♡ channel your inner elle woods and dive into your studies with a “what, like it’s hard?“ mindset
studying will only be hard if you assume it to be. uplift yourself before starting your study session. go on a rampage on how you’re the best student at your school and that you’re successful at everything you do! the only person that will be with you from the beginning till the end is you. be your own cheerleader despite it all.
♡ romanticize your studies
life is better when you romanticize it and nothing beats playing some music to level your head, looking at photos & scenes of your favorite characters studying and acing their tests!
clean your desk, light some candles, buy cute stationary, pretend you’re being filmed, visualize how it would feel when you have straight A’s and see that perfect score on the corner of your test/exams.
make a playlist with a cute cover and choose a vibe. dark or light academia? classics? rnb? cafe jazz? make it fun. mix it all together or make multiple playlists for the different moods you’ll be in. don’t listen to lyrical music. i recommend brown noise! and going to a cafe or a library helps me focus a lot. the background chatter doesn’t ever get too much for me so it gets easy for me to tune it out.
kokuyo campus binder notebooks
laohaster aesthetic highlighters - 1 & 2
tombow dual brush pen markers
0.35 pens + muji 0.38 pens
i love to study at libraries and local cafes. i also use this time to go on adventures to explore my city and find hidden gems. make sure it’s a place where you like the vibe, there are no distractions. something about looking like that mysterious, studious girl who stays to herself >>>>
before you indulge in your studies, be aware of your surroundings. get familiar with the place by grazing your eyes over the area and begin :)
make a checklist of all the items you need. laptop, charger, pens, notebooks, textbooks, a book to read if you want to spend more time at the place you’re at, headphones, calculator, etc!
if you’d rather stay inside, make your area is clean of clutter and clear of distractions.
now that you’ve set out a place, let’s talk about time. what hours in the day work for you? morning, afternoons or at night? what weekdays work the best for you to keep up with this schedule?
be reasonable with yourself here. pick a time where your schedule is free and you won’t be distracted by obligations. tell your friends and family you’ll be busy during those hours on selected weekdays, not everyday will be the same. life can be hectic so this is where you take responsibility. work around your appointments. make use of your time and run flash cards while you wait to get called in or you’re in line, while you exercise, get creative!
setting time away to eat and make sure you drink enough water is not equally but more important than any other thing. take care of yourself.
utilize your time wisely. no one and nothing is going to achieve those goals. you are.
now, let’s actually get into how i study.
♡ scheduling & staying on track
create a system that works for you. keep a list of all of your assignments, finals, exams, tests, projects in an excel spreadsheet organized and ascended by the due dates and the progress of its completion. here are two very simple examples i made.
as you progress through the list, it’s always so good to see the growing checkmarks! like yes, you did that and you can continue doing so! i always advocate for keeping track of your accomplishments no matter what ♡
as for day to day classes and schedules, you can use notion or google calendar. there are plenty of cute and practical templates out there to use.
let me know if i should share mine or make some
♡ how i study, stay ahead, and be the best student i can be
the most important thing a student can do is put themselves first! find out what works for you. your strengths, your weaknesses, and obstacles you tend to come across and work around them to make the best out of it.
we’ve already covered the topics of time and place so great! now, that you’re all set, additional things i keep in mind to make sure i am all nice and comfortable are…
making sure i am comfortable. the temperature, clothes i am wearing, if i feel safe at the cafe/library/room i’m in.
i can’t focus or do anything on an empty stomach so get a small meal before you start and keep water and snacks with you!
the most important questions of all: are there any illnesses you have that affect your studying and focus? what is something you often find that gets in your way?
as hard as dealing with illnesses gets on a daily basis, it’s easy to forget that it can affect your studies just as much. you need to work with them. i used to think i was stupid, slow, and downright crazy for not understanding material right away or for how easily distracted i got because of my random bursts of energy. then it just dawned upon me one day and i said “oh… duh?”
so, what did i do? i found out what worked for me, monitored my studying techniques and personally modified them to work better with my attention deficit.
tackle the important tasks first. low maintenance assignments like reading and writing notes on a section, annotations, and worksheets can wait if they’re easy but this way might not be for everyone.
the reason why i advise this is because at the beginning of a study session, i have the most energy/brain power so i’d rather shift my energy towards the assignments that need more of my focus!
plan what tasks you intend on focusing on that day. look at your assignment spreadsheet. which ones are more important/urgent? due the soonest? write them out in order and follow the list.
immediately writing down my thoughts. i’m very forgetful so making this a habit has helped me so much for when i get any new ideas and remember to do something very important.
find out what learning style fits you. visual, auditory, reading and writing, kinesthetic. making powerpoints, study guides, drawing diagrams, color coding systems, interactive notes. cater your study methods to your needs. here is a pinterest board with examples!
take a self assessment quiz. if you want, check these quizzes out to figure out what kind of learner you are and what study habits you can improve! remember that you can always be more than one thing just because quizzes give you a single result. you know you!
active recall. it’s a study method to help with retention, memorization, and informational retrieval. it reduces forgetfulness all the while actively stimulating your brain rather than writing notes, highlighting text information.
separate the topics + subtopics and in the end, when you feel confident, jumble them together.
flashcards! i love them. you can use quizlet which has a spaced repetition system where it will bring back material you got wrong so you can focus on it extensively. physical flashcards and manually having to write them out is also a form of memorization!
practice testing (not multiple choice) online or finding them on a textbook, ask a friend to quiz you or ask questions to yourself and try to answer them accurately.
pretend to give a lecture. i love this one the most because if you know the subject very well, you can pretend to explain it to a peer and even a middle schooler so that it gives you a chance to simplify the material so it’s easy for them (and you) to retain.
while using flashcards and lecture techniques, it helps me when my adhd flares up and i really can’t seem to stay still or keep from making noise. i can walk around my room & talk aloud, walk on a treadmill, and move my body!
i study until it becomes natural for me to know the answer, not because i recognize the term.
check your work and understanding to make sure that all of the information you’re studying is correct! it won’t hurt to do a little review here and there. you never know when a mistake might’ve snuck it’s way in.
make your own study guide. (if that’s your method) for every unit and section, covering every topic. this can be on google docs and whenever you learn something new that you think is important to know, add it via docs app or write it on a notepad so that you can fill it in later.
on the go. you don’t have to do this ALL the time (or at all) but if you think you need more time to soak your mind with information but you’re on a bus, waiting in line, etc. pull out your flashcards or google docs app to quickly review. there’s no harm in that! (just make sure you’re aware of your surroundings please)
OFFICE HOURS! go to office hours even if you don’t have any specific questions or struggles! it’s always an extra learning opportunity because you can listen to teachers and teaching assistants answer questions you might have later on AND the more you attend office hours, you’ll build a connection and get to know the teachers. that is always important.
starting assignments ahead of time. don’t put off working on a project just because it’s due in 3 weeks or so. start ahead of time so you don’t stress yourself out and cram. stretch them out. plus, even if you don’t actually put yourself to work, get a feel of the materials you’ll need to know, the instructions, etc because if you have any questions, you’ll have more/easy access to teachers for help since not many people will be there at the beginning of when a project is assigned.
ADVANCE READING! this is so fun to do. you basically just read ahead on current/future topics the teacher will cover to grasp onto the information. write down any questions you have and personally ask the teacher for a more clear answer for your understanding.
i love doing this because when the time comes of the teacher covering the topic, light bulbs just keep going off in my head! it’s exciting. it gives me room for me to retain and write any additional information the teacher says.
do not multitask. remember, if multitasking has always worked for you, don’t stop! for me, it’s truly better to focus on the task at hand to strengthen skills and concentration rather than having to do 2 or 3 different things at once. efficiency is key and staying true to one task at a time is the best way to do so.
BUT when my adhd gets in the way, be consistently inconsistent. don’t unnecessarily guilt trip yourself when you suddenly feel like doing another task. go with the flow. follow whatever your brain feels like doing at the moment! MOVEMENT IS MOVEMENT.
additional tip: take breaks at certain times even if you don’t feel like it. like the advice above, it doesn’t necessarily have to be resting. it can be as simple as taking a trip to get a beverage, tidying up your area, something easy & light to keep your mind occupied and to avoid burn out.
breaking down the assignments into sections. this defeats procrastination. it can seem overwhelming when all the information is pieced together into one so divide the tasks into small sections.
ex. read one chapter in the textbook, start writing down terms to know, annotate. move onto the next.
study groups. it’s collaborative— a chance to ask and also help others on topics you don’t know and make connections! the smaller the better in my opinion.
don’t look at studying as something you “have" to do. it’s an activity. a choice. it can either be stressful or something you can easily get through— how you approach this will ;
participate! ask questions! don’t be afraid to ask questions and raise your hand to put your two cents in when it’s an open discussion! just do it.
focus on the now. don’t overwhelm yourself by looking at all the assignments you have due. the task you’re working on at the present moment is the one that needs the most attention and focus.
advice from others won’t always work for you. we are all different! what might work for others won’t always work for you. this is why it’s important to monitor your study sessions, habits, behaviors, and find out what works and what you like better through trial and error.
except for when i tell you to take care of yourself. if there’s anything you should take away from my posts, it is to put your needs first. always!
♡ keeping up momentum. motivation vs. self discipline.
“think of motivation as a power boost at the starting line and your foot pressing on the pedal of your car is discipline, it’s what keeps you going forward on your journey. motivation, as fleeting as it is won’t bring you far but self-discipline will.“
remind yourself of the life you want to live, the businesses you will own, the cases you’ll win, the people you’ll be able to help with your knowledge, the feelings you’ll have because of your amazing accomplishments if you just keep. on. going.
read the “continuing to strengthen self discipline” section in my dream girl guide post. i guarantee it will help in finding what really works best for you when it comes to identifying roadblocks and how to work around these struggles.
KEEP UP THE MOMENTUM. you’ve been on top of your game so when it comes to engaging in activities that don’t revolve around school work, make it worthwhile. stay off your phone, say no to silly distractions and do something you’ll thoroughly enjoy. paint, draw, write, read a book, go on a walk! this will keep you going in doing your very best every day and it doesn’t have to be a strenuous activity! stagnancy who?
DOING ANYTHING THAT BRINGS YOU JOY AND FULFILLMENT IS PRODUCTIVE.
♡ the most important tips of all
TAKE BREAKS. GO TO SLEEP. EAT WELL.
DO NOT PUT THIS ON THE BACK BURNER. you want good grades and to do your very best, that can’t happen unless you TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF.
if it’s past your usual bedtime and your eyes are drooping, struggling to stay open, how are you able to retain all the information from that moment on? go to bed because then you’ll get a good night’s sleep and you’ll be refreshed for your next day’s class! OR if you don’t have class, you’ll be able to bounce back into studying in amazing condition.
good heavens, take a shower, wash your face, go for a walk, move your body, stretch, take time to just stay to yourself. enjoy the silence, play some calming music, watch a show, take a nap. your body is a temple, treat it with love.
if you’re constantly stressed out all the while continuously flooding your brain with so much information without resting:
it decreases concentration → you won’t be able to retain any new information (so studying is automatically deemed useless) → poor sleep → you attend class and your inability to focus and overall school performance has degraded→ you isolate yourself from social interactions → fall into depression → difficulty picking yourself back up and the list goes on…
in summary, you will not be able to continue and put in your best work.
always remember that pushing yourself past your limit does more harm than good.
you WILL crash and all that hard work will go to waste once you’re physically and mentally unable to show up for yourself.
and if it means you have to get anything lower than a 80, IT IS OKAY. nothing is worth more than your health. trust me.
zlibrary + openlibrary - free online libraries
websites for research that is not google
weava highlighter - highlight text from pdfs and the web, add and organize notes and be able to access later! lifesaver.
99 legal sites to download literature
speechify - text to speech reader
not robotic. comes in many different voices and languages
aids in: easy reading, improve comprehension, multitaskers
mercury reader - gets rid of clutter from articles for easy reading
grammarly - grammar and writing check
beeline reader - color gradient to help read easier
group your tabs for easy organization (for mac users: control + click)
piktochart - create infographics
spot misinformation - masterpost
desmos - free online graphing calculator
paper rater - essay scoring
pdf2go + cloudconvert - file converters
internet archive - free books, movies, software, music, websites…
slidesgo - google slides and powerpoint templates
pomodoro timers - tide w/ white noise + otto w/ a website blocker
more very helpful resources
okay my love! that’s all for this post. i wish you the best! ₊˚⊹♡ as always, here is the google doc version
— kisses from straight a student, bambi ♡
SCHOOL IS BACK IN SESSION
INVEST IN YOURSELF: FALL + SCHOOL EDITION GUIDE HERE
