissamorgentsern-blog]

in australia we get told “never compare yourselves to others” which roughly translates to “but we’re gonna give you a number for your final year of schooling which ranks you against every kid in the state” and i think that is beautiful

[straxberry]

An hour and 47 minutes to go!!! 🙈

[strawberry-studies]

An hour and 7 minutes left!!! May the odds be ever in y'all's favour. 😇🙏🏽

[antropostudy]

that’s what happens to me when i’m tired and bored, at 9pm. 

i don’t if it could be a good idea to start creating study-related wallpapers for walli (wallpaper app i collaborate with). what do you guys think? of course the wallpapers would be much better than this, i was just bored ;-;

[studyblr]

[celestudies]

je suis désolée

[smartstudy]

based off multiple personal experiences

[strawberry-studies]

Too accurate. 😂😭

[lulustudying]

1. Have a Positive Mental Attitude- Prime yourself at being always comfortable and confident that u can do a lot better at studying. Remember that you are studying things that will prove to be valuable in real life.  2. Prepare your Work Space- Look for a place in your home or bedroom where u think u can study and maintain concentration in your work. Have materials stocked up and in place before your study. This way, u can finish your work without any interruptions.  3. Avoid Cramming- study an hour a day even when there’s no homework. Scan your notebooks and do a little advanced reading of your textbooks. You can also research through the internet to learn more about the topics u are covering in school.  I suggest google scholar, it’s like google but for students, it has the citations, and filters results so that only helpful outcomes appear. 4. Do projects with more enthusiasm and creativity- Don’t be afraid to think of new ideas or ways to present your homework or projects. Teachers always give additional points to students who show great effort in their works. SO, don’t be afraid to do something original, do something that hasn’t been done before. 5. Raise Your Hand- Be active and establish a friendly attitude towards your teachers. Offer to help them out in checking some work, filing papers or just carrying their things. Little good things add up in the end for that extra effort grade, and they’ll always remember you as a very helpful student.  6. Enjoy Reading the Latest News- Find connections or associations with your life as a student, as a child, as a friend, or as a citizen. Certain reports would always ask for u to react so better be ahead with current events which you may be affected with.  7. Listen to Your Teacher, take a few notes- In my experience, the more i copy and take down notes, the more i get lost in the lecture. It is best to listen first and understand before u jot down any important keywords. Yes, use keywords, simple doodles and arrows to make associations. These will help u remember all concepts mentally.  8. Keep Notes on Index Cards- I use personally use the smaller oxford ones, they are more portable honestly pretty aesthetic..   9. Watch TV Wisely- Yep you heard it, TV, when watching TV I sometimes pick up points which may seem relevant in my life. They sometimes even have something to do with what’s happening in class at the moment so, always initiate conversation about the latest shows and issues you have watched. Don’t be afraid to argue and defend your opinions. 

[wonderwomangrad]

I love hearing students talk about their teachers and professors as if they were pure creatures of Knowledge™ without normal social lives.

Chad, my buddy my friend, I know for a fact that your professor lectured last week while hungover and I’ve seen your TA eat a Dorito off the floor.

[coco-study]

Last week of July bujo spread

Hello ppl! This is my last week of July spread hugely inspired by @ttstudys and @studyingmood (their spreads are you pretty)and well, yeah I hope everyone is having a nice summer!

[equaticns]

Week 29 was a tiresome one 😴🌱

Taken from my studygram: @equaticnss

[studywithinspo]

bullet journal pages from march to may with cursive headers, i have a tutorial on how to improve your cursive, it’s on my YouTube channel @studywithinspo

[How To Improve Your Cursive]

[shannanastudies]

Pink study mood ☯️📕 (Not my pictures) ^_^

[smoketexture]

hello, hope you’re all having an amazing day! 🍂

[sn-studies]

Some pointers my Prof gave me before I began grad school

Yesterday I visited my university (undergrad) after two years in order to collect documents since I’m moving to grad school. I contacted one of my profs there and asked for advice, as I was nervous about joining research after such a long gap. Here is the advice he gave me:

General tips:

1. Be truthful to your research. Do not copy down somebody else’s work, even if you know you won’t be found out. Trust me on this, being accused of plagiarism is the worst thing to happen to a researcher and if you are exposed later on in career, your entire reputation will go down the drain.

2. Don’t hesitate to ask for help. He screwed up an instrument and waited 6 months before asking one of his subordinate who fixed it in 5 minutes. Imagine the amount of work he could have accomplished in those six months.

3. Manage your time well. Grad school is extremely demanding and some days you may not have time for sleep. Do not put off important work if you have time else you’ll end up doing it all in a hurry and without quality.

4. Every professor/guide/supervisor has her own unique method of teaching. Respect that and try to adapt. Even if you don’t understand most of what they teach, just listen. You might get a fresh perspective on things.

5. Be in touch with your teachers from undergrad etc. and ask them if you get stuck. They might help you out or at least guide you to someone who can.

6. Choose your topic wisely. Study the trends and know what are thrust areas in your field. However, the choice of guide is a major one. Make sure you understand the ways of your supervisor. Ask around, google his papers etc. and make sure he is not someone you’d hate for the entire extent of your school.

Tips related to Science research:

1. Know that there are more than one ways to solve a problem. However you cannot try them all due to time/energy/resources restrictions (or simply because your guide advises you against it). You need to know your limits and try methods that are optimized to your situation.

2. Be like Feynman. He knew his theory but he was a good experimentalist too. Have a balanced approach and know your strengths. If you are experimentalist, interact with theoreticians in order to get an idea of their approach and vice-a-versa. Your goal is to get the result and understand how you got it. 

3. You are in research not only to understand a theory/idea but also to apply it. It is not enough to know your books, you need to be able to solve the problem you are tackling. You won’t find a complete solution because nobody has solved it (thats why YOU are working on it, aren’t you?). You need to create/discover the solution.

4. Every problem in science completes a picture/theory. However not all of them receive the limelight. Find a topic you are interested in and know something about rather than chasing a “popular” one that everyone is talking about.

5. The biggest one: Do not feel inadequate for not knowing everything.

Nobody knows everything. You are in grad school to learn too. When you get stuck, get help/ask around; do not let the fear of being inferior get in the way of learning. You have got brains enough to understand things and you can.

6. Do not rely only on teachers/guides. Often your guide/supervisor will not know anything about the problem you are struggling with and will not be able to help you. In those times, find an expert (if there is) or consult books/papers. You should be able to study on your own, without somebody pushing you or deadlines.

Well, this is all I can remember. I hope it is helpful to those of you who are in a similar situation.

[studyblr]

sometimes you’ll feel jealous, and sometimes you’ll have a bad day. that’s totally okay, and things like that happen to all of us - just prioritize your self-growth. try to learn from these moments, and improve yourself. try to not compare yourself to others who are on a completely different journey, try to compare yourself with your past self and see how much progress has been made. and even then, when you’ve grown and improved, these feelings might still return sometimes. acknowledge them, and acknowledge that it’s okay to have them, sometimes.