#homeschool studyblr

[chaoshomeschooler]

1/29/21 - 3:40 AM

this is pretty long so here’s a read more

I’ve come to accept the fact that I simply do not operate in the daytime. The past several days I have ended up staying up until 4 saying “I’ll go to sleep soon” while getting nothing done. Then I sleep until some ungodly hour the next day - not like I’m in my bed sleeping until noon. No. I get up, go to work, then doze off at work between customers. Every time I fall asleep at work I get... scared? I hear these clicking sounds and I feel dread while I’m sleeping but I still just kind of sleep. It’s really not fun. But either way, I’ve been getting almost nothing done in the day because I sleep until really late (today I stayed home and I ended up being up for three hours then taking like a four hour nap) and then I get nothing done at night because I keep thinking I’ll go to sleep soon.

So today I’m just staying up all night, getting things done, and hopefully I’ll be so tired that I can get to sleep at a decent hour tomorrow, even if I end up dosing off all morning.

And guess what. It worked. I got an assignment done and I started on my next one. I’m still awake enough that I’m going to go work on a scholarship and a commission after this.

For me everything is about results and not method. Ideally I’d operate during regular hours but ya know - it may not be the right way but it’s the only thing that’s working for me right now.

Oh yeah and I’m actually using my desk for once in my life so I feel like a real student for once lol.

Stu-dna challenge days 27-29:

27. study in groups or study alone?

What’s a group?

JK umm when I used to be in co-ops (Classical Conversations or CC, for the initiated) and that one year I was at the career center I did have several group projects and breakouts in classes - I hated the group projects because either I was the only one who did any work (career center) or I was stuck with someone who hated me/the group was so big it was hard to get anything done (CC). So nah, in most cases I would rather study alone unless it’s with my one friend who actually cares about her grades like I do.

28. do you like the cold? what are your favourite winter activities?

I don’t necessarily like the cold but it’s better than the heat bc you can put on layers or use a space heater - in the heat there’s only so much you can do.

Uhhh my favorite winter activities would really just be anything Christmas related. Just hanging out at home and decorating or baking or making gifts for my friends or anything like that

29. do you have any hobbies?

I find it hard to define hobbies? Like I sew and crochet but that’s also my job. I learned embroidery over the summer and I also write but I don’t have time for either of those things any more.

I also play piano but it’s kind of a school subject due to the like intensity of my learning that (wow I can’t english rn). Cello is more of a hobby for me because I don’t take lessons anymore - but that’s another thing that I don’t have much time for.

spell-studies challenge:

3. Wed. Jan 27: what are you most excited for this semester/challenge?

This isn’t school related but it’s happening this semester - I’m going to go visit Belmont University and my Adult Friends aka my favorite band who all went there are gonna meet up with me there.

I guess describing them as my favorite band makes it sound really unrealistic - they’re a super tiny band and I met them when they were even way less famous - I started talking to them and one of them commissioned something from me etc etc now we talk on and off on social media and whenever they come to my area we hang out. Also they’re not that much older than me I think they’re like 7 or so years older.

4. Thur. Jan 28: Wanna post a work space pic?

I added the pic at the top of the post before I even saw this prompt lol :)

5. Fri. Jan 29: TGIF what’s today’s ~vibe~?

today’s (yesterday’s???) vibe is ✨disappointment✨ I slept way too much and got nothing done yaaayyyyy - so by the time my parents got home (they work like a million hours a day so I don’t get to see them much) I was still working so I couldn’t spend any time with them. I’ve been trying to spend more time with them bc I’m graduating this spring/summer (*barf*)

but the vibe going into the rest of today is ✨fuck you you better get some shit done and tire yourself out so you can go to sleep fuck you and your bad habits✨

[sleep-or-study]

3/2/19 1/100 days,

So I’m starting to use snaprevise to learn my physics course (homeschooling probs, when college don’t send the work they’re meant to), and these are my first notes from it. Today I’ve also done:

-Notes on protein synthesis and semi-conservative DNA replication

-notes of the limitations of freedoms in Russia

-now I’m planning on making some American revolution mind maps

[chaoshomeschooler]

1/31/21

I wrote one scholarship essay today that took like 4 hours? I submitted that and another scholarship. and I’m about to go finish my writing class assignment. I also went to a training meeting for Andrew Yang’s mayoral campaign which I’m volunteering on. Other than that I didn’t get anything done today. I had wanted to write at least one more scholarship essay and practice piano, but I slept in instead.

last 2 days of the stu-dna challenge (thanks again for making this!):

30: how do you plan for the next month? anything fun happening in february?

I haven’t been great at planning lately but I usually just make sure I have all the info I need written down in my planner and I try to clear out the notes on my phone and stuff. I’ll probably clean up my todos on habitica too.

I don’t really have anything fun going on. I am going on a trip but it’s just to visit colleges and go to a competition. I’m really nervous about that and I don’t want to go. BUT there’s one good thing which is that I’ll get to hang out with my internet friends/favorite band for a little bit while I’m there.

31: reflect on how it went & what could have gone better. have you improved anything about yourself this month?

It could have gone better in the sense that I could have been more focused and gotten my assignments done before the deadline instead of on it. One thing that went well at the very end is that I’m doing a lot better at correcting my sleep schedule which directly ties with how productive I am.

spell-studies challenge:

6. Sat. Jan 30: How did this week go for you?

It went,,,,, ehhhh. I realized I had a big problem with sleeping during the day earlier this week and lately I’ve been able to make some steps to correct that. I honestly can’t remember a lot that’s happened this week. It’s been a blur. I’ve been doing a lot of scholarships lately and that’s been stressing me out so that’s all I can think about.

7. Sun. Jan 31: What’s the plan for next week?

The plan is to not sleep during the day, get more scholarships done, get my assignments done earlier, finish at least one of my commissions, and finish my personal finance course.

[chaoshomeschooler]

1/26/2021

a personal note:

I did not get a n y studying done at all yesterday and I probably won’t get much done today. That’s bc my sleep schedule is insane right now - I was up til 4:30 cleaning my sewing room so I can finally start on commissions. For the record, it’s not my fault that it was a mess - my parents use it as a storage room so all their stuff was encroaching on mine.

 I’ve been sleeping when I should be studying because I have to go to my more intense job after this. I think I’ll be able to watch a lecture before I have to leave tho. Since I’m gonna be so tired all day I think I’ll be able to get to sleep as soon as I get home from work - then my sleep schedule will be normal and I’ll be able to do school all day tomorrow.

It’s kind of nice that I have like 5 followers rn so I can keep using this blog for whatever crap like this until I can actually figure out what I’m doing. I do actually have a studying tips post in the works so that’s exciting. I’ve been considering making it a youtube video but I’m not so sure about showing my face.

stu-dna challenge day 26:

what’s the hardest decision you’ve ever had to make?

Letting go. I can’t give a specific instance but I remember there’s been several times in my life when I’ve had to let go of something or of a person or a dream. Especially when I was younger and I was even more confused about my future - I would get it stuck in my head and heart that I wanted to do One Specific Thing as my career for the rest of my life - one of those dreams was being a composer. My mom kept telling me that I wouldn’t make any money and that it wouldn’t work out. I honestly didn’t have any natural talent for it but for some reason I was convinced that I was going to make it and like be the next Hans Zimmer or something.

I actually got the opportunity to try my hand at composing around that time. I was taking some kind of online masterclass in composing (I was in like 6th or 7th or 8th grade and this was designed for adults) (also I’m pretty sure the class was a scam) but my library had a recording studio - so I went in there, having done relatively minimal research on how to use the DAW and having no one to help me. But damn it I locked myself in that room for several hours a week until I had finally managed to kind of make something. If I remember correctly it was like 16 bars? or 8? I just know it wasn’t any longer than 3 minutes. That whole process was one of the hardest things I’ve done - partially because I was tiny and had no skills and no idea what I was doing but also because I was so. freaking. depressed. I think my grandfather who I was super close with had died earlier that year and I was in a really deep depression until November.

But yeah so basically once that whole process was done I was so drained and I had less than no hope - like my hope was in the negative if that’s possible. But I still wanted to be a composer so so badly even though what I had just went through was like the worst thing ever. I remember when I was going through the process of realizing I h a d to give up my dream even though it was the last thing I wanted to let go of.

Looking back on it like, I’m obviously not going to be great at My Future Career TM in 8th grade so I could have just tabled the idea and focused on the present. I think it worked out in the long run tho. I’m happy with my current creative abilities in other mediums. And if I ever want to indulge 8th grade Pineapple I can always go take a basic composing class and try again.

spell studies challenge day 2:

2. Tue. Jan 26: What classes are you taking this semester? 

Death and Dying

Technical writing

Trigonometry (I think I’ve been on trig for three years bc I always put math on the back burner. I can’t believe I actually have to finish it. I think I was supposed to be in calc by now)

Personal Finance

Them Bookz™ - idk what to call this but my mom assigns me a different self help/finance/networking book per month. so far I’ve read:

How to Win Friends and Influence People (9/10 - very good advice, pretty easy to understand and super interesting anecdotes. Would recommend to anyone no matter their age or career aspirations.)

Rich Dad Poor Dad (7.5/10 - pretty good but I read most of it all in one night so I don’t remember much of it and it was hard to summarize the main point/points - still has some good advice tho - just read it in a normal amount of time and during waking hours so you can actually understand. Also spoilers: he didn’t actually have two dads who refused to merge their finances despite being partners - the poor dad is his real dad and the rich dad is his friend’s dad)

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People (3/10 - there’s a bit of good advice in the first three habits but don’t waste your time - just look up a summary online. I hate the author. Full post on this book here.)

I know this isn’t a course but all my college apps and scholarship essays take up as much time and effort as 2 or 3 courses so I would like to give myself credit for that

wow another apology:

This was excessively long. I have to figure out a new format

[chaoshomeschooler]

If you’re trying to improve your life, do not read the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Ironically enough, you’ll just be wasting your time. If you really want to know what he’s talking about just look up a summary of what the seven habits are. But I beg you, spare yourself the pain and do not waste your time on his trash writing and don’t indulge his ego and bank account by even thinking about picking up a physical copy.

If you’re trying to get better at networking/people skills/influencing/being a better member of A Society™ read How to Win Friends and Influence People. I listened to the audiobook of that and it was like a kind grandpa giving really good advice and telling genuinely interesting stories about meeting some of the most influential Americans of his time (Charles Schwab, Edison and Franklin D. Roosevelt).  Whereas listening to the Seven Habits being read by the author himself was torture. I had to turn the playback speed to 1.6 times faster just for him to sound like he was talking at a regular pace. You can hear how freaking stuck up he is in the audiobook it’s disgusting.

If you’re trying to get more organized, again, I would point you to a summary of the book (the first 3 habits) but honestly you could probably get the same effect from reading a blog about organization.

[chaoshomeschooler]

It’s the first day of the Spring Quarantine Study Challenge from @spell-studies ! Thanks for writing up all these prompts, Spell :)

Even though it’s not my first day of school, I think I’m going to use this as a chance to start making little updates on my progress. I’ve seen other people do it in a really aesthetic way with pictures of their desks and stuff but,,, well,,, I am chaoshomeschooler for a reason. I don’t have a desk and my study process is really messy. So you just get blocks of text. That being said...

a personal note:

I have not studied at all today. It is 7:51 PM. I have so much scholarship stuff to do and I hate it so much. Plus I have commissions to work on. FML.

On a good note I’m getting prepared for a piano scholarship audition and so far it’s going pretty well. My piano teacher is really great - like not only is she super nice to me and actually cares about me?? but she’s also really freaking smart and making sure I get a well rounded music education. It’s been so nice to learn from someone who knows what they’re doing after a year of the not-so-great teacher I got stuck with after both my amazing teachers passed away.

challenge day 1:

1. Mon. Jan. 25: Welcome back to another challenge! What are your goals?

finish all assignments at least one day before the deadline

not pull any more all-nighters

not leave any readings to be caught up on later

read a little bit of something every day

work on multiple subjects/things per day instead of doing a huge block of one subject all day

I guess these are really different ways to say “don’t procrastinate.”

I’m already failing on a couple of them - last night I sent in an assignment in 15 minutes before the deadline and I have a couple chapters to catch up on.

an apology:

Sorry this was so long and messy. I promise the next one will be at least slightly better.

[chaoshomeschooler]

Ask a Homeschooler

Whenever I tell anyone that I have been homeschooled all my life they always have a bunch of questions. I will probably make an FAQ at some point but also feel free to send me an ask with any questions you might have about what it was like to be homeschooled.

[chaoshomeschooler]

21. can you play any instruments? how long have you been playing?

I’ve been playing piano for at least 10 years now? That’s the only one I’m actually any good at. I’ve been playing cello for a while now - somewhere around four years I think? I took basically a whole year off last year but I picked it up again recently to just kinda play around and I haven’t forgotten the basics so that’s good.