i wrote half an essay in 20mins today when itâs not even due for another 4 weeks, reblog this to have a productivity lightning bolt strike you like it did me today
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@studybrite
i wrote half an essay in 20mins today when itâs not even due for another 4 weeks, reblog this to have a productivity lightning bolt strike you like it did me today
canât find the name of an old book? reblog w/ a description to ask tumblr for help
the notes is full of people rediscovering long lost books and i could not be more pleased
Giveaway Contest: Weâre giving away fifteen trade-sized paperback classics! Wonât this collection look lovely on your shelf? :D To win these classics, you must: 1) be following macrolit on Tumblr (yes, we will check. :P), and 2) reblog this post. We will choose a random winner on February 24, at which time weâll start a new giveaway. And yes, weâll ship to any country. Easy, right? Good luck!
STUDENTS:
listen to your body while studying!!!Â
posture matters!!Â
get some blue-light cancelling glasses if youâre staring at screens!Â
balance out your caffeine with some ~water~ every now and then!!Â
take breaks!!Â
make your study snacks healthy!!Â
yes, your grades matter, but you matter more. wishing everybody a successful semester!Â
Making the perfect study plan
Exams are getting closer and now is the perfect time to create a solid study plan to get motivated and be productive. Here are some tips to help you making your study plan!
You donât need a fancy planner. You can just use Excel to create it as you like and it will be more than enough!
Make a list of all the topics you have to study and gather similar subjects in the same category. Then, classify them by priority order.
Estimate the amount of time youâll need to study each topic. Donât underestimate it : you have to take all the time you need to understand and memorize, otherwise youâll end up rushing things up and not being productive enough. I remember adding 1 hour more than I thought I would need so I could have plenty of time to go deeper in the subject without stressing myself out.
Know when youâre the most effective and do the hardest tasks in that moment. Keep the lighter subjects for the rest of the day. When I was doing my first med school year I would always study chemistry and physics in the mornings and the rest in the afternoon and evening !
Plan your breaks and meals. If you want to watch an episode from your favorite TV show, plan it. Your free time is important too! Make to create time for daily activities that fulfill you :)
Plan your delay! Set a day in your planner where you just catch up on everything youâre late on so you donât get super stressed if your study day didnât go as planned ! I always use my Sundays as ÂŤÂ delay days  haha
If you have enough time, try to plan review sessions of the topics youâve already seen. When I was studying anatomy I would make review sessions one day a week so I could memorize in the best way possible.
Also, plan a day or half a day to test yourself. Do it early enough to re-adjust your study plan if you feel like you have to spend more time reviewing a certain topic!
And you, what are your âplanning habitsâ? Do you use a planner ?
Please reblog and like this post if you want more tips like this one!
THROUGH A RAPISTâS EYESâ (PLS TAKE TIME TO READ THIS. It may save a life, It may save your life.)
An Article from Neena Susan Thomas
âThrough a rapistâs eyes. A group of rapists and date rapists in prison were interviewâŚed on what they look for in a potential victim and here are some interesting facts:
1] The first thing men look for in a potential victim is hairstyle. They are most likely to go after a woman with a ponytail, bun! , braid, or other hairstyle that can easily be grabbed. They are also likely to go after a woman with long hair. Women with short hair are not common targets.
2] The second thing men look for is clothing. They will look for women whoâs clothing is easy to remove quickly. Many of them carry scissors around to cut clothing.
3] They also look for women using their cell phone, searching through their purse or doing other activities while walking because they are off guard and can be easily overpowered.
4] The number one place women are abducted from / attacked at is grocery store parking lots.
5] Number two is office parking lots/garages.
6] Number three is public restrooms.
7] The thing about these men is that they are looking to grab a woman and quickly move her to a second location where they donât have to worry about getting caught.
8] If you put up any kind of a fight at all, they get discouraged because it only takes a minute or two for them to realize that going after you isnât worth it because it will be time-consuming.
9] These men said they would not pick on women who have umbrellas,or other similar objects that can be used from a distance, in their hands.
10] Keys are not a deterrent because you have to get really close to the attacker to use them as a weapon. So, the idea is to convince these guys youâre not worth it.
POINTS THAT WE SHOULD REMEMBER:
1] If someone is following behind you on a street or in a garage or with you in an elevator or stairwell, look them in the face and ask them a question, like what time is it, or make general small talk: canât believe it is so cold out here, weâre in for a bad winter. Now that youâve seen their faces and could identify them in a line- up, you lose appeal as a target.
2] If someone is coming toward you, hold out your hands in front of you and yell Stop or Stay back! Most of the rapists this man talked to said theyâd leave a woman alone if she yelled or showed that she would not be afraid to fight back. Again, they are looking for an EASY target.
3] If you carry pepper spray (this instructor was a huge advocate of it and carries it with him wherever he goes,) yelling I HAVE PEPPER SPRAY and holding it out will be a deterrent.
4] If someone grabs you, you canât beat them with strength but you can do it by outsmarting them. If you are grabbed around the waist from behind, pinch the attacker either under the arm between the elbow and armpit or in the upper inner thigh â HARD. One woman in a class this guy taught told him she used the underarm pinch on a guy who was trying to date rape her and was so upset she broke through the skin and tore out muscle strands the guy needed stitches. Try pinching yourself in those places as hard as you can stand it; it really hurts.
5] After the initial hit, always go for the groin. I know from a particularly unfortunate experience that if you slap a guyâs parts it is extremely painful. You might think that youâll anger the guy and make him want to hurt you more, but the thing these rapists told our instructor is that they want a woman who will not cause him a lot of trouble. Start causing trouble, and heâs out of there.
6] When the guy puts his hands up to you, grab his first two fingers and bend them back as far as possible with as much pressure pushing down on them as possible. The instructor did it to me without using much pressure, and I ended up on my knees and both knuckles cracked audibly.
7] Of course the things we always hear still apply. Always be aware of your surroundings, take someone with you if you can and if you see any odd behavior, donât dismiss it, go with your instincts. You may feel little silly at the time, but youâd feel much worse if the guy really was trouble.
FINALLY, PLEASE REMEMBER THESE AS WELL âŚ.
1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do: The elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do it.
2. Learned this from a tourist guide to New Orleans : if a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM. Toss it away from youâŚ. chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or purse than you and he will go for the wallet/purse. RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!
3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car: Kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy. The driver wonât see you but everybody else will. This has saved lives.
4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping,eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their checkbook, or making a list, etc. DONâT DO THIS! The predator will be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side,put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU CLOSE the DOORS , LEAVE.
5. A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot, or parking garage:
a. Be aware: look around your car as someone may be hiding at the passenger side , peek into your car, inside the passenger side floor, and in the back seat. ( DO THIS TOO BEFORE RIDING A TAXI CAB) .
b. If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars.
c. Look at the car parked on the driverâs side of your vehicle, and the passenger side. If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out. IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)
6. ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. (Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot).
7. If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control, ALWAYS RUN! The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times; And even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ. RUN!
8. As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP IT! It may get you raped, or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked âfor helpâ into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim.
Send this to any woman you know that may need to be reminded that the world we live in has a lot of crazies in it and itâs better safe than sorry.
If u have compassion reblog this post. âHelping hands are better than Praying Lipsâ â give us your helping hand.
REBLOG THIS AND LET EVERY GIRL KNOW AT LEAST PEOPLE WILL KNOW WHATS GOING ON IN THIS WORLD. So please reblog thisâŚ.Your one reblog can Help to spread this information.
THIS COULD ACTUALLY SAVE A LIFE.â
EVERYONE BOOT THE FUCK OUT OF THIS
Stay safe everyone. Weâll be back to our regularly scheduled posts tomorrow or something. Soon, anyway.
This doesnât fit with my blog but I really donât care, itâs important
âď¸â¨đâ¨đâ¨đâ¨đâ¨đâ¨âď¸â¨
Emoji spell for healing from burn out. May you feel well-rested, rejuvenated, and fulfilled in all avenues of your life.
Likes charge, reblogs cast
@ me and everyone doing college apps
in this essay i wonât
when u gotta accept the null so why bother
Hey so, I decided to do another masterpost. This time on exams. Some tips for studying at the very last minute if you are like me, disclaimer: I am not in any way supporting cramming but this is just to help you through if you are left with no choice other than cramming.
Cramming
Cramming tips that actually work by @optomstudies
The night before the exam
What to do the night before an exam by @beautifullearning
The night before your exam by @tiny-personal-university-thing
The night before exam and I didnât study guide by @renaistudying
The night before test and I havenât started studying by @getstudyblr
Revision methods
Revision methods that actually work by @alimastudies
The 5 Best Revision Methods by @bstudies
Study tips
More unconventional study tips by @minimaliststudy
A stash of tiny study tips by @justestjarchives
College study tips that actually help by @samsstudygram
Five tips for study marathons by @booksavolonte
General study tips by @plantednotes
More study tips
My study tips by @anatomyandcappuccini
My study tips
Personal study tips
Quickfire study tips by @annabaestudying
Quick study tip by @studyspiratiom-coffee
Rare study tips by @studybllog
Scientifically proven study tips by @swankiegrades
Secret study tips I wish someone would have told me by @fearlessroadtomd
Some rare study tips by @organisedorgana
Top 5 study tips by @studyign
Weird study tip by @artemissstudies
101 study tips by @study-early
Study tips by @howtohighschool
Study tips from someone who has already been there by @haylstudies
Study tips straight from my professor by @just-refuse-to-be-stopped
Study tips that helped me get back on my feet by @sillydaisies
Study tips that arenât bullshit by @thebitchwhomadeit
Tips for effective study by @kimtented
How I write revision summaries by @athenastudying
Ways to study for exams that are actually productive
10 mistakes when studying by @howtostudyquick
Memorising information
How to memorise information by @monetstudy
How to memorise information faster by @qxzu
Memorization tips by @aescademic
Memorization tips by @determinationandcaffeine
Memorization tips by @studyquill
Exam tips
How to cope with exams by @uk-studying
How to revise for exams by @a-pro-s-studyblr
Studying for exams by @orangeblossomstudies
Tips for doing well on your exams by @aboysstudyblr
Tips for doing well on your exams by @thepeachystudies
Exam tips by @studywithmaggie
Exam guides
Finals: study guide for the brave by @educatier
Pennyfynotes guide to exam season by @pennyfynotes
Quick guide to doing the finals by @inkskinned
Test taking tips
How I revise for exams + tests
How to study for a test by @tbhstudying
My test taking tips by @55studies
Test taking tips
Exam preparation
How to make a stress free exam plan by @marias-studyblr
How to mentally prep yourself for a test by @eruditicn
Procrastination
How to beat procrastination by @eintsein
Types of procrastination and how to deal with them by @emmastudies
Time management
Time management by @academiceve
Time management tips for busy students
Motivation
My motivation tag
Other masterposts by me
Notetaking masterpost
College advice masterpost
Apps for students masterpost
Icon credits to @rhubarbstudies
great essay help!!!
socks-flowersandnoone-listening submitted:
Hey GaudÂ
With everyone asking about assignment help, I thought Iâd drop these research paper starters. To help anyone if they need it.
They can be tweaked to any essay :)
Actual good first-time college student advice:
Wear jeans/pants that âbreatheâ and bring a sweater, even if itâs scorching hot out, until you know which building blasts the AC to 60 degrees F and which feels like a sauna
Backpacks with thick straps are your friend! Messenger bags are cool and all but if youâre commuting with a lot of stuff, symmetrically styled backpacks are better for your back
You are your own person and you can walk out whenever you need to or want to, so long as youâre not disrupting the class. Meaning you can go to the bathroom without permission, take a breather if youâre anxious, answer an important phone call, etc.
If you donât like the class on the first day, if you can- DROP THAT CLASS AND TAKE ANOTHER ONE! Itâll only get worse from there!
If you can, take a class outside your major; itâs a good break from your expected studies.
You are in charge of your schedule. Your adviser and guidance counselor is there to âadvise and guideâ but if you donât like certain classes and you can substitute for others, thatâs your choice.
Consequently, if you are changing anything drastic in your plan, talk with your adviser and instructors.
Pay attention to your credit hours and grades. Â Never leave this to the last week of school, you will be sorry and stressed beyond belief!
Unless itâs a lab book or otherwise specified, go to the class for a week or so before buying an expensive textbook. Some classes, while having it on their required list, do not actually use the textbook a whole lot and you might find some of it scanned online. Rent if you can or buy used online (schools actually donât give discounts). Use your best judgement on what you think you need.
Tell the people who go up to you selling or advertising things you are not interested in that you are in a rush to class and donât have time to listen to them. Itâs less rude and theyâll leave you alone.
The smaller the class, the better it is to have some sort of acquaintanceship with a couple classmates. They might save your ass if you are absent one day or need to study. And talking with them makes the time go by faster without it being so insufferable.
You donât need to join a club or sport, but internships are cool and useful!
If you can afford it, take a day off once or twice each semester if youâre too exhausted. Just be aware of what you missed and if it was worth missing!
Your health is the most important, this goes for mental health too!! Note: College-age/upper teens is when mental disorders like depression and anxiety are most commonly diagnosed. Most schools have therapy services, especially during exam time. Look into it if you need to!
Communicate with your professor if you are having trouble with something. Anything.
Eat and stay hydrated. Bring a water bottle and snack to class.
All-nighters will happen but never go over 36 hours without sleep.
Itâs going to be hard and there will be times you might think about giving up. This WILL happen. You just have to make sure what youâre doing isnât making you absolutely miserable and/or there is something rewarding and positive to look forward to at the end!
I did none of this and it bit me in the ass every time so this is EXCELLENT ADVICE.
ADDITIONAL ADVICE
Donât let a mental health day turn into a mental health week because you will be so screwed.
Pay attention to the syllabus and do not lose it. A lot of professors put all of the assignment due dates in there and ONLY in there.
If your school has blackboard or moodle etc. CHECK IT. a lot of professors will only post certain info there and not talk about it in class
Check your student email account weekly. A lot of it will be unimportant junk but sometimes itâs the only way professors will communicate.
Check your student email multiple times DAILY.Â
THANK YOU. Iâm so glad i have resources like this queued up in my âcollegeâ tag bc honestly i was so stressed before
Advice from someone who really fucked up their freshman year:
READINGS ARE NOT OPTIONAL.
I REPEAT. READINGS. ARE. NOT. OPTIONAL.
Put them in your schedule, read BEFORE class. And summarise it. For bonus points, come up with some questions about the text and go introduce yourself to your professor either after class or during office hours, and ask them about it. This will make them much more likely to remember you in a positive light (and possibly bump your grade up if you hit a hard patch.)
Your library will have a copy of your textbook. If you cannot afford to rent it, you can go to the library and borrow it from the front desk for a few hours whenever you need it. It is there for you, okay?Â
SO DO YOUR READINGS.
attention studyblr folks:
bullet journals arenât for everyone
you donât need a fancy bujo spread every week to be a studyblr
you can use a normal planner and still be a studyblr
you can use cheap bic pens and still be a studyblr
you can never buy a muji pen or mildliner and still be a studyblr
you can have a computer that isnât a macbook and still be a studyblr? like what is this apple worshipping cult?
you can type all your notes and still be a studyblr
you donât have to take honors/ap/ib classes to be a studyblr
you donât have to go to a 4 year college to be a studyblr
nontraditional students are beautiful and valid and you are working so damn hard
learn your own way. donât let others get you down.
!!!!!
Not being like everyone else is the only way to have truly original content :)
Hoe Tips: School and Studying
Iâm currently in PA school with close to a 4.0 GPA, and with college and back to school starting up, Iâm dropping some tips for y'all. A hoe gotta get bomb ass grades if ya want a bomb ass career and to be successful af. So letâs get itâ¨
1. Write out your notes. Have two notebooks: one for when youâre in class (this one can be messy) and one for at home (this one is the neater one, for color coding, formatting, and all that organizational jazz). Writing things out is proven to enhance memorization 7X more than just reading is.
2. Have a go-to format for your notes. Numbering, bullet points, whatever floats your boat.
3. Type out your notes. I use Google Drive, because it automatically saves all your shit, and you can access your notes via your Google account literally anywhere. Typing out your notes does the same thing writing them out does, as far as helping you review the material.
4. Use Quizlet. Quizlet is a free flashcard website/app that allows you to type in all of your flashcards and definitions, and gives you review options like matching, testing, flashcard mode, and more. This shit made me my high schools valedictorian, no lie.
5. Keep your old quizzes and tests. Often times, teachers will ask similar questions on finals.
6. For math-based subjects, always always always show your work in your notes. I try to explain each step for a math problem in the margins of my notes, and generalize how to do each problem at the end.
7. Do practice problems consistently.
8. For my college hoes: never take an 8 am class. You think you can do it because you did it for high school, but I promise you will regret it. If thereâs no avoiding the 8 am lecture, bring coffee and skip any makeup/hair that day. Sleep is too important.
9. Make flashcards. The night before my exams, I like to try and fit everything I need to know for a specific chapter/topic onto one flashcard, in order to weed out main ideas.
10. For essays, easybib.com is amazing with free citations to avoid any plaigiarism or incorrect bibliographies.
11. Rentđyourđtextbooksđ. Unless your teacher specifically requires you BUY it, you likely wonât need the actual textbook. Buying access codes for the book online is hundreds of dollars cheaper.
12. If you do get your textbooks, a lot of them have chapter summaries at the end of each chapter. Be sure to write out/type out/review those summaries.
13. For science labs, if you are allowed, take pictures of any models or slides you need to know for your exams. Pretty much all labs wonât let you take pictures of cadavers or animal dissections, but plastic models and microscope slides should be fine.
14. If you have a question, ASK YOUR TEACHER. It is better to look stupid in class and get your clarification, than to look stupid when you get your exam back and actually have it count against your grade.
15. Do study groups. I have two nursing friends in some of the same classes as me, and weâd always meet up before exams to go over the material. We would bring dry erase markers and map out shit in empty classrooms, taking turns explaining shit to each other until we nailed it.
16. Try to teach the material. Like I said in #15, study groups are great for this. By teaching the material out loud, you are subconsciously reviewing it yourself. This is a HUGE help.
17. Take breaks. You cannot exhaust yourself and expect to still recall anything you learned.
18. I know everyone does this and thereâs no avoiding it sometimes, but DO NOT CRAM. Gradual learning is most effective.
19. Have one day every week where you donât do any schoolwork. You need time to reboot.
20. Use your phoneâs calendar/task checklist app for all major assignments, due dates, exam dates, study plans, appointments, etc. Set reminders as needed.
21. Charge your phone in another room while studying. No distractions.
22. Rainymood.com is a free website that plays a 30 minute loop of rain sounds. It helps me focus like nothing else, especially in my loud ass household, and every time the loop stops and replays, I know to take a break between 30 minute study sessions.
23. Feel distracted at home when studying? Try studying in a library, cafe, or even at school. I find that going somewhere else to study actually forces me to pay attention to what Iâm doing, for some reason.
24. Reward yourself for good grades. Buy yourself a slice of pizza or a new highlight, have a netflix marathon, go to a party, or take a nap. Whatever conveys a job well done, do it. Itâll make all that studying feel that much greater when itâs over, and youâll have a goal to work towards.
25. Sit in the front of the classroom as often as possible. Youâll be forced to pay attention, be able to actually see the board, hear the instructor better, and youâre more likely to have your questions answered quickly because your teacher will actually see your hand go up.
26. Caffeinate. I prefer tea because itâs healthier, but coffee works too. Ya girl is NOT a morning person, but my morning tea at least helps me pay attention during earlier classes.
27. Keep all of your school shit organized, together, and labelled.
28. Do NOT skip a class just because youâre lazy or donât feel like going. The temptation is real sometimes, but a hoes gonna be pissed when ya see your participation average decline.
29. This may just be a psychological thing, but I love to use the same colored/brand of pen for all of my notes/assignments/tests. It just makes everything seem more uniform, and Iâm able to recall information better.
30. Trouble taking tests? For any multiple choice question, read the question and try to answer it first without reading any of the options. If your answer doesnât match the options, then use process of elimination to find the best answer. For true/false questions, write out justifications for each answer (you can also do this for multiple choice). Youâll be acing your exams in no time.
31. Chewing gum during class/studying, and chewing that same flavor gum during the exam, has been scientifically proven to boost your memory recall.
32. Literally any time you have the opportunity to do extra credit, DO IT. Cherish that shit.
33. If you arenât doing so hot in a particular class (literally any math class for me lol), schedule a private meeting with your professor and go over test questions you missed, or topics you didnât get. If you know your professor is a flop, or canât get an appointment, meet with a tutor or another professor of that same subject. Sometimes another voice can shed new light on a difficult topic.
34. For essays, readable.io critiques your writing for free based on readability, grade level, formality, tone, grammatical errors, etc. Seriously a life saver.
35. Also thesaurus.com is ya bff for fancier words/phrases to make your writing more eloquent
36. Always make an outline for every essay or project to organize what you want to say. This will keep you on track, and help you work around any quotes or sources in you writing to make sure your writing is hella organized.
Thatâs all I can think of for now, please please please feel free to add and share. Enjoy those 4.0âs, hoesđ
based on this post, with my own additions. these tips can be used both for school tasks and for everyday tasks like cooking or cleaning, but they are mostly focussed on school!
not working because you feel tired?
eat and drink something! often I donât notice that Iâm hungry or thirsty and just feel really fatigued and donât know why. then I eat/drink and feel better really quickly!
have something with a bit of caffeine.
try to expose yourself to natural (or at least bright) light.
do a mini workout to get your heart pumping. skipping is fun?
keep yourself stimulated. play upbeat music, use bright colours in your notes, etc.
not working because youâre struggling to think straight or or organise your thoughts?
talk through what you need to get done with a friend, your teacher/professor, etc. they can help you organise your thoughts around the task and come up with a plan!
break the task up into small, easy to approach chunks. write them down.
use a visual planning method like a mindmap to organise your thoughts - putting them down like this can help you sort out the confusing tangled mess of thoughts in your brain.
not working because you feel bored or frustrated with the task and are struggling to push through it?
reward yourself for completing parts of the task (keep the reward non-distracting though, or it can lead to the next problem!). you could set up an accountability system with a friend - they could, for example, promise to bake you something if you manage to get a task done on time.
list the reasons why you should finish the task. use these as motivation.
relieve your restless energy by doing something active during your breaks (like working out), and by keeping yourself stimulated while working on the task (for example by using a fidget toy).
if itâs frustrating because itâs difficult, get help!
modify the task to make it a bit more fun. relate it back to your interests, use fun stationery, etc. this might involve asking your teacher/professor if you can complete an alternate task. theyâre usually pretty accommodating.
not working because youâre distracted by other activities?
use an app like âForestâ to encourage you to work solidly on your task for a period of time without getting distracted.
block distracting websites.
write down thoughts and activities that you want to come back to later after finishing your task, rather than getting caught up in them.
related to above - use the Chrome extension âTab Snoozeâ to put distracting browser tabs away for later.
if you donât need internet for your task, go work somewhere where you canât access the internet.
not working because you feel stressed about the task and trying to do it makes you feel worse?
try the two-minute rule - work on the task for just two minutes. you might find that after this time the initial anxiety around starting the task has faded and you can continue to work on it.
similarly, break your task up into small, manageable chunks and approach them one-by-one. remember that something is better than nothing, even if that something is just writing out the subheadings in your report.
try to make your work environment calm and comfy to soothe you while you work on the task - turn a heater on if you like it to be warm, keep the space minimal and organised, play calm music, etc.
get help from others! a chat with a friend or teacher/professor about the task can help reassure you and they will probably also have helpful advice about how to approach it.
a motivational message would be uplifting since there are some that have exams coming up but feel really stressed with all sorts of things
My favourite quote that always reminds me there are lessons and growth that comes from every hardship:
âBut dear, if you run away from what hurts you, arenât you doing yourself a disservice? Would you rather be an uncut gem? Would you rather be a diamond with only a few facets?
You see, the more painful life gets, the more you get cut and shaped into what youâre supposed to be, the more youâll shine. So, donât run away nor pray it will stop. Instead pray that youâll have the courage to go through it all, and come out strong afterwards.â
Study Tips that Arenât Bullshit
Ok. Listen. I just graduated college on time with two degrees, a minor, and a 3.9 GPA, and now that itâs back-to-school time for some of you folks (my grad program doesnât start until September) Iâve been seeing some study tips that are half-useful but mostly bullshit. So Iâm here to give you some tips for collegiate success as a person who was pretty successful in the collegiate realm.
1) The Three to One Rule is Useless
Hereâs the truth. Some classes are going to require minimal effort. Some are going to require more than three hours of outside study time per credit. Itâs not a good rule of thumb because different people have different skills and take different amounts of time to do shit. For organic chemistry, you might be spending more 9 hours per week studying (and according to the success rates of some of my peers, I recommend you spend at least that much time on o-chem). But thereâs also, say, Oceanography. I took that class. I studied/put in work⌠maybe an hour per week, and it was a three credit class. But I also took a class that was 3 credits called 18th Century America, and I would say I probably put something like 10-15 hours per week doing the readings and assignments for that class. It just depends, you guys. Figure out what works for each class and then distribute your time accordingly (and donât waste time studying for something you very obviously know and have already aced).Â
2) Study When You Can
Sometimes you have to cram. I donât recommend it, but it happens. If you do, use the whole day before to go over stuff and test yourself. Do not do it the morning of, donât do it right before the test. That is useless. If you have a good memory, you can study the night before/two days before.
That said, if memorization and improvisation arenât your strong suits, do go over your notes at the end of each day, and if you donât get something, as your prof or your TA or your friend who definitely knows what theyâre doing. Talking about it will only help you remember it more.
Overall, study when you can find the time. Sometimes that means staying off twitter for a few minutes and reviewing your notes instead, but if youâre paying good money for higher education (and I assume you are), donât waste it by never studying or blowing off an exam.Â
3) Manage Your Time, ButâŚ
Just because you manage your time to make school a priority does not mean that you should let the other things in your life fall by the wayside. People often forget basic self care when they put school before everything else. Remember to shower and brush your teeth and take a minute for yourself because life is a lot and school is just a small part of your life. You cannot let time management become a synonym for school > everything else. It just means that you need to spend all of your time wisely, whether thatâs getting some socialization in there or eating dinner or doing homework or taking a shower.
4) You Are Allowed to Forget Stuff
Look. I recommend always having more than one writing utensil, but you can forget one day. You can forget a notebook or a textbook every once and a while. I did, and yet I succeeded with flying colors. Definitely try not to be rushed all the time, but donât freak out if you grabbed the wrong notebook. Just take down notes and staple them into the right one, or however you do it.Â
Also, yeah, your college profs arenât here to attend to your personal needs, but if you have a class on one side of the campus and only ten minutes to get to the class on the other side of the campus, see if you can leave early or let the prof know that youâre going to be a few minutes late because you can only cross a mile so fast. Professors are far more understanding than they let on (some of them arenât, but theyâre just dicks, and youâll either have to deal with that or be prepared to challenge them).
And, of course, if youâre struggling, ask for help. Profs want you to succeed, actually, and if they donât, then it might be time for a discussion with the chair of the department.
5) Stay Organized, Whatever That Means
Some people stay organized with color-coded pens, tabs, and a designer planner. Some people have the patience for bullet journals. Some people write their assignments down on their phones, or set a google/apple calendar alert. However you remember things, just remember them. Whatâs organized to you wonât be organized for someone else, and whatâs organized for someone else might not look organized to you. There is no objective way to stay organized. I donât recommend trying to store everything inside your head, but youâll figure out what works for you.Â
6) You Donât Always Need to Read/You Donât Always Need to Take Notes
Some classes are really important, some are not; some textbooks are really useful, some are not; taking notes can be effective, or they could be useless to you by the time the exam or essay rolls around. I took very light notes for my Brit Lit class (and did 75% of the reading), my World Drama class (90% of the reading), my Monuments in History capstone (20% of the reading), and I got Aâs in all of those classes. I took heavy notes for Biology and Western Mythology and read about half of what was assigned. I took no notes for my Anthropology of Sex & Reproduction class, but I read absolutely everything.Â
It will probably take you about three weeks to figure out your profâs teaching style. If itâs an English class, youâre gonna need to read most of it. If itâs a science class, maybe not. If you only have a midterm and a final, and not tests i between those, you might want to keep the textbook handy. But different classes have different requirements, just like they do with the number of hours you spend studying. So you know, act accordingly.
7) Read The Assigned Chapter Before Class, But Donât Read Ahead
Look, most profs are gonna tell you to read the chapter before class on Monday, or maybe theyâll give you until Wednesday, so you should read in advance. But unless a prof says to read ahead, you really donât need to read ahead, especially if you have content-based reading quizzes. It just gets really confusing and getting ahead is only necessary when you know that otherwise youâll get behind. I mean, read ahead if you want to, but know that you probably donât have to.
8) Show Up, For Fuckâs Sake
Look, showing up is the easiest thing in the world. And I know what having those 8am/9am classes is like. Iâll admit, I didnât show up half the time to my 9am freshman philosophy class, but I bet I wouldnât have failed two tests if Iâd shown up (I still got an A in the class, donât worry, there were a lot of assignments and one test didnât count for much). I just wanted to sleep. But if you show up and pay attention, youâre more than likely going to get a lot of out of the class.
Oh, and if your prof takes attendance. Show up. Especially if itâs a small class. Trust me, theyâll notice, and it will be so embarrassing.Â
But also, donât sweat it if youâre sick one day or sleep through the alarm. It fucking happens, and like Iâve said before, profs are pretty understanding most of the time.Â
9) Take Notes However Works For You
Some people use that weird method of dividing the paper in half hot-dog style, and thatâs fine. Some people scribble shit down that no one else can read. Donât feel pressured to rewrite your notes unless you canât understand them. Do not review right after class - give your brain some fucking time to process that shit. But maybe review in the next 48 hours, itâll help you be ready for the next class.
10) Donât Be On Your Phone
Unless youâre literally not learning anything. I spent more time in my Geography class on my phone or computer getting useful things done or playing games than I did actually learning anything from the professor. In my Asian History class, the teacher was mediocre at best, so my friend and I sat there in the front row and played hangman (which was kind of disrespectful but we were idiots at the time so). But if your grades slip because youâre on your phone and not paying attention, or if your teacher has to tell you more than once to get off your phone, you might have phone addiction. See someone about that, k?
11) Review? Maybe
If you choose to review your notes, do so in a quiet, calm, and un-rushed manner. Donât just look at them - actually try to absorb them. Otherwise thereâs no point in reviewing them.Â
12) Study When You Can
Wait, didnât I already have this one? Yeah. But! I saw a thing that said study early and often, which is great if you can make the time, but the truth is that if you study too early youâll forget everything, and if you study too often you likely wonât be able to focus on other things that require your attention. So study not too long nor too shortly before the exam, and donât study so much that your brain explodes. Give yourself a break. Have a kit-kat.
13-14) Flashcards? Mnemonic Devices?Â
Use them if they work for you, and maybe try color coding them. That can help with memorization. But if they donât work for you, donât use them.
15) Donât Rewrite Your Notes
Unless you canât read them. Then definitely either rewrite them or type them up, so that theyâre actually usable.Â
16) Consolidate
This suggestion was actually pretty okay. Making lists and/or tables or whatever can really help, especially if youâre a visual learner. But if they donât help you, donât use them, because then itâs just a waste of your time.
17) Teach It To Someone Else
Yeah, this one is good, too. But make sure the person youâre explaining it to doesnât have a lot of background knowledge, because itâs being able to explain it correctly to someone who hasnât heard it before that really counts.
18) Is There Even Such a Thing as a Good Study Environment?
Some people canât study on their own. I sure have a hard time of it, especially because I get distracted on my own. For me, studying with others for exams has saved my grade. But there are times or assignments that are best done on your own.
What I will say, is that when you study with other people, sometimes itâs best to study with your friends who are studying something else. My friend Breea and I had completely different majors and classes, but we made the best study partners because she could explain science to me and I could explain anthropology and history to her, and thatâs how we knew we were good to go.Â
19) Sleeeeeeeeeep. Plan. Deal.Â
Get a good nightâs sleep before an exam and try not to be late. Mean profs will not let you make up a missed exam. Good profs will, even if it was just a traffic jam. But generally speaking, try to prepare for all worst case scenarios when you have an assignment due.Â
20) Ask. Questions. Jesus. Christ.
Look if you get something wrong, donât be embarrassed or ashamed. Ask why you got it wrong, and if you think you did something right but the TA or prof just graded it wrong, feel free to point out their mistakes (in private, though, not in front of the class). Go to office hours and make use of that time, or make an appointment with a prof so that you donât have to skip class to go to office hours.
21) Midterms and Finals Are Different. Or Not.
Ask your prof at the beginning if the final will be cumulative. If it is, keep reviewing that midterm material through the end of the class. If not, feel free to forget most of the stuff from the midterm and earlier. Each prof is different and some finals arenât even exams, theyâre papers or projects. So, you know, plan accordingly.Â
22) Donât Keep Your Fucking Textbooks
Look, unless you fell in love with a text (happens to English majors), sell back your books. And after a few weeks (or once the next term starts) throw out your notes, especially if you canât read them or if theyâre for a class you had to take for university credit but didnât actually need for your major.Â
SELL. THOSE. BOOKS. I canât say it enough, you wonât make much, but itâll be nice to get that lunch after finals are over. But remember, donât sell the book until youâve taken/turned in the final.Â
23) Talk to People!
I saw something that said not to discuss grades/quizzes/tests/exams with classmates. Fuck that. I mean, try not to talk about it before the exam starts or whatever, but fucking talk about that shit. In my Mediterranean Archaeology class, we all talked about the readings before class on Fridays because we had a reading quiz and no fucking idea what the reading was about (those were some of the hardest readings ever). It was really helpful to discuss and summarize to make sure we got the point of the article. Also, like, if youâre comfortable with sharing grades, do, and if youâre not, donât. Itâs your grade, you can do whatever you want with it.
Also, if youâre unsure about something, you can ask a classmate. Thatâs probably a better first resource than a prof, who will get annoyed, especially if you didnât do the reading.
THATâS IT.
Well, I hope this fucking helps. This was basically how I survived college, except add a lot of caffeine. Every major is different, some things are universal. So. You know. Go ham.