A Blonde Studying

I adore taking notes, going to class, working out, making As, glitter, philosophy, the library, hip hop, cooking, shopping, aromatherapy, my adorable boxer, & my soldier husband.

[putthatazztowork-deactivated202]

The basic philosophy behind strength training:

Lift heavy things a lot of times until they’re not heavy anymore, then lift heavier things.

[chainmessages-deactivated201605]

YOU HAVE BEEN VISITED ️ BY THE ️EXAM FAIRY she will grant you good luck and success on your exams just by reading this️ forwardthis message on so that others may have good luck too

[study-nsp]

hi! because of my english [foreign language] teacher at school, i’ve had a lot of experience with mind maps. they’re a very useful tool i’ve found for studying, + i’ve developed a personal strategy to making them that i wanted to share with you guys! imo, there’s no right way to making one, this is just what i’ve found works better for myself, u can always adapt it + see what suits u better!

why should i make mind maps?

they’re a great way to connect ideas, summarize information + link concepts in a very visual way! so, great for visual learners but other types too

they are very customizable + u can include pics, drawings, symbols, colours, different arrows, etc etc

they can give you an overview of large a subject at once while also holding lots of information

because of the point above ^^^^ they can save u lots of times when reviewing bc u don’t need to read your [long] notes over + over, just glance at ur mind map and make the connections in ur head

when u make a mind map it helps understand info at a deeper level than when [traditional] note taking + remember it better 

mind mapping essentials

first of all, as usual, u don’t need lots of expensive + different coloured pens + highlighters!! just one black pen + a few colours [optional but preferred] should do, or u can use pencils or whatever u have!

blank paper is great but u can also use graph paper or anything u prefer, ir you’re like me and can’t write straight in a white piece of paper

other tools like a ruler can be great help too, use what u feel comfortable with 

1) making the draft

first i usually make a draft in pencil so that i can get a sense of how much space everything takes up + it doesn’t matter if i fuck up. when making this i write everything i will later not caring so much abt the ~aesthetic but i try to write neatly so it takes up the same space as later

i usually start with the topic in the center of the page because it lets you branch out all around it, but sometimes i’ve found it better to write it at the top depending on how much info i have + how i want to organize it. write the topic in big handwriting so it stands out

define what ur subtopics are + write them all around your main topic, connecting them to it with arrows

start branching from each subtopic using key words, not full sentences/paragraphs. connect the key words with each other if suitable. 

u can write connectors in the arrows so it makes more sense; this helps you really condense the information + figure out what’s important + what’s not

try not to include examples unless they’re very crucial

2) making the mind map

after finishing the draft, see if u need to move anything bc of space or if there’s something unnecessary that u can remove

start rewriting the mind map using fancy fonts, different types of arrows, colour coding, anything that u find useful or just to make it prettier

if u end up with any blank spaces u can fill them with diagrams, little drawings to illustrate what u wrote + help u remember better afterwards, printed pictures that u can glue, or even some cute washi tape [if u have washi tape, which i don’t so it’s not necessary]

and that’s it! u have ur mind map ready! congrats!

personal tips + advice

make a draft first if u have the time only - to me it’s better because while i’m redoing it i’m already studying, but it can be time consuming

it doesn’t matter if ur mind map is pretty or messy, has drawings or not, has colour coding or it’s all in black ink as long as u understood everything u wrote down + it helps u study

if u don’t have different colour pens u can make some words bold/bigger/underlined to make them stand out, use different fonts, circle titles or draw a cloud around them, use banners etc etc

if u do use colours try not to overdo it + use colour coding creating a key: for example, blue for the main topic, light blue for subtopics and light green for any other words that u want to make stand out

don’t use too many different fancy fonts either, choose one or two that compliment each other and stick with them! [cursive + lowercase, then everything else with ur normal handwriting]

don’t write long sentences or paragraphs bc u may end up feeling like ur just rewriting ur notes - key words + abreviations are ur friends. this way, you’ll have to think about what you’re doing and it’s easier to connect different concepts!

if taking time to make the mind map super pretty w lots of drawings helps u, do it! if it doesn’t, don’t! it will still do its purpose!

+ links

mind maps tag in my blog for inspiration [u can see there are many different types, different to what i explained in this post - experiment!]

this video on mind mapping 

“how i mind map” video by @studyign

“how to mind map!” video by @studyhardlivebetter

make mind maps online!

more links!!!

for more, u can search other studyblrs mind maps tags

so that’s it! i hope u found this masterpost useful, and since it’s my first long advice masterpost i’d love some feedback! good luck studying  💕

- sofi xx

[study-nsp]

first masterpost, yay :] i’ve been in the studyblr community for a little while so i thought i should make a post with what i’ve learned about studyblrs! credit for the pic used for the banner goes to @thearialligraphyproject 

what the heck is a studyblr?

basically it’s all in the name - study + tumblr :]

it’s a blog focusing on studying, motivation, inspiration, tips, you can decide what to pay more attention to!

mine is a studyblr in case u need an example

what about the community?

the studyblr community is wonderful, since i’ve joined i have found nothing but amazing people!

it’s all about sharing experiences, resources, tips, supporting each other + giving each other motivation to keep on

everyone is great okay

check @studyblrcommunity to find resources/other blogs! :]

how do i get started?

pick a url related to studying

make a post introducing yourself to the community, asking for other studyblrs to reblog so u can follow them & tag it with #studyblr and #studyspo. 

+ u can also go to those tags to check blogs out and reblog stuff! :]

to gain “recognition” u can take pics of ur study stuff (notes, desk, flashcards, mind maps, whatever) and tag them w the same tags i mentioned before

also make posts with advice and masterposts w resources you’ve found if u want/can!

what are these clocks on the laptop screens i’ve seen everywhere?

the white clock with the black bg is a screensaver, fliqlo

the clock with the “good evening/morning, *yourname*” is either momentum or lanes, they are rlly cute chrome extensions

general study resources/tips

masterposts tag on my blog

101 study tips

concentration + studying masterpost

how should i study?

back to school masterpost

school supplies masterpost

note taking methods

i hope this helped anyone! i’ll probably keep making masterposts bc i really like them and i want to help u guys, if u have any suggestions + questions let me know! :] 

- sofi xx

[ayetstudies]

Don’t be afraid to mix and match for color schemes too!

[ If you’re someone like me who doesn’t have all colors but wants to have all colors, let’s try our best at being resourceful. We don’t need that many. :) ]

[sundayscholar-deactivated201704]

A brief informative guide to highlighting your notes/book the right way so it doesn’t look like your book/notes exploded into a rainbow.

[aca-demia]

Color Coding Notes 101 by aca-demia

Tip 1: Use a limited amount of color

When I take notes I only use three colors. Two similar colors and one that is complimentary. I keep the colors limited so that it’s easy to identify key points on my notes. 

Tip 2: Writing out your notes

I choose one of the similar colors to be my main color where I write down facts and principles. I choose the other similar color to write out starting questions. Below, I use a dark blue to write out my main notes on the right column, and the light blue for starting questions on the left column. On the right column I use the light blue for anything that needs to stand out, like important vocab. 

I use my complimentary color (orange) for writing down names and dates. 

Tip 3: Charts and graphs

For charts and graphs I use the two similar colors together, but you can always use more colors on more detailed charts, graphs etc. 

[studybuddyx]

[successisthenewblack-deactivate]

[kaltoids]

I love colour coding. And to be honest, it took me a while to assign each colour a meaning but now I’ve been using this system for about 2/3 years and it’s been extremelly helpful and I thought I’d share it whith you. xoxo

[study-well]

Another 12 hour timetable printable; this time including a section for notes, and a colour coding key. 

[study-well]

Umm how do you use the color coding part? I couldn't check your faq I'm mobile sorry

Because I always colour code like this, I included it without even thinking about it! Here’s an example of how I would use it (and then colour the corresponding subjects in the timetable).

[crazylittlescientist]

|| 18/5/15 || 6:00pm ||

[study-nsp]

i’ve seen many posts with study tips saying highlighting is ineffective because it lets you become a passive reader, but since i personally find it useful when done correctly i wanted to make a post specifically about highlighting effectively! note that these are all my personal tips and you should always go with what works for you :]

the big NO: passive highlighting

the “highlight everything that’s important” technique where everything seems to be important

don’t do it!!!

you’ll end up with pages of yellow text not knowing what u just read

this doesn’t help u study at all

when should i highlight?

reading in advance for a class or sth, you have a really long text + you want to be able to recall important parts easily later – not necessary to colour code

you need to extract information from a text to answer different questions or similar – colour code: different colour for each question

you’re studying for a text and want to make a study guide - colour code: vocabulary + definitions, dates + people, etc

don’t highlight when the information is already very compressed, short + to the point, but you can make annotations if you want

colour coding

the art of highlighting

colour coding your notes

colour code and highlight efficiently [+ scientific evidence] 

how to colour code

colour coding notes 101

colour coding annotations

example of a key

another example

yet another key

create your own key to suit you best!

use different keys for different subjects

tips + advice

keep your key somewhere visible, like a post it note, an index card, the highlighters themselves, etc

is there something important that u feel like u may not remember or don’t understand? highlight it, make a note on the side

don’t highlight titles/subtitles bc they’re usually already made to stand out. same with already bold words, but do highlight the definition/explanation

you don’t need to highlight the whole sentence either – figure out what’s important in the important information

accompany highlighting with annotating to engage more + make it more effective – why did i highlight this part? do i have any info to add? personal comment/reminder?

don’t think just because u highlighted a chunk of text u’ve already studied it/know it – highlighting shouldn’t at all work as a study technique on its own

if you have few highlighters but want more colours, mix them!

highlighting supplies

very cute pastel highlighters!!

oh - so - famous - mildliners

candy color marker pens [actually highlighters]

cheap + good bic highlighters

clear view sharpies!!

stabilo boss wallet of 8 highlighters

soft colours + window!!!

muji twin tip highlighter

+ masterposts

studyblr-ing 101

apps for ur life

how to mind map

studying better

diy notebooks

i hope i was any help at all and that u never fall in the grips of passive highlighting!! happy studying!

- sofi xx

[alexandraleighc]

Saturday Study Tips

1.) Sleep in!  I often make the mistake of thinking I need to pop up at the crack of dawn to get things done on Saturday, when in reality I need to recharge my batteries from grinding all week.  Be good to yourself, and you’ll be more productive in the long run.

2.) Set a time to start studying and stick to it.  If you set your alarm to sleep in until 10:30, give yourself a couple of hours to wake up, get dressed, eat, and drink coffee.  Whenever your set study time rolls around, be ready to rock and roll!

3.) Pack all of the essentials.  The #1 killer of a good study session is not having everything that you need–and I don’t just mean academic materials!  Here’s a little list of what I like to pack:

— Coffee — Water bottle — Enough healthy food to last me the length of time I plan to study (this is hugely important!) — Earbuds — A sweatshirt or jacket (another important one!) — Phone charger + laptop charger — Gum or mints — Ponytail holder + bobby pins — Phone, laptop, textbooks, notebooks, pens, highlighters — Agenda

4.) Choose a study location that is best suited for you.  Everyone is different–for me, I sometimes have a hard time focusing in the library because it’s too quiet/can feel isolating!  For casual studying, I love places like Barnes & Noble or Starbucks because the buzz and bustle is energizing but also white noise I can tune out in the background.  When I need to get serious, the library/a study room is the better option.

5.) Find a good playlist to help you get in the zone.  I personally cannot listen to anything with lyrics, because I find myself focusing more on the words of the song and less on what I’m studying!  There are great playlists on Youtube that are designed to facilitate studying and focus; search for ‘alpha wave studying music.’  I also enjoy listening to seasonal instrumental Pandora stations, like bluegrass in the fall and classical Christmas in the winter.

6.) Turn. Off. Your. Internet.  Sign. Out. Of. All. Apps.  This is the hardest part of studying for me and a terrible habit I am striving to kick.  The impulse to check Facebook or Instagram or Tumblr is almost a reflex for most of us, so I find that turning off my internet on my laptop and signing out of my apps on my phone helps tremendously.  Set small goals for yourself that will exercise and strengthen your self-control like a muscle.  For example, “I will complete two reading assignments and then have 5-10 minutes to check social media before starting my next assignment.”  It sounds pathetic, but compulsively checking social media is a learned behavior that you have to force yourself to unlearn in order to be truly productive.  There’s an app for MacBooks called “SelfControl” that allows you to block certain websites for a set amount of time.  I strongly recommend it!

7.) Set realistic goals and take breaks.  The clock is your friend, not your enemy!  I work best in about 50-minute increments before I need a tiny 5-10 minute break.  During a regular study session, I usually can’t work for more than 3 hours before needing a larger break.  Exercising is always my go-to.  Get outside, breathe some fresh air, and let your body move.  It also helps to set a cap on your studying; I often pick a time I want to be totally finished for the day and focus my energy toward meeting that goal.

8.) Remember that constant studying is not healthy and perfect/imperfect grades do not define you.  You are more than your perceived academic abilities.  Working hard to achieve success is important but not everything.  There is a beautiful world out there beyond your desk.  Don’t be afraid to take time off to explore it :)

[jjstudi]

01.30.16

20/100 days of productivity

A nice reference for important structures, reactions, and rules 🙌🏻

[studyingblonde]

12•28•15•Monday Wow so I've been busy... My husband [still super strange to say that!] & I have officially moved to Fort Sill in Oklahoma!! Crazy different from Memphis, obviously. The house is slowly coming together. My office is pretty done...and huge compared to others I've had in recent years! Pics to come!