strugglingstudies

virgo, ravenclaw, isfj-t

[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.

[strugglingstudies]

5 tips for essay writing

hi! i was asked to share some advice on writing a coursework essay for GCSE english literature. while i am by no means an expert, i’ve learnt some important things when writing my coursework. i was awarded a 27/30 on my first draft of one of my essays, which is equivalent to a GCSE grade 9 or an A*.

here are my top 5 tips for writing the first draft of an essay, which you can apply not only to this specific type of coursework but to many different types of essays. if your essay is a single draft, you can of course change these tips to suit your needs!

forget the word limit. your teacher may or may not give you a word limit for your essay, but for your first draft, there’s no need to stress about sticking to it. your first draft is your chance to say everything you want to, and once it’s marked and returned to you, you can gradually reduce it down if you want, so that you’re within the limit by the final draft. very often, the teacher will only give you a limit because they don’t want to mark a long essay: there may not be a required word limit at all. in this case, go ahead and write as much as you need - just make sure you still keep it clear and to the point. don’t use this as an excuse to waffle, but simply as a way to include all the integral points that will help your essay. 

make a detailed plan. and when i say detailed, i mean detailed. take every single paragraph and give it a purpose. for each paragraph, write down the point you want to make, give evidence from the text to support it, explain the effect that it has, analyse why the writer did it, and link back to your overall point at the end. include context, dramatic effect, deep word analysis or anything else that is relevant to your topic. for my essay on macbeth, i planned about six paragraphs, as well as an introduction and conclusion. planning is absolutely essential: without a plan, you will have no sense of direction with your essay.

get it all down. for your first draft, don’t hold back. write down absolutely everything that enters your head and/or fits with your plan, regardless of how stupid or nonsensical it looks on the page. don’t stop in between to edit each sentence – that’s a waste of time because you have to do it later anyway. just keep going until you have covered everything on your plan, and you know there’s nothing left to add.

edit, edit, edit. now is the time for you to fix up everything that didn’t turn out well on the page. go through each sentence, phrase and word with a fine tooth comb. make sure that you remove anything that isn’t relevant and only keep what is needed to prove your point. make sure you keep it clear and concise. use powerful words and phrases that will have an effect on the readers. remember, quality not quantity :)

don’t stress. i know this sounds dumb, but keep it in perspective. remember that it’s not the end of the world. remember that the essay won’t determine your overall grade. remember that you will still have more chances to edit and improve. you can do this!

[selenocysteine]

Tips to learn a new language

The 75 most common words make up 40% of occurrences The 200 most common words make up 50% of occurrences The 524 most common words make up 60% of occurrences The 1257 most common words make up 70% of occurrences The 2925 most common words make up 80% of occurrences The 7444 most common words make up 90% of occurrences The 13374 most common words make up 95% of occurrences The 25508 most common words make up 99% of occurrences

(Sources: 5 Steps to Speak a New Language by Hung Quang Pham)

This article has an excellent summary on how to rapidly learn a new language within 90 days.

We can begin with studying the first 600 words. Of course chucking is an effective way to memorize words readily. Here’s a list to translate into the language you desire to learn that I grabbed from here! :)

EXPRESSIONS OF POLITENESS (about 50 expressions)      

‘Yes’ and ‘no’: yes, no, absolutely, no way, exactly.    

Question words: when? where? how? how much? how many? why? what? who? which? whose?    

Apologizing: excuse me, sorry to interrupt, well now, I’m afraid so, I’m afraid not.    

Meeting and parting: good morning, good afternoon, good evening, hello, goodbye, cheers, see you later, pleased to meet you, nice to have met.    

Interjections: please, thank you, don’t mention it, sorry, it’ll be done, I agree, congratulations, thank heavens, nonsense.    

NOUNS (about 120 words)

Time: morning, afternoon, evening, night; Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday; spring, summer, autumn, winter; time, occasion, minute, half-hour, hour, day, week, month, year.    

People: family, relative, mother, father, son, daughter, sister, brother, husband, wife; colleague, friend, boyfriend, girlfriend; people, person, human being, man, woman, lady, gentleman, boy, girl, child.    

Objects: address, bag, book, car, clothes, key, letter (=to post), light (=lamp), money, name, newspaper, pen, pencil, picture, suitcase, thing, ticket.    

Places: place, world, country, town, street, road, school, shop, house, apartment, room, ground; Britain, name of the foreign country, British town-names, foreign town-names.    

Abstract: accident, beginning, change, color, damage, fun, half, help, joke, journey, language, English, name of the foreign language, letter (of alphabet), life, love, mistake, news, page, pain, part, question, reason, sort, surprise, way (=method), weather, work.    

Other: hand, foot, head, eye, mouth, voice; the left, the right; the top, the bottom, the side; air, water, sun, bread, food, paper, noise.    

PREPOSITIONS (about 40 words)    

General: of, to, at, for, from, in, on.    

Logical: about, according-to, except, like, against, with, without, by, despite, instead of.    

Space: into, out of, outside, towards, away from, behind, in front of, beside, next to, between, above, on top of, below, under, underneath, near to, a long way from, through.    

Time: after, ago, before, during, since, until.    

DETERMINERS (about 80 words)  

Articles and numbers: a, the; nos. 0–20; nos. 30–100; nos. 200–1000; last, next, 1st–12th.    

Demonstrative: this, that.    

Possessive: my, your, his, her, its, our, their.    

Quantifiers: all, some, no, any, many, much, more, less, a few, several, whole, a little, a lot of.    

Comparators: both, neither, each, every, other, another, same, different, such.    

ADJECTIVES (about 80 words)    

Color: black, blue, green, red, white, yellow.    

Evaluative: bad, good, terrible; important, urgent, necessary; possible, impossible; right, wrong, true.    

General: big, little, small, heavy; high, low; hot, cold, warm; easy, difficult; cheap, expensive; clean, dirty; beautiful, funny (=comical), funny (=odd), usual, common (=shared), nice, pretty, wonderful; boring, interesting, dangerous, safe; short, tall, long; new, old; calm, clear, dry; fast, slow; finished, free, full, light (=not dark), open, quiet, ready, strong.    

Personal: afraid, alone, angry, certain, cheerful, dead, famous, glad, happy, ill, kind, married, pleased, sorry, stupid, surprised, tired, well, worried, young.    

VERBS (about 100 words)    

arrive, ask, be, be able to, become, begin, believe, borrow, bring, buy, can, change, check, collect, come, continue, cry, do, drop, eat, fall, feel, find, finish, forget, give, going to, have, have to, hear, help, hold, hope, hurt (oneself), hurt (someone else), keep, know, laugh, learn, leave, lend, let (=allow), lie down, like, listen, live (=be alive), live (=reside), look (at), look for, lose, love, make, may (=permission), may (=possibility), mean, meet, must, need, obtain, open, ought to, pay, play, put, read, remember, say, see, sell, send, should, show, shut, sing, sleep, speak, stand, stay, stop, suggest, take, talk, teach, think, travel, try, understand, use, used to, wait for, walk, want, watch, will, work (=operate), work (=toil), worry, would, write.    

PRONOUNS (about 40 words)

Personal: I, you, he, she, it, we, they, one; myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves.    

Possessive: mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, theirs.    

Demonstrative: this, that.    

Universal: everyone, everybody, everything, each, both, all, one, another.    

Indefinite: someone, somebody, something, some, a few, a little, more, less; anyone, anybody, anything, any, either, much, many.    

Negative: no-one, nobody, nothing, none, neither.    

ADVERBS (about 60 words)

Place: here, there, above, over, below, in front, behind, nearby, a long way away, inside, outside, to the right, to the left, somewhere, anywhere, everywhere, nowhere, home, upstairs, downstairs.    

Time: now, soon, immediately, quickly, finally, again, once, for a long time, today, generally, sometimes, always, often, before, after, early, late, never, not yet, still, already, then (=at that time), then (=next), yesterday, tomorrow, tonight.    

Quantifiers: a little, about (=approximately), almost, at least, completely, very, enough, exactly, just, not, too much, more, less.    

Manner: also, especially, gradually, of course, only, otherwise, perhaps, probably, quite, so, then (=therefore), too (=also), unfortunately, very much, well.    

CONJUNCTIONS (about 30 words)

Coordinating: and, but, or; as, than, like.    

Time & Place: when, while, before, after, since (=time), until; where.    

Manner & Logic: how, why, because, since (=because), although, if; what, who, whom, whose, which, that.   

[thepolyglotblog]

Oh i love this concept!

[amateurlanguager]

I love it too! I love it mostly because it makes me feel less overwhelmed. When you break it down like this, everything seems so much more manageable. Like, hey, I could memorize 20 words at a time (even if ‘at a time’ varies wildly for me), and just do that like ten times. That’s a HUGE chunk of a language.

(And since I have the habit of doing languages that are similar to ones I’m already familiar with, the grammar part usually comes pretty easy, too.)

[dimestorebieber22]

Learn French and Spanish and Italian so this helps immensely!

[strugglingstudies]

how to be your most productive self

hi! i’ve been thinking a lot about how i’m going to manage my workload in the new school year. i thought it’d be a good idea to make a list of ideas on how i can manage my time and increase my productivity, so i can work as efficiently as possible this year :)

make a list of what you want to get done every day and stick to it. this can include not just schoolwork and revision, but also household chores, and little goals like reading a chapter of a book, eating a healthy meal or drinking more water than usual. don't be too hard on yourself, but try your best to tick off everything off the list before you go to bed.

write down your goals, both short term and long term. for example, one of mine is to study by myself for at least an hour per day from the start of the year, increasing it as i get closer to exams. i also write down the grades that i want in my mock and final exams. if you have a clear vision of what you want to achieve, you are constantly going to be reminded that you are putting in all this effort to get there. stick your goals up in a place where you can see them. anytime you feel demotivated, read through them and remind yourself that they won’t achieve themselves.

if you like, have something to listen to. this could be music (with or without lyrics), ambient noise like nature sounds, or white noise. personally i like having a playlist of relaxed, calm songs that provide background noise without being distracting. i also like when the playlist isn’t too long, so i gradually get used to hearing the same songs repeating - that way they don’t distract me from my work. here's a playlist that i like!! https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2STKuSNoNC7Ev9DOOZsZDr?si=tyMXbeqHQ7WYgBngE8po1w

don’t waste time unless you can afford to. and unless you've ticked off everything on your aforementioned to-do list, you probably can’t afford to. this is something that i am SO bad at, and it’s taken me so long to develop the self control to just get shit done. i normally give myself one hour of complete procrastination after school before i start working, and then i keep my phone in another room and get started. things like netflix and youtube which take up lots of time are saved for when i’m finished with my work.

with that being said, don’t forget to take breaks. it’s up to you whether you schedule your breaks into your work time or just take them when you start feeling bored. either way, try to keep your breaks at a maximum of 15 minutes per hour of work. don't waste them on mindless online stuff: instead, do something like having a snack, drinking a glass of water, going to the bathroom, reading a few pages of a book, listening to some music, talking to a family member, cleaning your study area, or playing with a pet. this is so that you get to take a break without getting sucked into something distracting on your phone and losing focus.

if you keep procrastinating and aren’t motivated to work, start with just five minutes. set a timer and for those five minutes, don’t look up from your work. more often than not, you’ll get into it and keep going after the timer’s up. if you can’t, don’t stress: take a quick break as described above, then try another 5-minute block of work. once you get going, you’ll be able to build up the amount of time you can work uninterrupted!

a pretty obvious one is to reward yourself. having something to look forward to when your work is done is so helpful. reward yourself after completing a difficult assignment, or after a productive day/week. it doesn't have to be anything big: it could be cooking your favourite meal, watching an episode of your favourite show, buying something you’ve wanted, going out with friends or family etc.

personally, i really want to start using studyblr more. seeing a community of people who all care about doing their best academically is so motivating. plus, putting my own ideas out there and seeing how they help other people makes me want to keep finding successful methods that i can post about. the 100 days of productivity challenge is also something i really want to get involved in, as i think it’ll help to build a habit and the pressures of social media will keep me motivated to do it!

try filming yourself working. grab your phone, set it to time lapse and get going. having the pressure of a camera recording you means that you won't want to fuck around instead of getting it done – otherwise you’ll seem lazy in the video. and if your phone is recording, you can’t go on social media and waste your time there. this is something that you can post online or just keep as a reminder of how hard you can work when you try.

it’s okay to have off days. everyone has days where they feel completely unproductive and don’t get anything done no matter how hard they try. in that case, don’t stress about it. take the day to yourself to relax, then treat the next day as a new beginning. but if these days become a regular habit, that’s when you need to force yourself to just suck it up and do it. you will feel so good about yourself once you do.

[strugglingstudies]

revision tip

do something active to revise. don't just read the textbook, because you’ll get bored so fast and you won't retain anything. a quick but effective way that i like to engage with my revision is by taking a tiny pocket sized notebook or some sticky notes, and summarising one page of my textbook onto a single sticky note or a single page of my tiny notebook. this forces me to condense it to the absolute key points. then in the exam, i think back to that tiny page and use those key points as the gateway to the big chunks of information that i need to remember!!

[jvlianbashir]

when you find an academic source that’s perfect for your paper but it’s behind a pay wall

[deadmomjokes]

Deciding to cite it anyway base on the abstract, knowing your professor probably won’t go through and look up every source in works cited

[rootbeermolecule]

if you guys want to read academic papers but they’re behind a paywall, get the chrome extension Unpaywall. when you visit a site that requires you pay for their journal to view the article, the extension will look for other open access sites that will show you the article for free, and it’s all completely legal. all that money goes to the publisher, the writer of the paper gets none of it. https://unpaywall.org

[sewickedthread]

If you can find out an author’s name, contact them. They may be willing to email it to you.For free. 

[softlytea]

Check researchgate.net and academia.edu! Also authors’ professional websites.

[hornplayingphysicist]

Reblog to save a life

[rhube]

Philospapers does this for philosophy.

[strugglingstudies]

#studying tips

[emmastudies]

What is your best study advice?

[thebusistudent]

To just start - we so often get caught up in perfecting our to-do lists, tidying our studying spaces, and worrying about getting an undesirable grade that we forget to actually start the assignment/homework/studying.

[emmastudies]

10 tips to increase your motivation for study

Motivation is one of the biggest issues for students and it is always great to find a few things that can keep you feeling inspired. Here are my top ten ideas:

start small - set yourself a challenge to work for five to ten minutes. Yes, just five minutes can be enough to get started! If you can get through that five minutes, you will start breaking down that feeling of disinterest and begin to get more into working. A fantastic application that will keep you from using your phone and on a time limit of between 10 minutes and two hours is Forest! However, here are some free alternatives.

plan tomorrow today - I find planning my day - or at least writing down a couple of tasks - before bed is extremely beneficial. In the morning I wake up with intent and get see my main priorities. They don’t have to full-fledged plans or written nicely in my planner but even just small reminders on a post-it note are enough for me to feel more organised.

give yourself a bit of structure - as mentioned, having a plan is a great way to start the day. You might use a planner, a bullet journal or a free printable from me to organise! Set yourself up with 3 key things to finish or do during the day. Give yourself a goal and a reward upon completion. Put time limits on tasks and use a schedule to stay on track.

utilise a studygram/studyblr - basically, the communities on Tumblr and Instagram act as amazing accountability partners! I am constantly motivated by my blog and being able to share my day to day life on Instagram or Snapchat. I definitely have become incredibly motivated and disciplined because of these two communities. If you’re thinking about starting a studyblr, read this. If you’re thinking about starting a studygram, read this. If you already have either, here is how you can use it to further motivate yourself!

set up an inspiring workplace - dedicating a space to work, and only work, is a great way to build a mindset of motivation which kicks in when you sit down. This Pinterest board has loads of inspiration for setups and organisation! You can also add a cute plant, a bright study lamp and some motivational printables for added encouragement!

externalise your short and long-term goals - by making a verbal or written commitment to your goals, you are much more likely to take steps to follow them through. You might want to have a really productive week catching up on all your work, improve your GPA or pass your semester with flying colours. At the start of each week think of the ways you can put your goals into actions. Then at the end of the week reflect on how you did. Track your progress and keep up your motivation by seeing things get a step closer each time!

listen to some music - putting on my favourite songs always put me in a better mindset and feeling more positive. Before a study session or during a break, I will sometimes put on a few songs I’m loving and take a moment to refocus.

don’t force it - if you’re feeling unmotivated to study, try doing something else for a short amount of time. Avoid things that could distract you like browsing Facebook or Instagram. Instead, try tidying your bedroom, organising your upcoming week, read a chapter of a book, or get a drink of water. Alternatively, make an action plan for what you need to do with your next few tasks. That way you’re still making progress with your work but aren’t sitting feeling too unmotivated to actually study.

find some inspiration - there is no shortage of amazing people with incredible stories of success! Podcasts such as The Daily Boost, The Tony Robbins Podcast and The School of Greatness are great examples. Ted Talks are often incredibly insightful and motivating! Search for quotes or stories from your favourite people!

change your mindset - one of the biggest challenges in motivation is adjusting your own perspective. For instance, instead of thinking “I am terrible at this” think “How can I learn this differently to really understand?”. “I made a mistake” think “What can I take away from making this mistake?”. “It isn’t perfect” think “These perfectionist tendencies are only making this more difficult, I can be content with my work”. Having a more positive outcome to each situation should help boost your confidence and motivation!

I hope these few tips are useful and help improve your motivation! If it helps, I would love to hear about it :-)

Other posts | Printables | Instagram | Youtube | Pinterest | Etsy Shop

[emmastudies]

How to deal with procrastination

One of the biggest problems for students is procrastination! It takes different forms for everyone but ultimately it stops us all at some point. Since there are several reasons for procrastinating, I’ve put together the five main types and a few ideas on how to deal with it. 

You’ve got poor work/productivity habits. You leave things until the last minute since you “work better under pressure”. You probably think you’ll do something after you’ve finished something else, and then never do. You get distracted whenever you’re trying to study and will sit waiting to feel motivated but it never comes. For this I’d suggest:

create a productivity inspiring workspace - find somewhere that you can set up a study space, whether it is an actual office or just a desk. Organise everything that you will need. I have a selection of pens and my few notebooks on the top so I can easily access them. Remove anything that might cause you to be distracted and doesn’t need to be in your immediate reach. If you’re got space, put up some motivational pictures. This could be my motivational printables, some quotes or your own pictures. Plants are also proven to boost productivity, so might be worth putting a small one nearby!

create an action list rather than to-dos - write down a few manageable tasks that you need to do and be specific on the steps you should take. Writing the actions they require will help you see what you should be doing to complete something, instead of just the overall task. If you’re able to break it down, you can take actionable steps rather than mentally having to think of each point.

focus on 20-30 minute periods - generally, we lose focus after a while so taking regular breaks can help give you chance to relax and refocus. Apps like Forest allow you to set a timer and will give you off your phone at the same time. Obviously, if you’re being productive, don’t suddenly cut that off because it is “time for a break”. Here are some other free alternatives.

remove distractions as best you can - I’m always distracted by social media so I will use Forest on my phone or time-lapse myself so I can’t use my phone. With my MacBook, I have two accounts. One for university and one for everything else. I am not logged into any social media on my uni account so I can’t just check it for a minute then end up wasting 20 minutes :’-)

find an accountability partner - pick someone who you can rely on to check on you regularly and see how your tasks are coming along. You can send them your to-do list and then every few hours you can update them with your progress. You won’t want to let them down. Alternatively, you can study with a friend! Tumblr/Instagram is basically my partner!

use the two-minute rule - if something takes less than two minutes, do it. Don’t make an excuse, just do it. Tasks that are longer you can either delegate or defer. Here is a simple visualisation of what I mean.

record your progress - doing a simple “don’t break the chain” in your planner is a great way to see how productive you’re being and therefore get you more motivated to keep it up! The ‘100 days of productivity’ challenge might be worth doing!

You’re feeling stressed and overwhelmed. Everything seems to be mounting up and nothing seems doable. You don’t know where or how to start. For this I’d suggest:

ask for help - if you’re feeling like this, it is likely you need some help in some form or another. See if a family member, friend, classmate or teacher (or Google) can help or give you a starting point. Emailing your teacher is a great option if you’re a little nervous about speaking to them in person. Plus you won’t forget what they told you because you’ll have a response.

remind yourself that getting started is the first step - you don’t need to finish a task in a matter of minutes. Start doing something small. Maybe organise what you need, highlight the important bits of your assessment, or draft an essay plan. The secret to getting ahead is getting started!

divide and conquer - figure out what is the overall task that you need to do and split it into manageable parts. For instance, with an essay, the aim is to write it! Divide it into planning out what you want to write, any references you need, summarising a final draft and then writing each paragraph. By dividing bigger tasks into actionable parts you can reduce the obstacles and get through each part in a more timely manner.

reward yourself - create a system to celebrate completing a selection of tasks. By rewarding your progress you’ll build an incentive to work and reinforce productivity (great for your self-discipline!).

learn to forgive yourself - if you have an off day, that is okay! When the stress of your education is getting too much, it is necessary to have time out.  Remember to come back to it later and try again.

don’t over schedule - if you’re feeling pressure from the amount of work and then the added pressure of trying to stick to a time limit, you’re just going to go crazy. Set yourself flexible times to get something done instead of being heavily structured. Give yourself time for a break and the ability to change tasks.

stick with one task - it can be so tempting to multitask but try not to. Try to keep the focus on the what you’re doing until it is done. If you struggle with that, you could write down anything useful that you randomly think about for another task, use a break-time to think about that other task or alternate between subjects/tasks every few hours.

You’re a perfectionist. You either don’t want to start something out of fear you won’t get it right or you can get stuck on the small details. There is a pressure to achieve the unachievable. For this I’d suggest:

focus on getting started, instead of finishing - it is easy to get overwhelmed thinking about what something is supposed to be like finished if you’re a perfectionist. Take things one step at a time. It’s also useful to remember the sooner you start, the more time you’ll have to perfect it at the end!

make drafts - if you’re overwhelmed, take half an hour to map out your plan of attack. Drafts can take many forms: summaries, scaffolds/outlines, essay plans, post-it notes, etc. I find it much easier to get on with work if I have a bit of a plan.

remember that your perfectionist tendencies aren’t actually improving your work or productivity but hindering you - you’re continually setting yourself unrealistic objects and (like me) probably feel let down by yourself if you don’t reach them. Be realistic and focus on getting it done!

accept mistakes - you’ve written something wrong, don’t panic! Cross it out with a single line and move on. Things happen and you have to accept it. You can’t rip up the page every time you do something wrong, even if it is so tempting.

put things in perspective - is what you’re beating yourself up about right now going to mean anything in a week, a month, a year? Be honest if it isn’t, is it really worth putting unnecessary pressure on yourself.

praise yourself through the process - try not to criticise yourself but recognise your progress.

don’t compare yourself - this is very hard not to do but remember we are all different. Just because “you’re not as good” or don’t understand something as easily as others, it doesn’t mean you’re any less! Everyone was a beginner once and we all learn at different paces. Work to your strengths!

You want to do something else. You find whatever you’re doing boring. You want it to be over with but don’t want to get started. The ultimate catch 22, right? For this I’d suggest:

remember that putting it off isn’t going to make it go away - if you leave it too long you’ll end up getting more stressed about it. Best to get it over with.

make a plan from the get-go - once you know something is coming up (e.g. a test, an assessment, etc) make notes on it! That could be questions, annotations, potential topics, citations, etc. By making the effort to spend time reading through, you’ll save your future self some stress. Especially if it’s a topic you have forgotten. That way your notes act as a reminder so you can get started.

set a finish time with a reward - tell yourself that if you finish something by a certain time and then you can do something else. Use your self-discipline to not go back on this. Set a realistic time and try to get it complete before. If you can think that you’re doing something fun once it is completed, you’ll be more motivated to get it done.

make a structure - for note-taking, it can be overwhelming looking at a textbook and thinking what you’re going to write out. Make a note-taking layout/colour code that works for you and that subject. Mine is here - it just gives me an idea of how I’d lay everything instead of going in with no action plan.

try to make it fun - this could be using YouTube to learn or starting a study group. Use different methods for memorising information such as flashcards, mindmaps or study guides (like question/answer).

make the effort to refocus - if you’re finding something boring and you’re unfocused, walk away for 5 minutes, get a drink and come back. If you’re really struggling, change topics for a while. Find a point where you can finish and start doing something else that is productive.

listen to some music - generally, music without lyrics are best for focusing. Spotify has a great playlist for studying called ‘focus’. However, I find my regular music good for getting me a little more motivated and awake. I also like writing essays to music because I weirdly sort of type in the same rhythm. Funny study hack I’ve found that works for me haha!

write your thoughts down - Another thing I’ve been trying is externalising my thoughts. If I get distracted by something or have a “gosh, I need to remember that” moment, I will write it down. By getting it out my brain and onto a bit of paper, I no longer have to think about it and can continue. 

You have no motivation. Often we feel that motivation is the only thing you need to get on with something, but this isn’t totally true. You need a mix of motivation and discipline. As the saying goes: “motivation may get you started, but discipline keeps you going”. To build your motivation, I’d suggest:

have a mass organise - usually when I’m feeling unmotivated, I’ll clear out my desk and sort out my computer. This involves throwing out stationery that doesn’t work or scrap paper. I usually make piles of spare stationery and will re-organise my desk drawers. For my computer, I will pull out all my files to my desktop then start working through them. I’ll delete duplicates, rename files properly, and put them in the right place.

find some new stationery - weirdly buying stationery is one of those things that instantly makes you want to be productive. Head to the shops and spend a little something on a new pen, highlighter or notebook!

film yourself - studying generally doesn’t give us any instant gratification which can make it feel like a drag. By filming yourself working you can get a little video at the end which shows your progress. I love watching time-lapses of myself because you see all the work you did super quickly. It also means I’m not touching my phone!

set yourself some goals - write down a few things you want to achieve, in the short or long term. Put it somewhere that you’ll be reminded about it! By externalising your goals, you’re more likely to make the effort to achieve it.

check/make a studygram and studyblr - this is one of most motivating this I’ve done. Having social media dedicated to studying has helped not only improve my work ethic but my whole attitude towards education. Getting involved in the community is a great motivator. Here is a post on how to set up a studyblr.

I hope this post gives you just a few ideas on how to tackle procrastination! If you’ve got any tips you’d like to share, please message me! x

Other posts | Printables | Instagram | Youtube | Pinterest 

[carrotflowerking17]

You have no idea how much I needed this.

[emmastudies]

I’m so pleased that it could help!☺️💗

[mikotofubar]

@reo-bae

[flowerais-deactivated20211031]

How to start again ✨

delete apps and social media that lowers your mood 

wear a new scent, throw away things you don’t need, delete contacts of people who make you feel unworthy, unfollow social media that makes you feel bad in any way

make a new playlist that makes you feel confident and happy 

in a journal, write down why you want to change, the traits of the person you truly want to be, the places you want to go and people that make you feel inspired

write down the things that stop you and bad habits you have, and replace those with new mindsets and habits 

before you sleep, make a detailed, achievable routine for the next day, that includes everything you want to do, including activities that genuinely make you happy

try new hobbies, like baking/cooking, playing a musical instrument, making art, learning a new skill, a sport, or a new language. you can easily get free resources online 

think about the ideal version of yourself. you can be like that, if you try your best and work hard. 

do not overwork yourself or set overly lofty daily goals and forget to do things like drink water. make your sleep and health your number one priority.

spend less time on your phone scrolling through social media. have a method of focusing on other things, like Pomodoro method or using the Forest app. 

if you can’t concentrate, commit yourself to doing it for 5 minutes. once you get into the flow it’s much easier to concentrate.

be patient and kind with yourself. it’s hard to change overnight. you’re the only one who can help change you, so be a friend to yourself.

once you start something, promise yourself you will finish it. 

have new weekly routines, like going to a cafe every Wednesday afternoon or indulging in your favourite tv show every Friday night.

do not deny yourself of good things; there needs to be a balance. similarly, do not be too generous and overdo it too much. 

dedicate a day to clean your room and organize your things if you feel stressed out. 

it may feel scary to change, as you may feel like it’s not the real you. but you’re still you, just the best version of yourself.

have a relaxing morning routine to look forward to, like making a nice breakfast, having a skin care routine, stretches, journalling, or thinking about nothing for a few minutes

have a mental image that makes you excited to do something. visualize yourself completing the goal and concentrate on it every morning.

however, learn not to rely on motivation because your brain will often turn off motivation, especially when you first begin something. have a routine, a specific time to do something, and do it. 

notice the places and people that drain your energy, and try to avoid them. find people who make you feel energized and places that calm you.

think about an enjoyable part of something. for example, when studying you can look forward to learning new things and when exercising, listening to calming music or using nice stationery. it’s actually more fun than you think. 

even though it’s hard, don’t compare yourself. you’re on your own path, and it doesn’t matter if people are better than you, because there will always be someone better than everyone. don’t be afraid to suck. so draw badly, write bad poems, run slowly, make embarrassing mistakes and fail everything. you can’t be good at something unless you’re terrible at something first. and doing anything badly is so much better than doing nothing.

don’t tell anyone about your new beginning, just start and let the results speak for themselves.

you can change and be your ideal self. but it will be hard to do that if you don’t believe in yourself. so make sure you challenge negative thoughts telling you can’t do something. tell yourself firmly that you can do it and then prove your negative thoughts wrong.

[martiestudies]

What to do when you feel like you just can't keep studying

Maybe I’m not the best at this kind of advice, but my friend was struggling and I just had to help her. Thought I would share the advices I gave her:

Take a break!!

Calm down. Push you notes aside and breathe deeply. Breathe a few times. All this worring is not going to take you anywhere. Close your eyes and breathe.  

Write down what you feel 

Take all those things the voices in your head are telling you and lay them all on the paper. Everything. Trust me, you’ll feel better once you’ve drained all that. 

 Take a shower 

Keeping to try to study isn’t going to take you anywhere if you’re still in the same state. Go and take a shower, a bath. Treat yourself with it. Relax. Let the water wash all that negativity. 

 Prepare a cup of your comfort drink 

Can be tea (like me), can be coffee, can be chocolate, can be even soup. Whatever. Whatever drink makes you feel warm inside, just make a cup of it and drink it slowly. 

 Sit down and set your mind 

Doing all that would be useless if you sit with your notes and start worrying again. Don’t think you have too little time to study. Don’t think you’re not going to make it. Don’t think you can’t. If you set your mind like that, it would happen. Instead, think you will. You will learn that. You will remember it. You will succeed. Take it easy at first, set your goals and start again. 

[studybroe]

studybroe’s study tip #8

How I deal with procrastination that just comes from being lazy/not feeling it! 

This is a really apt post for me right now, because I am currently going through a productivity slump, but I’ve had these countless times and I always manage to get back on track. Hopefully these can help you guys (and me lol)!

1. Make a list of the things you have to do

I find that making a list of all the things you have to do helps to a) lay out everything that you have to do so you can plan your time accordingly e.g. finish those that are more important first and b) stress you out a bit so you realise wow i have so many things to do i better get started

Try to make your to-do list as detailed as possible. I like to break my to dos into tiny tasks. For example, let’s say I’m doing a research essay, I could put “Write intro” and “Write body paragraph″ and “Write conclusion” as separate to dos, just so I can tick them off. I think it makes me feel like I’m being productive, which makes me happy and makes me want to be even more productive!

2. Plan your day

I swear this works: Plan the actual day you end your non-productiveness. For me, procrastination always comes in waves and I spend a few days not doing anything. To end the procrastination streak, I plan the exact day that I stop procrastinating and start being productive (which for me, it’s TOMORROW, wish me luck lol).

The night before, I plan what I’m gonna do, where I’m gonna do it, and sometimes the time I do it (especially if I plan to do revision, where it could be non-stop, unlike assignments which you might not know how long it’ll take). Remember to plan breaks in between as well if you know you can get tired easily!

I always make sure to write down my plans, because I think writing down things tends to compel me to actually go through with things since it seems almost like a contract. Typing things on my phone or laptop takes away the determination to go through with things, for me at least!

The most important day to be productive in the first day where you start getting back into the swing of things, which is why I think it’s very crucial to plan this first day. Once you feel like you’ve been sufficiently productive on the first day, it would be much easier to be productive for the days following. 

3. Get yourself into an environment in which you know will force you to be productive

This really depends on each individual, but here are some of my own tried-and-tested things I do to make sure I do things:

Put on makeup and dress up. It makes me feel like I have to do something productive since I took the trouble to make myself look good.

Go outside to study. Staying at home works for me only when I know I’m in a productive mood, and when I’m in procrastination mode, it just entices me to watch Netflix. Going outside to a starbucks or a cafe makes me feel like I have to be productive or the money I spent to buy a drink and the time it took to get out of the house would be wasted.

Study with people you know can get you into the study mode, or at least not distract you from it. If not, just go yourself. I have a certain group of friends that I know I can study with and I would never get distracted by them, so I’ll hit them up and see if they wanna study together. If not, then I’d go by myself. No company is better than bad company!

Study at a place you know you like. Don’t go to a place where most people go to study, like the library or a starbucks, if it doesn’t work for you. For example, I can’t stand studying at public libraries because I think they’re too quiet for me, and I hate studying at certain starbucks because I don’t like the vibe! Of course, knowing which study spots are the best for you takes a bit of trial-and-error, but find out which is the place you can concentrate the best at, and stick to it!

4. Tell everybody about your plans, and tell everyone once you’ve went through with them!

Okay, this might be a bit irritating to some people, but just don’t be pompous about it and it should be fine. I make sure that I tell as many people as I can about my plans, and when I actually successfully go through with them, I’ll tell people too. 

I think telling people your plans adds to the pressure to be productive, and it just kind of solidifies the promise you make to yourself to finish whatever that you need to. It’s just too easy to give up when only you know what you were supposed to do! And telling others about your success just makes the pleasure of doing something productive even better, so it’ll be even easier to continue being so. Celebrating the tiny achievements you have, like completing one task on your to do list, makes being productive not seem so daunting. 

Usually, I tell my mama and my sister about what plans I have and what I managed to finish. I also post it on my main Instastory so I feel obligated to do it, and really, really satisfied once I’m done. 

If you feel like people might think you’re obnoxious for rubbing your productivity in people’s faces, or that you might seem boastful, you could just private Snapchat or Insta DM it to your closer friends, or post it on a private/second account (if you have one!) You could create a study instagram or tumblr account too, which was one of the reasons why I created mine! 

You guys could also totally message me on my Instagram or on this account if you want to share what you’ve done, or if you want me to remind you to/make sure you finish your to do list!! I’m actually really open to that, so don’t be shy!

Okay wow, I didn’t expect this post to be so long, but I really hope it helps! Tell me if these tips and tricks work out for you!

Leave a comment, ask or a PM, I’d love to hear from you!

Follow my instagram @studybroe!

[espressogal]

once you stop fantasizing about that ideal version of yourself and start working towards becoming that person by setting your alarm clock earlier and actually going to the gym and actually volunteering at places and actually eating healthier and not procrastinating and working just a little bit harder you’ll realize that it was so easy all along. becoming your ideal self will only ever exist in your mind until you make the decision to work towards becoming that person. get up!! get going!! it’s now or never!! there is no light at the end of the tunnel!! get that flashlight and pave your own path bitch bc no one else is going to do it for u!!

[sknny-minne]

uh i really fucking needed this rn

[caffenotes]

Study Tips: Exam Review

A few things that work for me and might work for you 😊

Snack on chocolate, nuts or gum. Idk it really helps.

Play background music. Some use white noise, others actual music. Experiment with what works but set the volume to low so it only acts as ambiance and not a distraction.

Hot chocolate/Tea instead of coffee

Write notes from your notes (keywords, things you need to rememer)

Highlight from a colour code!! Those colours really pop in your head during exams

Tired? Set your phone timer for fifteen minutes, rest your back against the headrest or a wall and close your eyes. You’ll put yourself in a semi-meditative state and may actually dream. When the timer’s up, you’ll be less tired.

For every 45 minutes of study, take a 15-minute break. Stretch those limbs, go get some food etc.

And on the night before the exam, get some sleep. Trust me, you don’t want to head into the exam room zombie-like and exhausted.

[emmastudies]

10 tips to increase your motivation for study

Motivation is one of the biggest issues for students and it is always great to find a few things that can keep you feeling inspired. Here are my top ten ideas:

start small - set yourself a challenge to work for five to ten minutes. Yes, just five minutes can be enough to get started! If you can get through that five minutes, you will start breaking down that feeling of disinterest and begin to get more into working. A fantastic application that will keep you from using your phone and on a time limit of between 10 minutes and two hours is Forest! However, here are some free alternatives.

plan tomorrow today - I find planning my day - or at least writing down a couple of tasks - before bed is extremely beneficial. In the morning I wake up with intent and get see my main priorities. They don’t have to full-fledged plans or written nicely in my planner but even just small reminders on a post-it note are enough for me to feel more organised.

give yourself a bit of structure - as mentioned, having a plan is a great way to start the day. You might use a planner, a bullet journal or a free printable from me to organise! Set yourself up with 3 key things to finish or do during the day. Give yourself a goal and a reward upon completion. Put time limits on tasks and use a schedule to stay on track.

utilise a studygram/studyblr - basically, the communities on Tumblr and Instagram act as amazing accountability partners! I am constantly motivated by my blog and being able to share my day to day life on Instagram or Snapchat. I definitely have become incredibly motivated and disciplined because of these two communities. If you’re thinking about starting a studyblr, read this. If you’re thinking about starting a studygram, read this. If you already have either, here is how you can use it to further motivate yourself!

set up an inspiring workplace - dedicating a space to work, and only work, is a great way to build a mindset of motivation which kicks in when you sit down. This Pinterest board has loads of inspiration for setups and organisation! You can also add a cute plant, a bright study lamp and some motivational printables for added encouragement!

externalise your short and long-term goals - by making a verbal or written commitment to your goals, you are much more likely to take steps to follow them through. You might want to have a really productive week catching up on all your work, improve your GPA or pass your semester with flying colours. At the start of each week think of the ways you can put your goals into actions. Then at the end of the week reflect on how you did. Track your progress and keep up your motivation by seeing things get a step closer each time!

listen to some music - putting on my favourite songs always put me in a better mindset and feeling more positive. Before a study session or during a break, I will sometimes put on a few songs I’m loving and take a moment to refocus.

don’t force it - if you’re feeling unmotivated to study, try doing something else for a short amount of time. Avoid things that could distract you like browsing Facebook or Instagram. Instead, try tidying your bedroom, organising your upcoming week, read a chapter of a book, or get a drink of water. Alternatively, make an action plan for what you need to do with your next few tasks. That way you’re still making progress with your work but aren’t sitting feeling too unmotivated to actually study.

find some inspiration - there is no shortage of amazing people with incredible stories of success! Podcasts such as The Daily Boost, The Tony Robbins Podcast and The School of Greatness are great examples. Ted Talks are often incredibly insightful and motivating! Search for quotes or stories from your favourite people!

change your mindset - one of the biggest challenges in motivation is adjusting your own perspective. For instance, instead of thinking “I am terrible at this” think “How can I learn this differently to really understand?”. “I made a mistake” think “What can I take away from making this mistake?”. “It isn’t perfect” think “These perfectionist tendencies are only making this more difficult, I can be content with my work”. Having a more positive outcome to each situation should help boost your confidence and motivation!

I hope these few tips are useful and help improve your motivation! If it helps, I would love to hear about it :-)

Other posts | Printables | Instagram | Youtube | Pinterest | Etsy Shop

[emmastudies]

next year i’ll be in year 11 and the idea of it both excites and frightens me. i’m worries about not being able to do enough and achieve a high ATAR (despite the fact i have no clue what i want to do in uni). so do you have an tips or something that will help me in years 11 and 12???

Hey! You are very very much like me. I had no idea what I really wanted to do at university (really is an overstatement now hah!) until about 1-2 months before the actual exam. I’d already completed 3 subjects and technically banked half my ATAR so I couldn’t change that, and I’d then completed half the assessments for the 2 subjects I did in my final year. I just went for doing my best, rather than thinking I had a set ATAR along the way. I knew I wanted around 75+ so I’d have an easier time picking courses but when I was doing work/exams/etc I wasn’t stressing about my ATAR specifically. I knew if I did poorly in an exam it would make an impact but I didn’t get consumed by that. I tried to avoid all the ATAR calculators and guessing it. I wanted to work my best, put in the effort and just go with the flow :’-) I did spend a lot of time worrying but I couldn’t do anything about that! I’m going to link a few things that should help! I did the HSC also so a lot of my personal experiences/these tips come from that type of studying.

key tips for year 11 and 12 - a curation of my top recommendations!

how to deal with competitive people - ATARs are essentially ranking you with every single (eligible) person in the state, it can be hard to deal with classmates who are very out there with their marks

how to take effective in class notes - always handy to have a succinct system. This worked for me during my HSC.

how to take notes from a textbook - for some subjects I’d have the recommended textbook and then additional help ones so it was good to know how to pull out the important information.

how I organised my binders, worksheets, notes

good habits to implement during those years

how to write essays

how to get ahead

stationery supplies for year 11 & 12

things to do every week to improve productivity

my ATAR and score breakdown

Also, here are a few freebies that you can use to organise!

2019 yearly calendar printables 

2019 monthly portrait calendar printables 

2019 monthly landscape calendar printables 

2019 DIY calendar printables (these could be useful to leave in your binder/notebooks as a quick reference for due dates, etc)

study schedule printables

week at a glance printables

weekly planner

weekend planner

daily planner

assessment planner (two options)

subject to do list planner

study session planner

binder / subject covers / topic pages

Hope this helps! xx

[emmastudies]

hi emma!! do you have any tips on how to be productive?? i need to finish up some homework but i just cant get myself to sit down and finish it :/ thanku!!

Here are a couple of things!

Clear desk, clear mind - I like to organise things before I start working. If things are messy, I get a little preoccupied and procrastinate even more. My suggestion is clear your desk, sort everything you’ll need to study and get on!

The two minute rule - If a task that needs to be done takes less than two minutes, just do it. My dad has often suggested that this is a great way to sort out your priorities and so far it has worked for me. Things like check my emails, cross off events from my planner, file something away don’t take long but get you in the mood for productivity. As they say “object in motion, stay in motion”.

Break your time up - Schedule your study time and any breaks you need to take. This helps structure your day and acts as a motivation to get things done. Especially if you can reward yourself at the end!

Leave your phone alone - Like most people I use my phone constantly but when I’m trying to work, it is best to leave it alone. Out of sight, out of mind. Try leaving it on silent and behind you so you aren’t tempted to pick it up after every beep. Use your break times to check it.

Find your top three to five priorities - Seeing a long list of things to do is usually, for some people, kind of counterproductive. Figure out the main things that need to be done and work on those. If you’re able to complete those main things, you’ll feel like you’ve accomplished the days necessities and may even want to complete some more.

Try using a mindmap instead of a to do list - Apparently using a mindmap layout instead of a traditional list can help boost productivity. It is a little more funky way to see all your outstanding tasks and might not look as overwhelming as a super long list.

Wear headphones - You don’t have to always listen to things but it can help block out any noise that can distract you. If you’re someone that likes some music, try songs with little or no words. This is a great playlist by Spotify.

Don’t multitask - As much as you think you can do it, trying to multitask usually ends up in a confused mess and takes twice the time. Stick to one task at a time. If you think of something you need to do, write it down and do it later.

Change things up - Doing the same things in the same place can get boring. Make the effort every now and then to change where you’re studying or how you’re studying. This can include moving your studying from the desk to the kitchen table for a change of scenery, or making flash cards instead of annotating your notes. Studying with a family member or friends is a fun way to get some work done!

Be positive - Most people have times when they just don’t want to study or anything, it is natural. However it is not worth sitting staring at your books in an unmotivated mood just waiting to feel inspired. If you’re not feeling it, do something else for a while. Come back to it a bit later and have another go. Usually walking away and coming back is all you need to feel more productive.

xx