Your Independent Girl

Hai i'm Syera,19 years old,studying Accountancy at University of Technology MARA,Malaysia. instagram @syerxstudyss

[studylustre]

botanical gardens are what dreams are made of // ig: studylustre

[studyelement]

Doing well is much easier said than done. The best tip I have is to just do the work. It’s going to suck, but there’s no secret other than doing the work. Though, there are ways to make doing the work easier!

I. Time Management

Have a planner to gain a general idea of your week.

Schedule your time for studying but also schedule time for breaks.

Every morning I check what needs to be done for the day.

I treat college as a 9-5 job with a lunch break. This may not work for everyone, but this thinking allows me to be done by 5, and I usually finish everything for the day by that time.

Take a break after you finish an assignment. Allow yourself to feel proud for finishing and give yourself a reward.

Break up projects into smaller parts, this is incredibly important. It’s easier to do an outline, then a few paragraphs rather than doing an entire essay at once.

It’s not time well used if you don’t focus on the task at hand. If you’re having trouble, get rid of distractions using apps that limit phone/internet usage.

Don’t waste time on techniques that don’t work for you. I don’t rewrite notes, it doesn’t help me study. Instead I do extra textbook problems or I watch a video on the topic. 

Sometimes it’s hard to motivate yourself to do the work, to study. Then just do a single problem, a single page or paragraph. Usually starting is the hardest part.

II. Studying & Learning

Be present during class by asking questions and answering problems.

Use phone-locking apps like Forest if you need to to stay focused on the class.

Skim lecture notes ahead of time. You don’t need to take notes on them, the professor will tell you what’s important.

It’s ok if your notes aren’t pretty as long as they’re functional.

Practice problems until you can’t get them wrong.

Try to teach the material to someone else. This will show holes in your understanding. Pretend to teach if you don’t have a friend in the same class.

If you need, study in the library. Honestly, studying at my desk in my dorm has worked just fine for me though.

Do the homework, there’s no way around it. This is probably the biggest tip here. Do the work.

Actually do the homework, don’t just copy answers. Understand the answers. You can’t copy on a test.

Speaking of tests, do as many practice tests as you can find. Once the real test comes around, you won’t be as nervous and it should feel familiar.

Nice pens and notebooks aren’t required. However, spend a dollar and get a pen that writes well enough that you’re not wasting time during class getting it to work. (I’ve been through this)

Do the extra credit. There’s no reason not to, and your grade will thank you.

Go to tutoring, not everyone knows everything. You might even make a new friend since most tutors at my school are also students!

Realistically, you don’t need to do every reading assignment as long as you know what your professor tests on. If you don’t have the time, its fine to only skim the assignment.

Make study groups. If you don’t have a friend in the class, it’s as easy as asking “want to work on the homework together?” In my experience, most people are happy to work with you.

Go to your professors office hours if you need help. Your professors are a valuable resource.

Ask your friends for feedback, I do this all the time.

III. Treat Yourself

Sleep and eat well. Coffee is not a breakfast.

Please, don’t force yourself to cram a subject overnight. This is where time management comes into play.

An over-stressed student is a bad student, but a little bit of stress is healthy.

Find what motivates you. Personally, I wish to become a researcher so I work hard towards that goal to get into a good grad. school.

You don’t have to join a club. I’m not in one, and my social life is just fine since I spend time playing games with friends at night.

But join a club if you want, even for a single day. You might meet some friends.

Really do whatever you want with regards to your social life. Do what’s comfortable for you.

If you need it, colleges have a therapist that you can make an appointment with.

[marias-studyblr]

How to be good at interviews:

I’m having next Wednesday my first professional interview (eeeeek) so I decided to share the research I’m doing. I googled all of this and chose the information I found most important, and organized it. I truly hope it’s helpful for someone out there :)

PLAN AND PRACTICE:

always do your homework: learn about the organization, its ideas and story 

don’t necessarily memorize responses, but try to have a planned general strategy for answering common interview questions

practice in front of the mirror

be ready to briefly describe related experience

compare your qualifications to what the organization wants from you

COMMON INTERVIEW QUESTIONS:

“What’s your biggest weakness?” Think of a genuine issue you have as well as ways you have managed to work with/around it.

“What’s your biggest strengths?” Stand out from the crowd and don’t be afraid to speak about your strengths in an authentic and compelling way. See if your strengths align with the company’s needs.

“ Why do you want this job?”/ “Why should we hire you?” Stay focused on why your background makes you an ideal candidate and tell them how you are going to contribute to that department and that company. 

“Tell me about yourself.” Don’t tell them your life story, instead discuss what your interests are relating to the job and why your background makes you a great candidate.

“Why did you leave your last job/position/school?” Do not go into details about your dissatisfaction, tell them that while you valued the experience and education you received, you felt that the time had come to seek outo a new opportunity, expand your skills and knowledge, and to find a company with wich you could grow. Try to put a positive spin on things. Be honest if you were fired but don’t trash your previous boss.

“Where do you see yourself in five years?”  Be honest about what your greater aspirations are.

And much much much more (from your behaviour to work experiences, education, interests and motivation or problems and challeges you’ve faced previously), I would encourage you to try to write down some topics for each questions that work for you. Being prepared is everything.

THE DAY OF THE INTERVIEW:

sleep and eat well so you look rested and healthy on the big day

give yourself time to calm down/meditate/relax

don’t noodle around on your phone or electronic device while waiting - it may communicate boredom and frivolousness, maybe stick your notebook/notes

What to wear: normally it’s best to dress neutral, professionally/formal, not overly fashionable or trendy, and brightly colored clothing is bad. Make sure your clothes are neat and wrinkle free, and make sure your image is very clean and neat.

What to bring: if revelant, extra copies of your resume on quality paper, a notepad or professional binder and pen, information you might need to complete an application.

IMPORTANT TIPS:

make eye contact

show courtesy to everyone during the interview, this means everyone from the reception staff to the interviewer herself

smile

have good posture

avoid fidgeting too much or playing with your hair/touching face

have a good handshake

don’t cross your arms over your chest

walk, act, talk with confidence

be comfortable and relaxed

choose the words you say

don’t place stuff on their desk

manage your reactions - facial and body expressions give clues on how you feel: project a positive image

show interest and enthusiasm

show warmth and personality - being personable is about getting the interviewer’s emotional side to like you and believe in you

don’t lie to make it seem like you know something you don’t. You probably won’t fool your interviewer, and admitting to not know something is much more impressive than lying

be honest

keep things simple and short, talk in 30-90 second chunks. Any less and you’re likely to seem unqualified; any more and your interviewer is likely to lose interest in what you’re saying

THINK OF QUESTIONS TO ASK: participating actively during the interview gives a good impression of your level of interest in the job. Most of times it is more adequeate to ask in the end of the interview.  But I feel like you really need to make sure your questions are adequate. Examples:

“What types of training opportunities do you offer?”

“What are the chances for professional growth in this job opportunity?”

“Is there anything else I can provide you with that would be helpful?”

ALWAYS ask the “ When can I expect to hear back from you about the position?” question if  the interviewer does not tell you. 

Good questions are open-ended, and thus cannot be answered with a “yes” or “no.” Better questions are behavioral: they ask how things are done or have happened in the past, because current and past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior.

AFTER THE INTERVIEW:

shake hands with the interviewer - try to invest some feeling into the handshake and pleasantries, even if you think you bombed the interview

hold your head high and keep your cool

your emotions are probably teetering at the highest of highs or the lowest of lows, but try to stay measured

project a cool confidence, not cockiness, and walk out of the interview with your head held high

SOMETHING TO ALWAYS KEEP IN MIND:

when you know in your heart and your gut that you bring to the table something just as valuable as a paycheck and maybe much more – your tremendous experience, intellect and instinct – you’ll carry yourself differently. You won’t trip over your words in an effort to please His Majesty or Her Highness, because you’ll see yourself and the interviewer as equals on a level playing field. 

you are valuable and unique. You have something very special in you and you deserve to be given a chance. good luck!

[herhighnessthequeen]

Hoe Tips: School and Studying

I’m currently in PA school with close to a 4.0 GPA, and with college and back to school starting up, I’m 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 let’s get it✨

1. Write out your notes. Have two notebooks: one for when you’re 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 there’s 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. Rent👏your👏textbooks👏. Unless your teacher specifically requires you BUY it, you likely won’t 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 won’t 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 we’d 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 there’s no avoiding it sometimes, but DO NOT CRAM. Gradual learning is most effective.

19. Have one day every week where you don’t do any schoolwork. You need time to reboot.

20. Use your phone’s 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 I’m 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. It’ll make all that studying feel that much greater when it’s over, and you’ll have a goal to work towards.

25. Sit in the front of the classroom as often as possible. You’ll be forced to pay attention, be able to actually see the board, hear the instructor better, and you’re more likely to have your questions answered quickly because your teacher will actually see your hand go up.

26. Caffeinate. I prefer tea because it’s 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 you’re lazy or don’t 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 I’m 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 doesn’t 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). You’ll 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 aren’t 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 didn’t get. If you know your professor is a flop, or can’t 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.

That’s all I can think of for now, please please please feel free to add and share. Enjoy those 4.0’s, hoes💞

[ibmblr]

Travel fluently.  

Overcoming the language barrier can be the most challenging part of travel. But now, you may never get lost in translation again with Translate One2One from Lingmo. The Watson-powered earpiece can translate 9 different languages in near real-time. Using natural language processing, it also understands syntax and cultural context such as slang—meaning you can ask for a place to chill, without being offered an overcoat. 

[eintsein]

HOW TO APPROACH CLASSES A guide to getting the most out of your classes and lectures

By Eintsein

Design inspired by this post by @journalsanctuary

[eintsein]

A MIND MAP ABOUT MIND-MAPPING

If you know me, you’d know that I am a highly visual person. I love learning from images and layouts, and my spatial intelligence is probably my strongest type of intelligence. Because of this, I often use mind maps to study, and so do a lot of other people. However, there are people who don’t really know how to make and utilize a mind map effectively. That’s what this post is for! Here’s how you can make your mind maps more effective and thus enable you to retain more information. (P.S. you might wanna zoom in)

By no means am I an expert in mind-mapping; these are just some habits I have when making a mind map that successfully does its job of helping me remember the topics I’m studying.

If you have any questions, feel free to drop an ask!

xx jo

[eintsein]

A GUIDE TO MAKING EFFECTIVE SLIDES aka how to create presentation slides that actually improve your presentation

By Eintsein

(apologies for the variation in image quality. idk what went wrong with tumblr)

[mushstudies]

Productive Things That Aren’t Studying

washing the dishes

making your bed

tidying your book/dvd shelf/shelves

cleaning the cupboard/wardrobe

reading

sleeping

writing a blog

planning your month/week/day

replying to messages or asks

responding to emails

sorting through letters/mail

clearing your email inbox

organising stationery

clean your sinks

clean your toilets

pet your pet

sort through old clothes

give to charity

go on a walk

go on a run

clean down any surfaces

work out

meal prep

get rid of empty shampoo bottles from the shower

clean out old food from the cupboard/fridge

empty out your school bag

call your parent

unfriend/unfollow people you no longer interact with

watch a TEDTalk

empty the bins/trash

clean the mirrors in your house

hug your pet

wash some clothes

buy any birthday cards/presents that you need to

reply to any old texts

make a tumblr post on productive things that aren’t studying

[syerxstudyss-blog]

Heyya! It has been so long i didn't post anything . Sorry 😭 . So here! I'm using @emmastudiess planner! This helped me a lot on having a great plan to study! It has been 2 weeks since my semester started and everything was going so well👏👏 . . Xoxo #studymotivation #studygram #studyblr #studying #financialaccounting #bujoaddicted #planner #studyplanner #bujospread #malaysianstudygram #unilife

[emmastudies]

Back to school free student printables

As we all head back to school, college and university, I wanted to release a few free printables to help you get organised before the term starts! We all need that little bit of motivation and reassurance, so I hope these help.

Download the 7 page file from here

I hope you enjoy using and customising these printables! If you upload a photo featuring it, I’d love to see. Please tag me on Tumblr with #emmastudies or on Instagram with @emmastudiess. You can see other people using my printables by visiting the #esprintables tag on my blog! 

If you want to find more organisation printables and support me, please check out my Etsy shop with lots of downloads dedicated to students. You can use ‘student10′ to get 10% off any purchase! :-)

Other posts | Printables | Instagram | Youtube | Pinterest | Etsy Shop

[pureheartemotion]

How to be productive

My tips may look weird, but when I’m following them, I’m able to deal with all my problems and stay healthy both physically and mentally. I’m ESTJ, btw.

My student life in a few words:

a way to university takes from 1h 30 min to 2 hours;

study from Monday to Saturday (6 days a week);

can’t choose subjects: study what is given;

spend about 6-7 hours at university: there is 10-minutes break every 1h 20 min;

have to move from one building to another which are situated in different parts of Moscow.

Some tips:

Sleep no less than 7 hours and no more than 9. If you don’t follow this rule, you’ll suffer from headache, sleepiness, inability to stay focus for a long time and bad mood. It’s difficult for me to follow this rule, when I have to get up at 6 o’clock, but at least I try to do that.

Pack all necessary things before going to sleep. It will guarantee that you won’t forget your completed homework at home. Also it’s a good idea to check weather forecast in advance and decide what to wear tomorrow.

Don’t drink too much tea. Yes, it helps you to be more focused and calm, but if you drink huge amounts of tea, your body will lose some important elements like Mg, you’ll suffer from insomnia, your teeth will become yellow. Keep it in mind after drinking the 5th cup of tea.

If you’re tired after classes, don’t revise anything. I’m not a lazy person, but after 4 classes I want to listen to silence and absorb all information I’ve got during a day. If I do revise my notes, after a several days I feel depressed because of a huge amount of information. Plus I don’t have opportunity to revise my notes during breaks and I think it’s better to eat something healthy or reduce stress by talking to your classmates.

I have to memorize about 40 words per day and only have 4-5 hours before midnight to do all my homework. That’s way I prefer to use hand-writing. It helps me to write fast, memorize spelling and meaning of words.

Don’t clean your working space/room instead of writing essays and meeting with deadlines. Yes, you’re doing right thing, but in wrong time.

Version 1: you’re an extrovert. If you feel alone after a few hours of studying hard, use social networks to talk to your friends. Going out with friends will help you to avoid depression and burnout.

Version 2: you’re an introvert. If you’re tired of communicating, just sit at home and do what you want. Forget about the idea that while you’re young you should hang out with friends every day and be active 24/7. It’s your life. If you need to be alone for some time, do it.

IMPORTANT! If even after some rest you’re exhausted and tired, feel sad and depressed, go to the psychotherapist. It’s not cheap, but it can save your nervous system. My experience 1: in 10th grade I couldn’t concentrate, always cried without any reason and couldn’t communicate with other people. Even during the summer break I suffered from mood swings and was tired 24/7. It turned out to be depression. My experience 2: I couldn’t understand why I was afraid of talking to my professors and why I was so terribly shy during my classes. It was noticed by my classmates and professors, but I couldn’t explain why I was behaving like that. The reason was my relationships with my mother who has been manipulating me since my childhood. It killed all my nervous system and self-esteem. Please, don’t be ashamed of your psychological problems.

[constellationstudy]

Back to School/Uni Tips!

I’m headed into my 3rd year of uni, so I thought I’d make a post sharing my tips on how to do well in school, not burn out, and keep your mental health relatively stable.

1. Snacks - seriously, don’t leave home without at least 2 substantial snacks in your bag. If you’re go-go-going all day and suddenly your sitting in a lecture about to crash cause you haven’t eaten anything all day, you’re gonna want snacks. Some suggestions: Cashews (they’re not super loud/crunchy, so they’re perfect for lecture snackin’), a granola bar, an apple, cherry tomatoes, trail mix.

2. Don’t buy the textbook before you go to your first class - I’ve worked at a university bookstore for 2 years, and every year, people end up buying 700$ worth of first year text books, and then they don’t even use them. Wait. and then wait some more. If there are required readings, then get the textbook, if your prof says there will be questions from the textbook on the exam, then get the textbook, but trust me, for 90% of first year classes (and a lot of other ones) you don’t need the textbook. SAVE YOUR WALLETS

3. Take notes efficiently - honestly the best way to take notes, is type up the lecture notes that are provided, BEFOREHAND, and then during lecture, fill in the blanks/add information/take down any important things your prof is saying as you go through the lecture on your laptop in a different color. This way you’re much less likely to miss any important information, you won’t be confused about what to take down, and you won’t fall into the trap of taking down notes that are already being provided to you. After class, or while making study notes, copy these notes out by hand to remember what you learned.

4. Keep it simple - pretty notes are GREAT if you have the time, but once you get to upper level uni, and you have 100 slides of notes to turn into study notes, you will not have the time to make your notes look aesthetically pleasing. Just get the info down so you can focus on learning it.

5. Have a designated study space - i did all of my highschool homework and studying in my bed, and 90% of the time, I ended up falling asleep. My bed wasn’t going to cut it for uni, so I got a cheap ikea desk, and it’s made me so much more organized and productive.

6. Take as much ‘you time’ as possible - take a bath. light candles. binge watch a tv show. veg out with a book for 4 hours if you have the time. do your makeup super special one day. get yourself that venti pumpkin spice latte with extra whip whenever you feel like it. Uni is a shitty time I’m not gonna lie. It’s stressful as f*ck, and whenever you can spare a couple hours or a couple dollars to TREAT YO SELF, do it.

7.  If you have anxiety, CUT THE COFFEE. caffeine is a huge trigger for anxiety. Caffeine takes away from your sleep, messes with your adrenalin systems, and can make you super paranoid and anxious all the time. 

8. If you think your in the wrong major, change it - I started in geology, and I HATED IT. Now I’m in psych and I love it. It is never too late for a change of program. If you think you’re doing something you don’t wanna do, or your not enjoying it, don’t do it.

9. For mornings you have to be ready and out the door, or if you’re a person who always runs late, have a getting-ready routine and get it down pat. Have a mental list of things you need to do, and things you need to remember, and find out how much time it takes you. Get up at 8am, shower, wash face/brush teeth, get dressed, do makeup, pack bag, remember keys, wallet, laptop, notebook, pen and train pass, have breakfast, put on shoes, leave by 9am.

10. Utilize your time in transit. - finish a reading, go over flashcards, read study notes, listen to an album you’ve been meaning to listen to, read a book, read some fanfic, idk but don’t just sit there unless just sitting there is what you need.

11. Find a hobby or passion that is separate from your school/uni life. Whether its playing sports, or running, reading, collecting plants, making scrapbooks, curating a refined taste in tea, having baths, writing in a journal, find something that if you’re bored with watching shows or studying, you can go do it, and enjoy it, and get your mind off all the other shit that’s going on in your life for awhile.

[eintsein]

Hey guys, so I’ve seen some posts around about daily routines so I thought I’d share my own. I consider myself to be great at being productive even early in the morning, and here’s how I achieve that. Hope this is helpful, and feel free to ask me questions if you have any!

[syerxstudyss-blog]

Oh my! Thank you so much for this post! This really help me to have a productive day 😄

Xoxo

[mindofamedstudent]

Hi hello. How are you? :) I have a question (hope you don't mind): how do read your textbooks? I really have a hard time reading all the 100 or more pages per week and I usually don't know how to separate the important stuff from the 'fluff' (as I would call it). I mean I've tried the Reading backwards thing but it doesn't help. Any tips? Thanks in advance and have a lovely dag! <3

Hi hello! I’m alright, thanks.

Of course I don’t mind :) Here are a few tips:

Read more often - this way you get faster and it gets easier.

Read during the most productive part of your day - that way you can concentrate better thereby wasting less time.

Orient your reading to your learning outcomes. Check your class syllabus for topics you should be learning and how much detail is required from each. That way, when you read you can separate the important stuff from the fluff as you called it!

Put the information in context. When you are reading, ask yourself if this specific piece of information will be useful to you in the future, is required of you to know at this level, or is likely to show up in the exam. This is another trick I use to identify important information. It sounds like a hassle but you get used to it and it works very well for me.

Take breaks. Once you find that it’s taking you longer to register, take a 5 or 10 minute break. Do something fun or watch something funny. That always helps me to get back my energy so I can get back to work.

I hope this helps!

[to-work-or-not-to-work]

“Productivity is about making smart choices (continuously) with your energy, focus and time in order to maximise your potential and achieve beneficial results.” – Mohammed Faris

1. Find your energy hours.

Everyone has a specific time in the day where their energy levels are much higher than usual. Use that time to your advantage. Take that energy and get the majority of your work done and out of the way.

For me, the mornings are usually when I feel the most energised, so I get to work straight away. To find your energy hours, try working at different times during the day. See which time of the day allows you to work at your very best.

2. Establish routines.

Once you have found your energy hours, base your day around this. Create a routine for each day of the week.

When do you study? When do you go to school? Do you relax for an hour after coming back from school? Do you tidy your room on Sunday?

Establish a schedule and you’re less likely to get side-tracked and much more likely to maximise your productivity.

3. Ditch the to-do lists.

Yes, it’s good to write lists of things you need to do, but you’re never going to get around to doing them if you don’t plan time for it. So instead of relying on a to-do list, add the task to your routine. Will you be able to work on this task on a Saturday afternoon? Great! Put it into your schedule. This will ensure the task is completed.

4. Don’t multi-task.

You can’t do multiple things at once. It seems like you’re able to, but what you’re really doing is constantly switching your attention from one task to another. Don’t do that. Focus on one thing at a time. That way, you’re putting all of your attention on a task and are likely to get it completed faster and at a higher standard.

5. Complete similar tasks together.

If you’re studying, instead of switching from subject to subject throughout the day, try to stick to one subject. On Monday, create flashcards for a Biology topic, then revise the topic and then do a Biology past paper. This will ensure your mind is concentrated on one thing at a time and not constantly switching gears.

So get your chores done together. Study one subject at a time. Send your e-mails and messages at one time. Dedicate today to your English essay. Don’t interrupt tasks with an unrelated task.

6. Finish quick and easy tasks first.

If you need to make a dentist appointment, do it. Do you need to write a quick e-mail to your teacher? Get it out of the way.

Finishing the quick and easy tasks right away will leave you with ample time to tackle the more challenging ones you’ve got up ahead. It will also give you peace of mind that you’ve gotten something done today.

7. Take breaks.

You’re not a machine. Productivity is not working 24/7.

“Being productive is about knowing when to have fun and when to work hard; when to relax and when to be serious. It’s about making smart choices.”

Allow your mind and body to take a break every now and then and relax. Scheduling these breaks can be beneficial so that you’re not constantly taking a break when you don’t need to.

8. Prioritise.

Yes, that idea you had on the train was appealing, but is it really that beneficial? Is it important enough for you to spend your valuable time and energy on it? Will it get you where you want to go? Probably not.

So prioritise projects and tasks. Ensure important tasks are completed first and well before any upcoming deadlines. Make sure that your time is better spent doing things that will actually benefit you and bring you closer to your goals.

9. Become accountable to someone.

It’s super easy to make promises to yourself, saying that you will do this and do that. Likewise, it’s also extremely easy to break those promises.

However, this is different when you have someone you are accountable to. Perhaps, at the end of every week, you can report to a parent or a trusted friend on your progress so far. It’s extremely difficult to tell someone that you haven’t accomplished your goals for the week. This will make it far more likely for you to get your work done.

10. Review your progress.

At the end of each day, you should evaluate your progress. What did you accomplish today? What did you do well? What did you not complete today? Why? How could you improve? When will you complete it?

Asking yourself these questions and being honest will help you see where you’re going right and where you’re not doing so well.

I hope this is useful to some of you and that you put your time and energy into good use. 😊

[aescademic]

how i make vector graphics / [click for high res!] → by popular demand, this is how i make vector graphics! i hope this is helpful and feel free to ask if you have anymore questions. —tia ♪  

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