[studyfab-blog]

Hello Lovelies!

Last night I attended a fancy dinner for all of the school captains of the schools in my area hosted at a prestigious university nearby. It was an absolute blast of a night (the food was delightful :P), albeit initially an intimidating one. All of the people around me urged me to make the most of my company, and to treat the evening as a ‘networking opportunity’, which is still really weird for me, because I’m 16!

However, I discovered that ‘networking’ doesn’t have to mean fake, schmoozy, forced conversations with people who you feel no real connection with. By the end of the night, I’d talked to a plethora of other young people who had common interests and goals as me, and gained a real insight into how other school leaders ran their initiatives. Today, I thought I’d share a couple of tips with you all that helped me feel super satisfied with the evening.

Have a wingman One of my co-captains is immensely involved in programs run by our city council which had already connected her to many other young people across town, and coincidentally, about a third of the people in attendance at the dinner. A good way to ease into the pool of talking to strangers was to tag along with her as she did a round of the floor and introduce myself to people she ran into. 

Make a good first impression A big smile, and visible confidence as you introduce yourself can go a long way. Be genuinely interested in meeting somebody new, finding out a little bit about them, and in turn, they will show you the same courtesy, minimising the awkwardness of feeling like the last thing someone wants to be doing is talking to you. 

Ask questions This might seem like a no brainer, but do try to learn more about the person you’re speaking to, and how they relate to and connect with your experience. Any networking function is generally composed of people who have something in common - whether it’s an interest in STEM or volunteering, a high level of achievement in a national program, or a desire to interact with people from a particular field - which gives you an instant platform to relate on. The best way to avoid short-lived connections is to eliminate shallow small talk, and segue into deeper (but still interesting!) discussion

Follow Up If you’ve really made an effort to uncover the experiences, stories and goals of the people you’ve met, you’re bound to have one or two individuals who you really hit it off with. Don’t just leave it at that - follow up on the conversation! The next day, find a way to maintain the relationship - social media works really well for this - and send them a message letting them know that you really enjoyed talking to them, and if it’s relevant, that you’d love to get involved if they need help with a project or are looking for a partner to collaborate with.

And that’s it - you’ve officially met, and retained a potential professional bestie! Congratulations :D

Anyway, I hope these tips were helpful. I hope you all have a great start to your week! 

[studyfab-blog]

Today went really badly :/ I found out at the last minute that I had to write a speech to ‘address my cohort’ because I’m a school captain and it sounded disgusting and condescending and pseudo-motivational and now I feel gross... But I get tomorrow off again, because it’s Australia day! I want to sleep and get back in a good mood so I can ace the first day of actual classes on Wednesday

[studyfab-blog]

My last year of high school starts in two days - feeling the pressure! Fingers and toes are crossed for a great year :)

[studyfab-blog]

Hi Lovelies! School here in Australia is just about to start back, so I got crafty last night and covered some new exercise books using washi tape and some paper I got from kikki-k and an old issue of RUSSH. I think they’re looking cute! What do you think?

[studyfab-blog]

Hey lovelies!

I’ve been finding that after I get home from school on busy days, I literally cannot function without a nap, and whilst that’s okay, it does eat out quite a bit of time from my afternoon, and it takes me a bit of time post-nap to stop feeling groggy. Going into Year 12, I want to start getting up earlier, probably around 5am to get some study done before school when I’m still super alert. 

Do any of you early risers have any advice for a traditional late sleeper?

[studyfab-blog]

Hello lovelies! 2016 is just around the corner! So, for all of you resolution die-hards, I thought I’d make a graphic on how SMART goals work, and how to use them! I hope you find it helpful <3

[studyfab-blog]

Hello lovelies!

Today, I put together a short-ish graphic with some advice on public speaking. Speaking comes pretty naturally to me - whether it be at competitions, awards evenings, assemblies, assessments or year meetings, I don’t freak out if I’m asked to say a few (or a few more) words. I know that many of you are motivated to study as hard as you do by the success you are driven to achieve. Being comfortable with public speaking, and off the cuff speaking can be a huge asset in helping you achieve those goals, as the skill presents you in the best light possible. I hope you gain some extra help through my graphic, and as always, I’m happy to answer any questions!

Happy Speaking! x

[studyfab-blog]

Hello, lovelies!

So, it’s mid-December, and in addition to the abundant festive cheer that’s circulating, the annual air of excitement and resolution-making is just starting to settle as we begin to anticipate a new year. Here are two desktop wallpapers that I’ve made for all of you, to kick off your productive, motivational mood in your planning of a fabulous 2016. The quotes I’ve used are from two tremendously successful, intelligent young women - Tavi Gevinson and Lorde - who work with dedication and passion to get things done. I hope their quest to seize each opportunity they can in the journey of building their own empires will inspire you in whatever you hope to accomplish in the next twelve months <3

xx

[haleystudies-deactivated2017062]

[ 042/100 - 11/11/15 ]

Studying for Media, Culture, and Society!! Test on Friday

[studyfab-blog]

I love the pink flashcards - where can I get them?

[brbimstudying]

whooo!! decided to bring this back since i never got to finish it up the last time but here it is, again!! 

rules;

must be following me 

reblog this post

tell me ur main if this is ur side blog thru tags

this post must have a decent number of notes

ends 15 dec 2015, 10pm [gmt +8]

awards;

5 best urls

5 best profile pic

5 best mobile theme

5 best web theme

5 best original posts

3 kindest bloggers

2 best overalls

prizes; 

a follow from me!

v possibly a huge spam!!

my friendship [this is the best prize] [i’m kidding]

getting featured till the end of this blog [aka forever]

a 6 day early preview of my 2016 calendar printables!

i have no idea how i’m gonna pull this off since there are 30 awards which is v much insane. best of luck to everyone!!

[studyfab-blog]

Hello lovelies! Here’s a quick list of sounds to study to, musical and otherwise.

Noisemakers and Ambient Sounds White Noise Generator Coffee Shop Sounds Productivity and Relaxation Catered Noisemaker

Classical Classical Radio on Pandora Piano Compositions at 60bpm (the tempo associated with resting heart rate and productivity) More 60bpm - Baroque Playlist

8tracks: Get those As! Concentration Eat.Sleep.Study.Repeat Make Elle Woods Proud

Artists (links go to spotify): The National Ed Sheeran The xx Regina Spektor Ben Howard Joni Mitchell Ziggy Alberts

Happy Studying!! xx

[studyfab-blog]

Quick Study Tip: HIIT Studying

Ask any fitness blogger about the benefits of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and they’ll sing its praises, but a study blogger? Basically, in HIIT, you alternate between periods of high intensity and low intensity exercise, like sprinting and jogging, to build endurance and general cardio health. The same principle works for study, and can help reduce the “burnt out” feeling of exhaustion many of us have after a massive study session that often prevents consistency in study habits.

Basically, when you’re working through your to-do list, instead of getting the easy stuff out of the way and moving up to the harder work, try to alternate between more and less mentally demanding work. This works really well with the pomodoro method - for example, I might spend two pomodoros doing a difficult maths practice paper, and then spend the next two pomodoros organising my research journal for history, or documenting my experimentation for art. By continuing to work and not completely breaking from your study, but still letting your mind “cool down” from intensive study, it’s easier to study for longer, and more productively. You avoid situations where you’re staring at dense readings for hours on end without absorbing any of its information, or feeling completely incapable of solving yet another practice problem that you’re too dead to properly evaluate. Also, by making your study more manageable, you’re more likely to be consistent, coming back tomorrow and working just as hard, instead of taking a break because you exhausted yourself the previous day.

Happy studying! xx

[studyfab-blog]

StudyFab dishes on how to make the most of high school :)

Hello lovelies!

I've been to three high schools, where I've had vastly different experiences. Way back in year 8, I got into a whole bunch of trouble for never turning up at school or doing my work, because I had no motivation and really didn't enjoy the environment. Now, I'm just about to go into year 12, and I'm getting pretty good grades, I'm a school captain (sort of like class president, or head prefect for you international folk) and I genuinely like being at school, like 95% of the time. I get that different people have different experiences, but I truly believe that how well you do at school, and how you feel about it comes down to personal choice.

The advice that follows tries to fill the two main factors that I believe lead to being happy, or at least not hating school - finding your people, and finding your passion. As long as you have a network of people who support or get you in some way, and something other than classes that makes you want to be in the environment you're in, everything should work out okay.

Get Involved! Find extracurriculars that you enjoy, and that give you a sense of responsibility in your school's community. Having a reason to be at school, and having people relying on you can motivate you to try harder, as well as help you meet like-minded people. If there are no clubs, committees or groups at school that do that for you, start one! I like this article on Rookie a lot for help with that. Chances are, other people at school might feel the same way, and you'll end up uniting a group of people who would have never met each other otherwise.

Give Back I don't speak for the entire studyblr community here on Tumblr, but I know that everyone reading this has access to an internet connection, and many of us have the spare cash to buy pretty stationery, notebooks or planners to help us at school, which places us in the top percentages of the world's wealthy. There is always somebody who has it worse than you, and I've found some of my most rewarding experiences at school have been programs in association with charity organisations that try and give back to my local and broader community. Again, if there's nothing like this available at your school, try contacting World Vision, Amnesty International, Zonta, UN Youth, or the RSPCA - I'm sure they'll be more than happy to help set something up.

Have an external outlet Sometimes, especially at small schools, your grade can seem really insular. The same people, the same drama and the same relationships cycle on and on and on, and I've found that the best way to avoid going stir crazy when holidays are still two months away is to have an outlet that's not directly related to your school or the people in it. Maybe it's volunteering at a local organisation, a part-time job, a social sporting team, a book club or a dance class - getting away from the world of your school for a couple hours a week and spending time with fresh people can often make it just a little less claustrophobic when you do have to be there five days a week.

(Try to) be authentic I understand that it's not always safe, or easy to just 'be yourself' at school - parts of our identities, be it related to sexuality or gender, our families, our past or even just our interests are not always socially acceptable. You don't have to be vulnerable, and if you feel that you need to hide some part of yourself until you graduate, or move away, or move out, that's completely okay. But, if you put up walls that shut out the world from even little clues as to who you are, the people you attract into your circle of friends aren't going to be fulfilling. Putting yourself out there can be so, so scary, but from experience, I've found that scaring yourself can be immensely rewarding. Opening up can let in people who you never thought would understand you, and likewise, give you an amazing sense of being trusted with somebody else's secret self.  

If all else fails, change doesn't hurt I don't know how practical this advice is if you're in public school systems in some schools, but if you're lucky enough to be in a position where there are multiple options for where you can get an education, and all your efforts to make it work at your current school aren't succeeding, it can help to consider changing schools. From experience, if you dedicate the first term at a new school to really becoming a part of its community, meeting everyone and trying everything, it doesn't have to be a difficult transition, especially if you think the culture there is a better fit for you than where you are now. Academics aren't the only important part of a school -  often, you're not going to perform nearly as well if you can't identify with the value of the school and the students who go there.

So, I hope that was helpful to those of you who are still in high school like me, and as always, if any of you want someone to talk to, or to ask for advice, my ask is always open!

xx

[focusonplan-a]

A post about procrastination from a person who actually knows what she’s talking about

I’m sure all of you have seen at least one of those posts where people who cleary aren’t procrastinators tell you to ‘just stop procrastinating’ or ‘to focus on your goals’ or ‘get a grip’. Saying stuff like that to actual procrastinators is like telling someone if they want to fly, all they have to do is to just look at the sky and waggle their arms.

This post, on the other hand, is about helping you to understand what the problem is and what you can do to change it. I was in therapy for procrastination and I’ll share with you what worked for me. Everything I tell and recommend you here is based on my own experience and research.

First of all, let me tell you one thing. Procrastination is not laziness. It’s as simple as that. Being lazy is a bad habit, procrastinating is a serious mental problem.

WHAT IS PROCRASTINATION

In my own words: procrastination is the inability to do stuff. Stuff you don’t want to do as well as stuff you do want to do. And not because you’re lazy, not because you don’t have enough time, but because you simply cannot bring yourself to do it. It’s not fun, it’s not relaxing - it’s terrible. 

Besides the huge pile of unrealistic shit, there are some good articles out there that actually explain what procrastination is. Tim Urban wrote a series of blog posts about this [x x x] on wait but why in which he does a really good job of describing and explaining what procrastination is all about. 

In another really good article by David Cain I found a quote that struck me to the core because it was so true.

You see, procrastinators tend to be people who have, for whatever reason, developed to perceive an unusually strong association between their performance and their value as a person. This makes failure or criticism disproportionately painful, which leads naturally to hesitancy when it comes to the prospect of doing anything that reflects their ability — which is pretty much everything.

I urge you to read that article. It’s a very sensible approach to what procrastination is and how it develops as a behavioral pattern.

HOW TO BEAT PROCRASTINATION

The first thing you need to understand is to face this issue, is that it’s not going to go away. It is something that you’ll have to face every day. But it will also get easier every time you face it.

start small - The task my therapist gave my was to do 45 minutes of studying a day. Not even one hour. And believe me, I struggled a lot with this. Doing something (i.e. stuying) every day is hard, so don’t sabotage yourself with taking on too much to soon. Some sense of achievement is essential for your motivation to keep fighting.

plan ahead (but not too far) - like you probably all know, planing and breaking down tasks is, like, the most important thing if you want to achieve something. But the thing is, if you plan for two weeks in advance, the amount of tasks waiting for you will overwhelm you. For me personally, planing two or three days in advence works best. You can always experiment a bit to find out what works best for you.

starting ritual - this one of the most important things my therapist taught me. Develop a ritual to get you started. Starting is the hardest part and to help yourself with it, do a few tasks to get you in the right mindset for studying. Shut off your phone, make some tea, tell your bestie you’re studying now, wipe your desk clean, light a candle, prepare some snacks. Do whatever works for you. Be consistent with it and do it every time before you start studying. But! These rituals are not aloud take more than 10-15 minutes because if they’re longer, they will turn into a procrastination habit.

talk to yourself - I’m serious. You need to understand that only you decide what you’re doing. And sometimes, you need to tell yourself that. Out loud. It sounds strange, but it works wonders. (My personal mantra is ‘Only I decide what I do with my time. I am the one who decides what I do.’)

forgive yourself - you’re not always going to win. there will be days where you fight and fight yourself but you still loose. Those days feel terrible, but please try to remember that it’s okay. Don’t beat yourself up about it. Just tell yourself that you will:

start again - maybe you lost a day, maybe a week, maybe a month. The point is: it doesn’t matter. All that matters is starting again. It might be harder than you remember, but getting up again is the most importat part.

I didn’t include tipps on how to actually study in this post because there are so many people out there who can tell you about this a lot better than I ever could. I’ll link you to some of my favorites here, here and here. 

I really hope this post was helpful for some of you. If you are battling procrastination, please know that you’re not alone. It will get easier, but I still struggle, too. If you want someone to talk to, my inbox is always open.

[bekkitakesoxford]

19.07.2015 || So recently I’ve been asked a lot about my colour coding system, in response to flavaflavs question I thought  I’d share it with you all! 

Highlighters:

A have a pack of STABILO Boss Original Highlighter Pens (Pack of 8), and I’ve labelled each one to mean something: 

Argument (Dark Pink)

Issue (Light Pink)

Historiography (This is the arguments other historians have made)(Pink)

Statistic (Orange)

Quote (Yellow)

Figure (as in a person) (Green)

Structure (Dark Green)

Date (Blue)

This is the system I use when going through my reading/essays to make it clear whats what, and I then incorporate this into my revision sheets/flashcards when I do them for exams

Notebooks:

I write all my classwork (where I engage with a lecturer/tutor) down in separate notebooks for different topics. I write my general notes for the set reading on a plain pukka pad jotta.

As part of my revision and organisation, I then rewrite all of the messy notes up neatly, using pukka pad “Comfort in Colour” Collection. I then write different types of information down on different colours:

Blue - Tutorial/Class Notes

Green - Lecture Notes

Purple- Essay Feedback

Post-its:

As I can’t highlight in all of the books I use, I tend to use post-it notes when I’m doing reading for my essays, and these mini(ish) post-its are good for that, as I can write little bits of information from the text, whilst still having them where I got the information from. This allows me to note where I got the information from and forces me to condense the amount of notes I take from a single page.

Orange: “My Thoughts”: Any ideas about the essay/ thoughts about what is being said that I consider whilst reading

Pink: “Argument”: Anything that makes it clear what the author is arguing/supports their argument

Blue: “Quotes”: Any quotes, either referring to another text or that I will take from the reading

Green: “Dates/Stats”: Any dates or statistics that can be used for my understanding of the period/I can use in my essay

Notes:

The first time I make notes I don’t do much colour coding, other than writing quotes and key bits of information in a different colour, using a different colour for each book I’m making notes on for that essay (I typically read and make notes for 7 books per essay). This makes it easier to find the information I need AND if in my essay writing frenzy I mix up my notes, the colure help me sort them back into order before I file them.

Bare in mind that I’m doing a BA in History, so they are very history orientated, but this system would work well with other essay based/reading subjects :)

[studyfab-blog]

This is gorgeous, definitely using it for Modern next year!!

[studyfab-blog]

Studyfab's Top 5 Tips for Essays!

Hello lovelies, Sorry it's been a while - motivation has been low and life demands have been high. I thought I'd ease back into regular posting with a quick list of ways to boost your marks in both hand-in and exam-style essays, from my experience. Personally, this sort of assessment comes pretty easily to me and I hope the strategies I use are helpful for all of you!

1. Wherever possible, use audience specific and precise language. Look at my previous post on vocabulary if you need help learning new words, because in formal papers, complex and insightful use of vocabulary can be the difference between an A and a B, especially in any Literature or English orientated subjects. This also applies for social sciences, in which using subject-specific terminology (e.g for history, think about descriptors like "post-revisionist perspective", or "nationalistic bias") can give you authority and substance. 

2. Plan, draft, redraft!! If your teacher has said they will mark a draft or a plan of a hand-in essay, the draft you hand them should not be your first attempt at the assignment! Make sure that you've solidified your thesis (possibly with the help of prior consultation through email) and streamlined your argument so that you have a clear foundation which you can embellish throughout the writing process as more complexity becomes necessary. Also, I've personally found peer-drafting to be really helpful - use the community around you as much as you can! Having a different pair of eyes read your work will help you improve areas you may not have previously considered, and offering to do the same for them is sure to get a positive response.

3. Constantly extend your ideas. A very popular way to explain the typical intro-body-conclusion structure of an essay is to say "write what you're about to say, write what you want to say and then write what you just said". To me, with the strict word limits placed on most academic writing, this method seems like an inefficient waste of words (and in an exam, time), as you end up simply presenting the same thoughts three times. Each section of an essay should extend upon ideas already presented. An introduction should present points to the audience in their clearest manner, which should then be further elaborated on with the introduction of different perspectives and observations in the body, and finally, in the conclusion, extended to a broader or more contemporary context, summarising what we can learn from the subject. In this way, the thesis is solidified with more authority, evidence and insight - all skills that markers look for to discriminate between good essays and great ones.

4. Pay attention to craft. The way you communicate your message is as important as the message itself. In addition to efficiency of writing (see point 3), this means that structure, from the order of your paragraphs, to the sequencing of arguments within your paragraphs, to the way these arguments are linked and evidenced must all be carefully arranged. Aim for a cohesive flow of ideas that guides the marker through your argument without the need for them to fill in the blanks, or question your logic.

5. Be opinionated! Whilst 1st person is generally discouraged in an academic context, your writing will be much for engaging if it is written from a place of personal inquiry and passion, and you can do this without using personal pronouns. Also, don't feel that you have to agree with any given statement, or immediately jump in with a positive response to an exam question if you feel that you can evidence and argue another position you identify with more. Markers are going to find your writing way more powerful if it doesn't parrot the same response that every other student in your class thinks they're supposed to write. If you can show a perceptive understanding of the content, a mastery of writing and a well-informed viewpoint, you're on the way to a gorgeous piece of work.

I hope this has been helpful :) As always, feel free to inbox me at any time with questions or feedback.

Happy studying!

xx

[studyfab-blog]

New Vocabulary

My first attempt at the SAT is coming up in October, and I’ve started learning new vocabulary to help prepare for the Critical Reading section. I want to emphasise the fact that the SAT is a standardised test, which doesn’t measure intelligence as well as it might hope to - the only thing it really measures is an individual’s ability to take it. In my classes and broader study, I am almost always attempting to expand my vocabulary, not merely memorising new words by rote. I want to ingrain vocabulary into my brain with it’s proper connotations and nuances, not just it’s definitions. The rhetoric of a text is shaped so much by the specific words chosen to communication an idea - why use pedagogy instead of education? Transitory instead of ephemeral?

I believe that the ability to distinguish between different shades of meaning in language is key to being able to analyse texts and create them. The best way to learn this is through wide and extensive reading and through instinctual interpretation of new words in their context (with a little help from a dictionary, of course). However, when studying for a standardised test like the SAT, one needs to cater their preparation to the format of the test, and in this case, it seems to favour quantity of knowledge over quality. With two months until the SAT as well as a full school workload starting back on Thursday, I thought I’d share how I’m memorising words as efficiently as I can.

*** NOTE: I bought “SAT 2400 in Just 7 Steps” by Shaan Patel to prepare for the SAT, which I’m finding quite helpful, so I’m starting off by learning the word lists it came with. However, the book is not at all definitive, and it’s sets of words could substituted with any prep books or websites you find. 

First, I went through the 25 sets of words contained in the book, and marked off every word I didn’t know, because there’s no point in relearning old material. Then, I started separating the sets into 20 word long lists in my notebook. Chunking large goals into smaller, manageable tasks is hugely helpful in tackling them, and 20 words is just enough to fill a comfortable study session of word learning.

In one column, all the words are listed with their corresponding definition in another. I used my new erasable blue marker to dot each word, meaning that it needs to be memorised - I find it super motivating to be able to rub out that little dot once I’m sure I’ve got a word down, and to replace it with an orange dot for later revision. When learning masses of words, revision is key. I’m aiming to revisit new lists every day for a week after they’ve been initially learnt, and following that, on a weekly basis. 

When it comes to actual memorisation, I try to use each word in as many ways as possible. I read it, say it out loud, spell it, and visualise it written in the air with big, curly letters. I find that focussing on the phonetic quality of the word, giving it weight and importance helps it stick in my mind longer than when it’s monotonic, and just one of twenty words I need to learn. I look at the definition and repeat it out loud, over and over, until I can cover it and still remember. I try to connect the word somehow to what it means - for example, for dogmatic (firm, rigid in beliefs), I imagine an old, cranky dog who thinks that kids these days have it easy, and refuses to get an email account. Humour helps, as does relating words to my personal life -  I simply abhor studying vocabulary in the holidays when I could be watching Netflix! For the analytically minded, being able to recognise prefixes, suffixes and roots can aid in connecting a word to others with similar meanings. 

Once I feel pretty confident with a new list of words, I drill, drill, drill them! The definition column gets covered up with a business card, and I recall the meaning for each terms as quickly as I can, over and over again. Once I’m comfortable with them in order, I mix them up, picking words at random. The meanings won’t feel completely natural yet, but that’s what revision is for!

The key to revising, or at least, revising words that are mostly in your head already (which they should be if you are revisiting them daily) is quickly refreshing new information at regular intervals until the information is no longer new. After an initial study session, I don’t spend forty minutes relearning words - I’ve got 300 of them to get through! Drilling each list through once or twice and using each word in a sentence is more than adequate, and takes two minutes. After a week of revising each list, new vocabulary should be ingrained into your brain not just well enough to recall the meaning of a given word in a sentence completion question, but to organically use the new terminology in the essay section of the SAT, in regular English class and beyond.

I know this was long, but I hope it was helpful!

xx