kaylan's studyblr 💫

16 / co '22 / enfp-a / bts namjoon

[stanbangttan]

-Kim Namjoon 2019

we do NOT deserve him

[cyberstudious]

I’ve always had trouble finding a planner that I really loved, so I figured I’d put my bookbinding skills to good use & make my own! I’m super happy with how it turned out & I can’t wait to use it this fall! here are some pictures from the process ✨

[cafe-studyy]

a “too much of a wimp to post these on my studygram because it’ll ruin the feed but at the same time i love them too much not to post anywhere” kind of post :)

tbh had a productive morning, studied chemistry and read for a while and then went out with family the entire day! its! ok! to! take! breaks!

[bookgeekconfessions]

99 legal sites to download literature

The Classics

Browse works by Mark Twain, Joseph Conrad and other famous authors here.

Classic Bookshelf: This site has put classic novels online, from Charles Dickens to Charlotte Bronte.

The Online Books Page: The University of Pennsylvania hosts this book search and database.

Project Gutenberg: This famous site has over 27,000 free books online.

Page by Page Books: Find books by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and H.G. Wells, as well as speeches from George W. Bush on this site.

Classic Book Library: Genres here include historical fiction, history, science fiction, mystery, romance and children’s literature, but they’re all classics.

Classic Reader: Here you can read Shakespeare, young adult fiction and more.

Read Print: From George Orwell to Alexandre Dumas to George Eliot to Charles Darwin, this online library is stocked with the best classics.

Planet eBook: Download free classic literature titles here, from Dostoevsky to D.H. Lawrence to Joseph Conrad.

The Spectator Project: Montclair State University’s project features full-text, online versions of The Spectator and The Tatler.

Bibliomania: This site has more than 2,000 classic texts, plus study guides and reference books.

Online Library of Literature: Find full and unabridged texts of classic literature, including the Bronte sisters, Mark Twain and more.

Bartleby: Bartleby has much more than just the classics, but its collection of anthologies and other important novels made it famous.

Fiction.us: Fiction.us has a huge selection of novels, including works by Lewis Carroll, Willa Cather, Sherwood Anderson, Flaubert, George Eliot, F. Scott Fitzgerald and others.

Free Classic Literature: Find British authors like Shakespeare and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, plus other authors like Jules Verne, Mark Twain, and more.

Textbooks

If you don’t absolutely need to pay for your textbooks, save yourself a few hundred dollars by reviewing these sites.

Textbook Revolution: Find biology, business, engineering, mathematics and world history textbooks here.

Wikibooks: From cookbooks to the computing department, find instructional and educational materials here.

KnowThis Free Online Textbooks: Get directed to stats textbooks and more.

Online Medical Textbooks: Find books about plastic surgery, anatomy and more here.

Online Science and Math Textbooks: Access biochemistry, chemistry, aeronautics, medical manuals and other textbooks here.

MIT Open Courseware Supplemental Resources: Find free videos, textbooks and more on the subjects of mechanical engineering, mathematics, chemistry and more.

Flat World Knowledge: This innovative site has created an open college textbooks platform that will launch in January 2009.

Free Business Textbooks: Find free books to go along with accounting, economics and other business classes.

Light and Matter: Here you can access open source physics textbooks.

eMedicine: This project from WebMD is continuously updated and has articles and references on surgery, pediatrics and more.

Keep reading

[the-small-one-to-rule-them-all]

This Is Such A Good Post

[artissijamm]

Good post

Thank you so much

[thestudyfeels]

✨ A/N: Hey, it’s me! To get notified when I post an article, join my taglist.

ALRIGHT ALRIGHT, before you start leaving mean comments - don’t be a hater. Be a conqueror. No admission fees, just a hearty commitment. Join today! (Someone sponsor me, lmao) - hear me out. I know it’s not summer yet since we still haven’t started experiencing the 38-40 °C kinda hellfire yet. (For you folks up there in the north, that’s around an unthinkable 105 °F.)

But to be honest, I don’t think anyone is that excited for summer as I am. I mean, you get two months off from school and the sweet freedom to do whatever the heck you want? Free to party all night, get drunk on the hype and be outside all day? I’ll take it!

So! With that as my excuse, here’s the first summer post of 2018. (Of course, there are more to come. Summer is life.) If you’re ready to join the summer madness, grab this bucket list and get ready (entering, lame joke) to make memories - not just sand castles. *plays recorded laugh track, she’s desperate to be funny*

Go to a concert/music festival. (Screaming Coachella! Basic hoes only!)

Trek up the hills with your friends! Or your dog!

Give Aunt Mary (aka the friends and family you forgot existed) a call for a grannie picnic.

Find new things to do and get them done. For instance, take up a new hobby like photography or sign up for an educational course (knowledge is power, son) on a topic that sparks your interest, say astronomy. You can even learn how to swim (summer is legit exploding with swimming classes and clubs, lol). There’s so much to do, honestly! Here are some more ideas.

Feel the sunshine on thou toes.

Live on the beach. (Take it literally if you like, grab those pillows and yo’ teddy and take over the beach.)

For the house snobs like me, build a fort with those bedsheets and have a summer movie marathon. Don’t forget the butter popcorn!

Volunteer, or if you’re broke and in need of the cold hard cash, get a summer job. Like sorry, but can’t forget the classic ‘sell lemonade/have a cookie sale’ haha.

Bend down to smell the flowers growing on the sidewalks. Yes.

Go for longs walks in nature, or try gardening. Here’s 10 reason why you need to start a plant family, via my fave gal, Kalyn.

IMPORTANT: get your summer assignments done as fast as you can. This way, you free up a lot of time to spend on other projects than just doing boring schoolwork that Miss Honey assigned.

Catch up on TV shows, YouTube videos and movies!!

Try making these awesome five ingredient smoothies, because food = life.

Learn to cook 10 meals from scratch. Or, if you like a good ol’ challenge, go baking! Bonus, you now have so much to eat. I’m so jelly.

Make a vision board because you gotta keep reminding yourself of your goals, yes, even while you’re partying. More on vision boards here.

Make your own rap song. It’s fun, I promise. Especially if you can’t actually rap.

Create your own summer bucket list! It’s fun to do fun things, you see.

Do something out of your comfort zone every single day. Literally, create a habit tracker for this thing. Even if they are small things like saying hi to a person you normally wouldn’t or complimenting a person, it counts. Do something uncomfortable every day.

Make a long badass summer playlist!! (Here’s my SoundCloud account for good music and good times.)

Clean the crap out of your room/apartment before break ends (want to take on this challenge officially?)

Adopt small good habits all throughout summer (here’s a list).

If you have one, revamp your blog - spice up that theme, change up your posting schedule, or collaborate with different creators!

Drink enough water. We don’t want you dying on us.

Learn about nutrition. Ideas include learning about veganism, or learning how to meal prep. Health is important!

Give yourself one-week mini challenges to conquer. For instance, don’t consume added sugar for a week or decide to read 4 books in just one week. Improve yourself, bud.

Take care of your skin, don’t shed it like a snake this time, lmao. (Read about skin care basics here.)

Put!! On!! That!! Sunscreen!! Prevents skin cancer, hon, it’s a thing.

Read a lot of books! My goal is to hit 15 this time.

Grind it hard in everything you do, every single day. Become unstoppable. Become a conqueror.

If you can afford it, travel to different places you want to see! And, if you can’t, don’t worry - make your future travel bucket list. (+ start saving up!)

Try out outdoor activities like gardening or horse riding. Get yo’ vitamin D, my people!

Get hooked on a good podcast! Check out these recs from the brilliant @eintsein whose work is goals and who inspires me legit all the time.

Get rekt. For my under 21 folk, with whom I sympathize ‘cause same, hang out with your friends and pretend to get drunk, because life shouldn’t be sober all the time.

Catch the bus to the nearest city and spend a day exploring the place, discovering cafes and taking selfies (we so basic, ha).

Redecorate your room for summer. Ditch those wintery fairy lights and get a neon signboard that says, ‘Let’s go, bitch’ for that’s mood™.

Finish writing them notes for the subjects you haven’t yet (these are usually those which you hate, and I feel you).

Check and recheck your school’s network to make sure you didn’t get those annoying surprise assignments from Miss Honey.

On the last day of break, host a private dance party where the only invited member is you. This is the actual definition of fun, I promise.

Learn a language! You have Duolingo, Memrise and other such language apps to help you with your goals.

Read some jokes. Stalk some meme blogs. Watch a horror gameplay. Laugh and let go a bit.

You still with me? Here’s your #41! This one is fun - eat lots of ice cream! After all, that’s what summer is for, amirite?

Ooh let’s not miss this one - take lots and lots of naps! Getting enough sleep is nice. Your body will thank you.

Take photographs and make plenty of videos. Make memories!

Have a fun do-no-work day! Here’s a list of fun things to do alone to get you started.

Play games. No, not Fortnite or Outlast, play actual games. Like a normal human. Here are some ideas: A tie-dye t-shirt contest. Darts. Chess. A slip and slide. Drip drench. There’s so much!

Going to sound pretty old fashioned, but build a Time Capsule! Trust me, it’s fun to have things that you can look upon later in life.

Summer is usually the best time to up your running skills. So, sign up for a 5k or a mud run!

Visit ‘x’ new places this summer. This can literally be a new cafe, or a museum you didn’t notice before, or a cosy library around the corner!

Head to free concerts or outdoor events being offered in your town, because we broke and we proud.

Go stargazing on a warm summer night. If you’re like me, this will make you super happy - so do it!

And here’s a bonus one: Go conquer. Every day! Do we have a deal?

Want to read more? Here are some related masterposts:

Last year’s summer post: So it’s summer. Now what?

Small things to do that will change your life

Things to do before you die: part one - spiritual version

Want instant motivation? Here’s my #ThursdayPickup!

Well, it’s a wrap! I post new articles every week (the schedule’s here) so you can follow me if you are into killing the game & conquering life. I’ll do my best to help you in the tough yet amazing journey called life. ✨

If you want to go through my blog, I would rec picking your choice of post from my masterpost list! Or, if you want to read something insightful on your cosy afternoon while chilling under blankets, I would rec reading one of my interviews. Feeling spoilt for choices? Here’s another! If you want to implement the ideas I share in my masterposts by taking action, take on one of my challenges!

+ Want to request a blog post? For that, leave your query in my ask box!

I hope you are well, stay strong and conquer life, you conqueror.

- Nandini (´｡• ᵕ •｡`) ♡

[studywithapple]

thank you for 20 followers!

i’ll start posting very soon! i’m focusing on finishing my summer online course before school starts and my room is currently going under construction so i won’t be able to post anything original yet. thank you for still supporting me!

[ravenlesslangblr]

9 points about language learning and how I’m learning 20+ of them

I’ve had a few requests to write about how I learn my languages. To different degrees, there’s currently 20+ of them and I don’t see myself stopping yet. The thing is, learning languages comes really easily to me and I want to share, maybe it will be helpful to somebody else.

First, I’d like to have a look at first versus second language acquisition. I’m a linguist and I’m super interested in Child Language Acquisition. That however, has a critical age of 14 (or so I was always told) and is then no longer possible and any language learned after that age will never progress as quickly or can’t be learned perfectly. Well. I disagree. The simple difference is - first language acquisition is how you acquired your first language(s) as a child. By imitating, finding patterns, etc. Second language acquisition is what you know from language courses. Vocabulary, irregular verb tables, endless exercises. Now that we got some of the terminology off the table, let me see how I actually learn languages: 1) I utilise elements of the first language acquisition rather than second language I’ve only studied vocab a couple times at school, when I put them into Quizlet or when someone forced me to. I’ll get back to it in another point. I don’t learn patterns. I know there is one and I let the input do its magic of slithering into my head. Again, more on that in point 2. You always get told you’ll learn a language better when you’re thrown into the country where they speak it.  And it’s so true because of the processes behind it. Because input and immersion are the keys and that’s how children learn, too.

2) I don’t cram languages. I process them.

Around langblrs, I keep seeing all the ‘crying over verb tables’, ‘trying to learn a 1000 words this week’ and the like. That may work for you, sure. But I’ve never done that. I did learn a few irregular verb patterns for German in class, but while I could recite them, it wasn’t helpful. In Irish, I sometimes still wonder which verb ‘An ndeachaigh tú?’ comes from. The thing is, you’re able to process language. You know this word is probably irregular. If you come across it and don’t know what the irregular form is, look it up. After you’ve looked it up for the tenth time, you’ll probably remember by then. Same with anything else. Don’t try to learn things by heart when it comes to languages. 3) Vocab?? Same rule applies here. I’ve only learned vocab at school and then a handful of times when I wasn’t too lazy to put it into Quizlet (which is fun and I learn something, but it’s more of a useful pastime than anything). When you read, just skip the words you don’t know and only really look them up if you can’t tell by context. NEVER translate vocabulary. I mean, sure, look up what it means, but don’t connect it to the word itself. Connect it to the meaning. Pictures work better. As for abstract words, imagine the concept. Just try not to bridge the meaning of the word with your native language. Languages in your brain are meant to be two separate units. Unless you’re working on a translation piece, they shouldn’t be ‘touching’. 4) I use example sentences for everything.

Grammar guides are useful but rather than learning all the rules at once, take it one step at a time and remember some example sentences and let them guide you through the grammar rule you need.

5) Input is everything. Output is hard, but you’re basically imitating input and utilizing patterns you know (or think you know). Let me give you an example. Let’s say I’m writing a piece on my daily routine, for example. I make use of the example sentences and try to tailor them to my own needs. Trial and error, if I make a mistake, it’s okay, if somebody points it out, I probably won’t make it next time. As I progress, I will gradually remove the mistake. Same goes to new words and new verbs. Use the input you’ve got. Does this verb sound like some other verb you’ve heard before? It’s might have a similar conjugation pattern. You can check it, you don’t have to.

6) Learning languages should NOT be stressful! I never stressed over learning a language. Sure, I’m frustrated that after a year and a half of learning Irish, I’m not 100% fluent, but I’ve never stressed over it. I’ve never cried over it. I’ve never cried over a language (I only cried after a French oral exam which I thought I failed). Don’t be hard on yourself and try learning through a method that’s not stressful. Watch videos for children. Read books for children. Write down cool things in your target language(s). 7) You’ve learned a language before. Why wouldn’t you be able to learn it now in a very similar way? This is basically me saying that I have little belief in the efficiency of pure second language acquisition. Maybe a few individuals can reach fluency by cramming a language, the thing is, I think that if we concentrate on processing instead of remembering, just like we did when we were children, we can reach better results in a shorter amount of time. Also, if this is your third or fourth language, compare to languages you already know. 8) I don’t start with basics. I start ‘somewhere’.

Delve into the language the second you’ve started. Are you overwhelmed? That’s fine! You’ll find your way around it. Start with word meanings, finding out what kind of sentences those are and then build your way around it. Don’t start saying ‘hello’ and ‘I’m from’. Those are cool, but usually, they are used in a different way when you actually go out and speak. You’ll get them along the way.

9) Don’t rely on instructions (only). Rely on yourself.

This is just my two cents. I’ve pieced this together trying to remember how I’ve learned what I’ve learned and comparing it to how others around me learned. Please, let me know if it makes any sense. I may edit this and post this again later if I have any more ideas. Feel free to contribute or to bombard me with questions. I’m happy to answer.

[thatyaromanceblog]

People who read classics

I have an important question for you all!

What is your favourite classic / most memorable that you’ve ever read (or top 3)??

As someone who doesn’t read nearly enough classics I would love hear other people’s input. Mine would personally be The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde.

[studywithapple]

Hey everyone!

If you’re interested in reading more classics, Barnes and Noble is having a sale on their classics for $5 each! I recommend buying some while they’re cheap and have a collection!

[prodessostudies]

a honest study guide

As I am usually a straight A student, I thought I’d share some of my favourite study “hacks”, but be warned: i will not be gentle with you. I am going to tell you the brutal truth about getting great marks, because it is no use sugarcoating the fact that school is actually super hard work! 

discipline beats motivation

to be honest no matter how perfect your/any studyblr might be, looking at a blog will unfortunately never ever motivate you to study as hard as you will have to to get an A. Studyblrs may inspire you, but the one thing which will really get you studying is discipline. So, as cruel as it may sound, force yourself to be productive and you will get some serious work done.

have no social life

… at least on some days. if you find it difficult to fit your studies into your social life, try reversing the whole thing. Don’t make plans with your friends on days during which you want/need to study. This definitely isn’t fun, I know, but for me, I often find it difficult to get work done when I have plans later that day as firstly, getting a certain amount of work done within a strict time limit stresses me out and secondly, you should definitely use all the time you can get - especially shortly before the upcoming exam.

all-nighters equal bad time management

truth be told good students normally won’t have to pull all nighters as sleep is very important for not only your concentration but also for your health. To make sure that you get enough rest you should start studying as early as possible, for me that is normally one week before the particular exam, and plan what you will do on which day without trying to fit everything into the last minute. That will leave you relaxed, well rested and concentrated on the day of your exam.

find something that keeps you going

i usually drink a lot of coffee when i am studying, because during a hard study session i need to stay focused and awake. If you don’t like coffee, you could also go for black tea or green tea or simply some fruit as it is very important to get some vitamins (or in my case caffeine) in your system to not fall asleep while working.

ask for help

whether you swap notes with your colleagues or you mail the professor some questions doesn’t matter at all. It’s only important that you accept that you probably won’t be able to do everything on your own, so find yourself a study partner, ask questions when something seems unclear to you or even get a tutor. And definitely don’t be embarrassed about asking questions! Nobody knows everything.

no distractions

studying is boring and you might find that music makes it a little more exciting, but often listening to music or taking a lot of breaks is only keeping you from getting work done. So suck it up and study either silently, to classical music or to relaxing noises you can find on the internet. Also try not to take too many breaks. Don’t overwork yourself, of course, but also try to stay focused for longer than 15 minutes as this will allow you to be more productive and don’t study with friends if you end up chit-chatting to each other instead of working.

write everything down

even if you have a good memory, you won’t be able to remember a thing after class, so suck it up, don’t talk to your desk mate and focus on writing everything important down what the teacher says. even if you get handed enough material there will still be things which you should write down such as explanations, examples and additional information. that will help you later on to understand what you are actually studying.

you absolutely need to study

don’t ever think, no matter how much attention you’ve paid in class or how good you are at a certain subject, that you won’t have to study. there is always work to get done and if you are already good at something work on being better to excel at academics. 

(i added fun gifs, because it seemed a little too harsh - good luck, babes, you are going to pass your exams) 

[halftruthsandhyperbole]

Today I learned

[ouijubell]

Free Audiobooks and Ebooks on OVERDRIVE.

Free Graphic Novels (DC, Marvel, Image, etc), Music, TV shows, and music on HOOPLA.

Free music that you can KEEP on FREEGAL

You are PAYING for all this with your tax money - USE THEM. Most likely systems will have all 3 or 2 out of 3, so if you aren’t sure call your local library’s reference/information desk and how you can get set-up or started.

[horrorinthegraveyard]

Hey, highkey from a library worker: 

Overdrive has a new mobile app called LIBBY I find it easier to use.  It’s the same content as Overdrive just better for mobile.  Overdrive and Libby both let you send items to your kindle as well.  

[tusks-and-tonics-deactivated202]

Can confirm Overdrive is amazing. 

I work in the largest library system in my state (17 branches in total).

I use it not only for ebooks, but movies as well.

Other FREE resources to check with your library for are:

Freegal Music (download and keep music, including current music)

Hoopla Digital (borrow ebooks, e-audiobooks, e-graphic novels, stream movies)

Kanopy (stream movies; also available on Roku!)

Axis360 (usually hot or just released ebooks)

If you don’t have a library card…

GET ONE!

If someone says libraries are a thing of the past…

BOOP THEM IN THE NOSE WITH YOUR KINDLE!

Don’t discount libraries as “quiet” places. 

THEY ARE ALIVE!!!

THEY ARE LOUD!!!

THEY ARE YOUR DOORWAYS TO KNOWLEDGE!!

[yeahiwasintheshit]

no need to give your money to any of those places, go to your library!!

kanopy is great!

[shayminning]

My girl siobhan, formerly of anglophenia, currently of college humor, is an angel and a blessing

[lovely-sanctuary]

For anyone who needs to hear it:

Your late teens/20s are a weird time in your life. Don’t panic if you think somebody is more “ahead” than you. The concept of being ahead is nonexistent anyway because life’s not a race and each person has different hurdles to overcome.

It’s totally fine if you’re single. It’s fine if you’re still finishing school. It’s fine if you are still looking for a better job, or for any job at all. It’s fine if you haven’t had sex yet, or haven’t gotten your driver license yet. It’s fine if you haven’t gotten your own place yet. It’s fine if you are still figuring things out, saving money, putting the pieces together. It’s fine.

Don’t feel jealous of or lesser than people your age who have done these things. You don’t know what obstacles they faced to get there and they don’t know what you’ve faced. Don’t undermine the progess you have made.

Because, trust me, you have made progress. Even if it hasn’t materialized yet in the traditional way.

You are still young. Like really young.

You got time.

[studywithapple]

everyone suffers in their life. there are many sad days. but rather than sad days, we hope to have better days. that's what makes us live. that's what makes us dream.

kim namjoon

[studyquill]

how i make my notes look nice 

0. Why Bother?

This sounds superficial, but I love pretty things. I also love to doodle, but this is a productive way to do it. It helps your notes seem more organized and manageable, and because they’re so pretty you’ll want to study from them instead of shoving them into the deep dark recesses of your bag.

1. Borders and Dividers

You know how pictures always look better in a frame? The same goes for notes. 

These don’t need to be anything fancy, they can be boxes or squiggly lines. Here are some ideas, ft. my slanting columns and messy scanning :)

2. Nice Headers

I usually have 2 classes of headers - one for the title of the notes and one for subheadings in the notes. 

My heading system is fairly consistent - I only have two types of main headers and a few subheaders. Here’s how mine look, ft. another bad scan

Here are some more ideas!

3. Tables, Diagrams, Graphic Organizers

Instead of writing information in big blocks of text, you can organize it in a different way.

4. Doodle!

Drawings related to the topic can improve visual interest and memory. You can also draw random things that are somewhat related to the topic, just to spice up the notes. For example, in Biology I drew plants when learning about the chemical processes of photosynthesis.

5. Get Inspired

You can browse the studyblr and studyspo tags on tumblr, my pretty notes tag, or some pictures of how I structure my notes.

Some people with beautiful inspiring notes:

@studyguideverified @studykouffee @studypetals @studyrelief​ and many other blogs, tag your faves in the reblogs please!

Normally I just skim over the photos, but when looking for inspiration you should look closely and incorporate elements you like into your own notes. While you’re at it, you may as well read the information because learning!

IMPORTANT

Pretty notes are very popular in the studyblr community, but don’t feel forced to make them. If it doesn’t help you, don’t waste your time. I don’t recommend rewriting your notes just to decorate, make sure you’re also clarifying/condensing/adding to/etc the information.

+ more posts / youtube channel

[studycationarchive]

self care during school the school year

sleep:

try your best to get 7-8 hours of sleep per night. everyone says it, but it is really crucial to your well-being. to many, that may seem like an unrealistic goal, but you can do it. learn to get more sleep by getting things ready the night before so you don’t have to take time to do it in the morning

—

make lists:

when school gets too hard or too stressful, make lists of happy and positive things. make lists of your favorite things and things that make you smile. when you’re feeling down, take a look at the lists you’ve made to cheer you up.

—

take a day off:

designate a day of the week as your day to relax. do whatever relaxes you. do not skip this day, and do it every week.

—

simple ways to take care do yourself:

have a daily routine to wash your face, brush your teeth at least twice a day and floss, take a shower or bath, clean your work space, clean up after yourself, play your favorite music, put on lotion right after you shower, stay hydrated, cut yourself some slack - school can be really difficult, remember to eat breakfast, ask for help when you need it, dress in comfortable clothes (it makes a huge difference), put on deodorant, take a walk, and the list goes on.

—

important reminders & more:

– take pictures of the things that make you happy, not for social media, but for yourself.

– eat healthier, drink more water, and get more sleep. these are your bodies most basic needs.

– do something kind for yourself today. paint your nails, go see a friend, catch up on much needed sleep. also, be kind to someone else today. hold a door for someone, compliment someone (and watch their face light up!), ask if anyone needs help with something.

– take breaks from school work when it gets too frustrating or too stressful.

– your grades do not determine your worth or your abilities. if you don’t do well on something, the sun will still rise and life will go on, you are still important and loved. you tried your best and that’s enough.

—

ok, i saw this somewhere once (if you know where it’s from, let me know please ty!!), and it has changed my life. it has literally stopped me from procrastinating and has helped me to just start my work now: have empathy for your future self. future you would thank you now for doing the work now and not putting it all off for future you.

[ajournal-aday]

Here's some study/note taking tips for y'all who are going back to school soon. My first day back to school is on monday and I'm not really looking forward to it, but let's hope it goes well!

(Source: @citrusoils on Instagram)

Click photo for more detail

[ttoffeecake]

Things I learned after second year university

1. Do research on what you want to do before university. I didn’t, and now my degree, courses, and “future plan” (I don’t even think I have one tbh) are a MESS. Do research on the institutions your interested in, read opinions from students, do research on the faculties and programs you’re interested in, do research on the classes you want to take, email the institution to the point where it’s border line harassment. It sounds kinda stressful, BUT YOU WILL BE SAVING SO MUCH MORE MONEY than if you were to just wing it. Switching programs, taking more classes, going over credit hours, going under credit hours, taking pre recs, missing pre recs and then forcing them into your schedule, are not only stressful but cost a lot of money. 

2. Believe in yourself and your capabilities. My last exam for the school year was for one of my bio classes, and by then I was BURNT OUT from my other three exams. I truly believed that I was going to fail that class; I wasn’t doing so hot on the assignments, the second midterm was a fucking mess, and the  prof was so  awful and she made me hate that class so much. So I thought what was the point of studying if I’m just going to fail anyways, there is no saving me now. I actually ended up getting a B in that class and coming out of the final I realized that the final was actually a pretty easy exam. I realized that if I tried a little harder, studied a bit more, and didn’t trip myself up with all those negative thoughts (”oh your gonna fail” , “there’s like no way you can finish this assignment” , “just accept the D and move on”) I would’ve done so much better in that class. What led to my downfall for that class was nothing more than my negative thoughts, I learned that to do well in school, you have to know that you have the capabilities to do well. 

3. Maximize your time. I found that spending 25 minutes in deep focus studying a topic was actually more beneficial and productive than spending like 4 hours half-ass studying a topic. I understood things better and I remembered things better. I used to tell myself at like 9 pm that if I went to sleep at 12 I would have another 4 hours of study time, but most of the time I would just end up being too tired to focus. I found that it’s not about the quantity of time you allocate to a subject or topic that determines how well you’ll understand it, but instead how that time is used.

4. Take care of yourself. That mid-semester burn out hit me so hard this year. It was basically physical and mental exhaustion from over working myself to try and make those tight deadlines and trudge through midterms. It takes a while to recover from burnout, and usually I do not have that kind of time. That being said, I think it really is more efficient to schedule in time to relax and recharge to avoid burnout. The reason why I never did schedule in rest days was because it seemed so inefficient, like I almost felt guilty; I should be doing something, I could be studying this etc. But the truth is burnout is actually a bigger toll on my productivity and investing time to avoid it is much more strategic than working myself to exhaustion.

5. Don’t just passively absorb study tips. I realized that I could be practising every study tip ever; being at the library, listening to Mozart, with healthy snacks, no distractions, a big tub of water, highlighters out; and still get no work done if I just don’t want to do work. Study tips are great but they will only work if I want to work. If I’m not in the mentality to study, no amount of “study hacks” will motivate me to study. Conversely, if I am in the mentality to study I could literally get shit done on my bed while blasting upbeat music with lyrics. 

6. Don’t believe others when they say so and so course or subject is hard. Looking back at my experience with subjects that people told me were “hard” they actually weren’t that bad, they just required a little more work and a little more time. I wish I realized this earlier because every time I hear about how difficult whatever course is, it really trips me up and I go into a course feeling defeated, which drains my motivation to try and do well. But in reality, there is nothing in world that is beyond your knowledge of understanding, some things or subjects or topics just require a little more time and effort than others. 

7. Finding a coping mechanism for stressful times. I always thought that “coping” with something, whether it be negative emotions or moments of stress, was not ideal. This was because I believed that ideally one should be able to erase all those negative moments out of their lives, only then would they find true happiness. However, that’s unrealistic, I’m human, and no matter how hard I try life will come with moments of stress, sadness, anger, and frustration, but those things will pass. In the meantime, the best I can do about it is cope with them for that moment, at that time, until it passes. The stress and panic that comes with exam week is no joke, but exams don’t last forever, they, like most unpleasant moments in life, will end. 

[studynostalgic]

you’ve gotten a bad grade. the assignment you turned in was not as good as you expected. the exam just went awful. we all know the feeling when this happens. but i’m here to help you!! don’t stress my friend everything will be okay

first of all: it’s okay!!!!!! everybody fails sometimes! i know it feels awful because you worked your ass off and now this happens. what’s important is that you don’t give up. academic success is not everything, so don’t beat yourself up too much. (also like there’s so much wrong with this system, but that’s a topic for another time)

- ̗̀ right after  ̖́-

give yourself some time to be sad, angry, frustrated, etc. talk to someone or journal your thoughts down and just get everything out. (it would be best to talk someone who isn’t in the same situation, so instead of maybe making your classmate uncomfortable, talk to somebody who will listen and give emotional support)

nobody excepts you to go right back to studying. in fact it would be better to get your mind off of things and distract yourself a bit. do something you love and relax a little.

but! don’t forget to pick yourself up again and take the next step:

- ̗̀ mindset  ̖́-

put your “failing“ into perspective. how bad is it really? is it the end of the world (no it isn’t). do you only think it’s a bad grade because you keep comparing yourself to your classmates?

don’t!!!!! compare!!!! yourself to others!!! focus on yourself. you don’t know all the other things your classmates may struggle with and your academic performance does not determine your self-worth. so what you didn’t do that good? there are so many other great things about you, believe me mwah

- ̗̀ identify the cause  ̖́-

what was the cause you didn’t do as well you expected?

did you study the wrong things? or did you study them the wrong way? were the concepts just way to complicated and you didn’t understand them?

did you panic while taking the exam?

didn’t pay attention in class?

did you not start early enough?

is your teacher just awful™?

whatever the reason try to identify it and find a solution. try to apply it the next time. but remember that there is not always a cause, sometimes things are just like they are. if that seems to be the case, just remember that it’s probably not your fault and try to continue doing your best.

- ̗̀ solutions  ̖́-

ha you thought you have to figure out the solution all by yourself. but i’m here to (hopefully) help you.

don’t be afraid to talk to your teacher/prof! most of the time they want to see you succeed, so maybe there is something you could do to improve the grade or you could try to tackle the issue you have/had.

find a study method that suits you and make it a routine. there’re so many helpful posts on here (just search up “study tips”) so there is to 100% something that works for you.

study schedule? some people do better with one, some don’t. with one, you can exactly plan out when and what to study for the upcoming tests, so you’ll be able to improve your grade. also, try to plan in when you’re going to revise hard topics again or the ones you didn’t understand if there were any.

do your homework and assignments! they help so much with improving your grade and the teacher/prof sees that you’re willing to make an effort.

join a study group or visit a tutor. they are a great way to find help and make you remember that you’re not alone and that there’s a solution to everything.

be a pro at exam taking. i’ll maybe do a separate post on that because there is so much i could say, but the most important thing is: be positive. give yourself a pep talk and don’t stress. you got this.

okay, that’s everything i have to say! i hope i could help u a bit <3 remember: you got this!!