#notebook nerd

[notebooknerd]

I love having this Slytherin background on my laptop, I find it very motivating 🤓

[stirpicus]

Stirpe’s 2018 Planner Showdown - Jibun Techo vs. Hobonichi Techo

Background: I am a MASSIVE notebook junkie. I use ‘em for everything - lists, diary stuff, taking notes at work, working out new story ideas, writing rough drafts... I go through, on average, 4-5 Moleskines per year, plus this past year I added a pocket weekly planner to the mix. I loved having a physical planner BUT the layout of it just hasn’t been 100% gelling with what I had hoped for.

So! I decided that before 2018 began I would do a ton of research and try to find a notebook to integrate into my writing/journalling/scheduling/etc. habits for the year. I went down a rabbit hole and discovered Japanese techos - or “handbooks” - which apparently are a pretty huge thing in Japan, and I decided to order one.

The champion for the last decade has been the Hobonichi Techo, which is a pretty no-frills weekly planner but which has a ton of accessories and ecosystem surrounding it. The more recent competitor is the Jibun Techo which is newer, and thus has fewer accessories, but makes up for it with having a lot of really personalized touches and suggestions for use...

I ordered one of each and am eagerly waiting for them to arrive so I can put them head to head and see which I like better...

[notebooknerd]

This is the wall by my bed. Gotta love some chemical symbols 🤓

[notebooknerd]

[notebooknerd]

5 Tips for your Study Schedule

1. Schedule THIS first.

Okay, so this one may or may not sound a little weird to you guys, but I watched an entire Ted Talk about it. Basically, when you make a study schedule, the first thing you should be scheduling into it is not actually studying. It’s the fun stuff/nothing (sometimes). Burnout is a real phenomenon, but it’s so much less likely to happen to you if you make time for activities besides studying that give you joy. It could be as simple as time to take a nap or as complicated as time set aside to play in a community band, but you need to make sure there’s something for you in your schedule. The purpose of your life is to live it, and you need to ensure that you’re doing just that!

2. Schedule GOOD time.

When you finally sit down to write down all the time you’re going to spend studying, try to make it fit in good times of study. A good time of study would be during one of your more productive times of day and away from anything that makes you feel less productive. Find out what makes you the most and least productive and use that knowledge to your advantage (work smarter, not harder; I’ll have a post about how I track all of this later). What good is study time when you literally stop caring about whether or not it gets down because you’re so incredibly out of touch? Hey, maybe you can’t fit your most productive time in your schedule; that’s okay. Just make an extra effort to take that time in a place or situation that helps you feel more productive like at the library or not on your bed.

3.Make it a routine.

Stick to it. Get in 21 days of solid grind. It’s difficult to stick with it through that start, but it gets easier after, so as Nike always reminds us, JUST DO IT.

4. Plan rewards.

If I follow my study schedule all week, I get to see a movie on Saturday or I get to go pet puppies at the Animal Shelter or I get to sleep in or anything else that seems rewarding enough to get you to stick with it.

5. Be flexible.

Okay, I know that I told you like two tips ago to just do it. Hear me out. Sometimes we make study schedules and we realize that something about it just won’t work. Half the time, we take this as a sign to get rid of the schedule entirely. DON’T DO THAT UNLESS YOU REALLY HAVE TO. If you know what the problem is, be flexible and adjust things a little. You’ll thank yourself later. Great example, I made a study schedule for AP exams this year that I’ve been following for a couple months now. As I started out, though, I realized that taking the time to do practice problems every single chapter of the prep book was going to make it take FOREVER to get through all the basic material I needed. This would leave me with like one full practice test at the end…no Bueno. So I adjusted. Take away the practice problems, more time for full practice tests later. That way, instead of knowing what types of problems I was supposed to be solving, I’d learn exactly how to solve them within the context of the test. Better? Much better.

:), Notebook Nerd

[notebooknerd]

Today was a busy last day before spring break, but it was a good one!!!!! Calculus notes and a doodle are pictured, but I also had an AP chem test and worked on AP psych :) I take the SAT tomorrow, and I'm nervous :/ Hopefully it will all go smoothly 💪🏻👍🏻😬

[notebooknerd]

To-Done

It seems like other members of the studyblr community have endless lists of helpful pro tips for studying, working, and just general getting through the tough school and life stuff we all go through.  Not me. Honestly, I’d love to think that I have a hundred different things for your to consider that have never crossed your mind, but I’ve read enough study tip posts to know that there’s nothing new in this world. So instead of introducing new concepts, let’s take a couple minutes to get a new perspective. That’s my favorite tool to offer: perspective. Who knew? Instead of trying to show you my top ten lists, I’m going to try to be as real as possible and show you some things in a way that changes it a little. Nothing radical, just simple POV stuff.

So today I wanted to address one of the most famous organization tips in the history of everything. How many of you make to-do lists? All of us. That is, all of us who need to see what has to get done written down somewhere. I, personally, have this obsessive need to schedule and plan and put pieces of time puzzles together. A long list is stressful looking, but at least then I know what I’m up against. That’s why one of my biggest time management tools is a to-do list. Oh sure, I use regular ones. You know, daily tasks and reminders. Stuff like that. But I’m talking about a running to-do list. Every part of everything that needs to get done. And it can be scary to look at, I’ll be honest. That’s why we need perspective. Instead of a running to-do list, it’s a running to-done list. Here’s everything I need to do next, but its right next to all of this wonderful stuff that’s already crossed off. Here are all the assignments I’ve completed this semester.

I think this works for me because it reminds me of all that I’ve accomplished so far. You could even keep a separate list where you only write stuff once it’s done. But think about it; a lot of us with high expectations of ourselves minimize our accomplishments and magnify our failures. “I only did one assignment today instead of three. My to-do list today was pathetic.” First of all, how dare you talk to my friend like that, self? She is strong, independent, and, quite frankly, she’s killing it because she got ONE WHOLE ASSIGNMENT DONE TODAY! But also, look how much she’s gotten done this week, this month, this year! You know what I mean?

Disclaimer though: to-done lists won’t work for everyone. But hey, what if they work for you? I’m not saying you have to try it if you never have, just think about it for a second.

That’s my perspective. ;)

“Do not be desirous of having things done quickly. Do not look at small advantages. Desire to have things done quickly prevents their being done thoroughly. Looking at small advantages prevents great affairs from being accomplished.” - Wilson Mizner

 :), Notebook Nerd

[notebooknerd]

10 High School/General Self Care Tips

1.      Plan time to do things that refresh you and give you joy.

2.      Drink water!!!!!!!!!!

3.      Pack a lunch and snacks that will help you focus.

4.      Taking care of your body=taking care of your mind.

5.      Establish coping strategies and find helpful people who care.

6.      Clean and organize your stuff as often as possible. (Better yet, make it part of your routine! Cleaning your binder and backpack after finishing homework on Sunday makes the start of the week easier!)

7.      Learn to put down your phone.

8.      Don’t wait for college to learn responsible things.

9.      Find a group of people that applies PRODUCTIVE peer pressure. :)

10.  Do something energetic to wake you up in the morning. I do like a two minute exercise routine, but jumping up and down to your favorite jam does the trick!

Let me know if I should make these self-care tips into a series of posts or if you want more detail on any of these things. I know a lot of self-care posts say the same thing over and over again (like drink water), but repetition helps it stick in your brain. Also, different perspectives are great!

 :) , Notebook Nerd