#study resources

[somerabbitholes]

currently making a database/masterlist of resources, archives, websites, journals i frequently use because things keep falling through the cracks and i’m quite proud of this notion page

[slavic-roots-western-mind]

8 Resources for Chinese Characters

Whether you're looking for a site to help you master the stroke order, or if you're trying to compare characters across different languages, here are some useful sources for character explanations, radical breakdowns, actual examples, character evolutions from Warring States up until now, and many other interesting options.

This one is pretty good for character explanation, radical breakdown and examples e.g. where this character can be found, in what text etc. Only thing to note is that while you can change the interface language to English, the actual explanation is in Traditional Chinese, so something to keep in mind. https://dict.variants.moe.edu.tw/

2. Good for a phonetic breakdown of a character, including Hanyu, Hakka, Yale, Wade etc. Includes different fonts for comparison, and even a calligraphy option which makes me quite happy. https://www.cns11643.gov.tw/

3. Also good for showing the character stroke order and in-depth examples from actual literary works. Includes explanations from Kangxi and 说文解字 -Shuowen Jiezi (the original Han dynasty dictionary showing the actual seal script characters), so quite useful all in all. https://www.zdic.net/

漢典 | 漢語字典, 漢語詞典, 康熙字典, 說文解字, 音韻方言, 字源字形, 異體字

漢典 | 漢語字典, 漢語詞典, 康熙字典, 說文解字, 音韻方言, 字源字形, 異體字

4. Baidu. Self-explanatory but honestly very useful. Just input the character and an entire page dedicated to this character will pop-up.

百度百科是一部内容开放、自由的网络百科全书，旨在创造一个涵盖所有领域知识，服务所有互联网用户的中文知识性百科全书。在这里你可以参与词条编辑，分享贡献你的知识。

5. This also includes the same features as other sources e.g. character stroke order, pronounciation, radical breakdown etc, but what is particularly handy here is the option to compare the same character between Mainland, Taiwanese, Hong Kong, Japanese and Korean characters: https://hanzi.unihan.com.cn/CJKCompare

6. Fantastic for showing the evolution of characters, from Warring States Period to the current font, not to mention the different pronounciations available. Highly recommend. https://zi.tools/

7. Includes the standard radical breakdown and examples, but also the pronounciation of the characters using various different dialects in Taiwan, which is quite interesting as up until now I didn't find any sources that included this. https://pedia.cloud.edu.tw/

教育百科為「教育雲」下專為教師與學生提供之跨知識庫檢索平臺，是線上字典，提供多元成語、字詞、同義詞、注音、解釋、造句、發音等各類型知識檢索

8. This is more so for Oracle Bone and Bronze script characters, which are honestly quite fasinating. Definitely a favourite database of mine. The explanations are written in Traditional Chinese but mostly in relatively straightforward language so using a translation software is no issue. https://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/

[onigiri-studies]

Any recommended resources to learn german? I tried to get into studying german again after a ling time. Thank u💖

Hello! Thank you for the ask! 🫶🏻🩷✨ Here are some resources to learn German:

Textbooks

grammar

vocabulary

idioms: 1 , 2 , 3

Listening comprehension

coffee break german

coffee break german advanced

news in slow german

german stories-learn german with stories

Youtube channels

24h Deutsch

Lingster Academy

Easy german

Reading comprehension

Projekt Gutenberg (you can find many books on this platform)

[vixen-academia]

Free MIT online courses that sound interesting

Arts & Literature

Introduction to World Music

Reading Fiction

Literary Interpretation: Virginia Woolf's Shakespeare

Introduction to Photography

Foundations of Western Culture II: Renaissance to Modernity

Studies in Poetry - Briths Poetry and the Sciences of the Mind

Studies in Literary History: Modernism: From Nietzsche to Fellini

Screen Women: Body Narratives in Popular American Film

Studies in Poetry: "What's the Use of Beauty"

Queer Cinema and Visual Culture

Monteverdi to Mozart: 1600 - 1800

Writing and Experience: Reading and Writing Autobiography

Advanced Topics in Hispanic Literature and Film: The Films of Luis Buñel

Major Authors: Rewriting Genesis: "Paradise Lost" and Twentieth-Century Fantasy

Arthurian Literature and Celtic Colonization

Contemporary Literature: Britsh Novel Now

Studies in Poetry: 20th Century Irish Poetry: The Shadow of W. B. Yeats

Writing About Literature: Writing About Love

Introduction to European and Latin American Fiction: Great Books On The Page and On The Screen

Popular Culture and Narrative: Use and Abuse of the Fairy Tale

Victorian Literature and Culture

Reading Poetry

English Renaissance Drama: Theatre and Society in the Age of Shakespeare

Introduction to Fiction

International Woman's Voice

Major Authors: Oscar Wilde and the "90's"

Prizewinners: Nobelistas

American Authors: American Women Authors

Shakespeare, Film and Media

Japanese Literature and Cinema

Woman's Novels: A Weekly Book Club

Classics of Chinese Literature

Major English Novels

Topics in South Asia Literature and Culture

Introduction to Literary Theory

History & Social Studies

American Classics

The Middle East in the 20th Century

Africa and the Politics of Knowledge

The Rise of Modern Science

European Imperialism in the 19th and 20th Century

Philosophy of Love

Human Rights: At Home and Abroad

The Nature of Creativity

Introduction to Comparative Politics

Riots, Rebellions, Revolutions

Introduction to the History of Technology

Ancient Philosophy

Youth Political Participation

[isabellestudying]

【 Korean Study Resource 】

» Book : Korean Grammar in Use: Beginning to Early Intermediate » Link : Google Drive link

I don’t use this as a standalone textbook, but it’s honestly one of the most useful grammar references I’ve found for the A1–B1 level.

It’s structured to make it easy to revisit specific points when reviewing or filling in gaps—clear explanations, good example sentences, and enough nuance to help things stick without being overwhelming!

I treat it more like a grammar dictionary + workbook hybrid. I usually go back to it when I’m feeling unsure about a structure I’ve seen before, or when I want to make sure I fully understand a pattern I’ve encountered in native content.

Not a beginner "learn from zero" book, but very solid as a companion or revision tool alongside other materials.

If you're somewhere between basic and intermediate and want a grammar guide that’s actually usable (and not dry or overly academic), I’d say this is worth having!

» My progress on the book : #kgiub posts

[literaryvein-reblogs]

10 Study Tips

Work out why you procrastinate

Procrastination, the act of avoiding studying or carrying out a task can have many different roots causes, including:

You don’t understand the work

The topic is boring

You’re waiting for a time when you feel more motivated

The task is so overwhelming you don’t know where to start

And many more.

The first step in being able to work out how to stop procrastinating is to work out what it is that’s making you feel that way.

Spend some time reflecting on what it is that makes you procrastinate, then you will be able to easier identify which of our following study tips will help you the most.

Chop the material into chunks

If you’ve got a huge pile of work to do and you’re not sure how to begin, you should start by ‘chunking’ it – break down each task into small chunks.

For example, if you want to revise the GCSE Chemistry topic ‘chemical changes,’ try breaking the module down into smaller sub-topics such as ‘reactions of metals,’ ‘what are acids?’ ‘what are alkalis?’ etc. Then, assign yourself a certain number of those chunks each day which you will cover.

Instead of having one large overwhelming topic, you will have a series of smaller, more manageable chunks to work through.

Create a study timetable

If you’re always waiting for that perfect time to arrive for you to begin your work, then creating a study timetable could be the key to getting you motivated.

By nature, we love routine.

And once you’ve got yourself into a consistent and manageable study timetable, you’ll find it much easier to slide into study mode each time you come to sit down and do some work.

The key to making a good timetable is to make sure it’s manageable; give yourself enough breaks and down-time to relax each day and switch off from work.

Research suggests that around 50 minutes of studying with a 15 minute break is the optimum time for productivity.

So try creating a timetable that fits in around this, and one that fits in around your other commitments such as school, extracurricular activities and socialising.

Reward yourself

As part of your timetable, you should schedule time for rewards.

Whenever you complete one or two chunks of information, you should reward yourself with a short period of relaxation, such as going for a short walk or spending five minutes on your phone.

If you’re actively rewarding yourself at the end of each topic, you’re more likely to stick to your routine and remain motivated.

Work out why you want to achieve high grades

Another great way of finding study motivation is to work out why it is that you want to study in the first place.

Perhaps you want to try and get into a good university? Or have a great career? Maybe you want to know that you’ve given it your best shot? Or make your parents proud? Whatever it is, write down your own list of reasons and stick them next to your study space.

Whenever you’re feeling unmotivated, read through the list and remember why it is you’re there in the first place.

Study with peers/friends

Lots of students find it more motivating to study in a group, either with other classmates or their friends.

When you study as a group, you’ll have the chance to explain bites of information to one another and test your knowledge, as well as ask for more information around difficult topics or concepts from peers who have a better understanding.

Of course, you need a group of focused and disciplined students to ensure the group study works effectively. Though you may want to work with them, sometimes studying with friends can be more of a hindrance than a help.

So always bear this in mind when thinking about organising a group study session.

Active learning

Don’t expect to sit and read through a piece of work and have a full understanding of it. That’s passive learning, and it probably isn’t at all effective for most students.

Research has shown that active learning is the most effective way in being able to stack and store new information in our brain.

But what is active learning?

Active learning is when we are cognitively engaged in learning new information, trying to make sense and construct knowledge around it which relates to what we already know.

Once we have an association to something we already understand, we are more likely to absorb the information.

Ways you can actively learn:

Discuss the new topic with your peers or friends

Take notes on new information

Annotate the book/slides

Create a presentation on the topic and try to teach it to someone

Healthy lifestyle

It’s a well known fact that eating the right foods and doing regular exercise will help you to study effectively and stay motivated.

Aerobic activity sends oxygen and blood to the brain, while feeding your body the right foods will ensure you’re getting the right nutrients.

All of this contributes to maintaining a healthy lifestyle and optimum brain performance.

Perfect for acing your study time.

Get rid of distractions

It may seem obvious, but it’s amazing how many times you’ll find yourself scrolling through your phone or replying to a text when you should be studying.

Write a list of all the things that you find yourself distracted by when studying and then work out how to eliminate them.

For example, if your phone distracts you, put it on flight mode, or try downloading the app Forest, which grows a tree during the time that you don’t open your smartphone. If you open it, the tree dies and you have to start all over again.

Expect to have bad days

It’s very unlikely that you’re going to stay focused and be able to study consistently without ever finding yourself procrastinating.

Sometimes you’re just not in the mood – either you’re having a bad day or you’re just simply burnt out. It’s normal to expect to have these days, and you should never get angry with yourself for having them.

Instead, take a break, do something you enjoy and take a moment.

You can always move your schedule around and try and go back to studying later that day, and it’s likely to be far more productive and effective than if you were to sit and force yourself to do it.

Source ⚜ More: Writing Notes & References

[enas-notes]

cool (and free!) resource for german 💌

i've never seen anyone on the internet recommend this website (i found it by chance while stalking my uni's german department ig account).

it's called blueskywords (and no, it's not related to the app). it includes materials for all levels. each unit offers a text and the rest of the items revolve around it: questions, vocabulary notes, audio tracks, grammar quizzes... it's a limited compilation but it's 100% reliable and FREE! (i know this sounds like an add but i've just joined tumblr and i literally have like 5 followers?).

here's the link! https://blueskywords.com

Deutsch lernen wir im Flug! Blueskywords ist eine interaktive Plattform mit Text- und Audiomaterial und Übungen zur Selbstkontrolle.