#studysmrter

[studyandteabreak]

01.16.17||Monday

I’m about to read this baby about biomass production for my bioreactors class. What a perfect way to start a day, no sarcasm here I’m serious plus my coffe is yummy.

  Guys I’m really enjoying this semester.

[studysmrter-blog]

Now that the rough draft of this has been sitting in my drafts for about six months, I think the new year is as good a time as any to finally get this published. So! Here we go!

THE BASICS

I’m Sophie. 

I’m a grandma compared to most of the rest of you at 24, but I’m still taking intro classes for my degree. (HINT: This is what happens when you choose a major solely on the fact that you ‘like to sing’.)

I’m from the U.S. - the Midwest, to be exact. (For those of you that don’t know, that’s the middle of the country that everyone likes to call flyover country. We in the Midwest are not amused.)

I’m a secondary education major (5-12) for American history, world history, and American government. I’m particularly interested in American history and government/politics, and would eventually like to get my master’s and doctorate specializing in Constitutional history.

WHY A STUDYBLR?

Like I said, I’m a lot older than the rest of you. (If there are any other “older” or “non-traditional” students out there, hit me up! I wanna know I’m not alone!) But because I took a detour with my education, I’m rather out of practice with sitting in a classroom for hours on end, having to study late hours into the night, and definitely not used to having to take tests like, ever other week. When I stumbled onto the studyblr and studygram community on Instagram, I saw it as a perfect way to not only get some inspiration, study tips, and motivation, but also to record my own journey and my own experiences.

FUN FACTS

Despite not making it as a music major, I really love to sing, and I’m actually a pretty good vocalist. 

Coffee. That should sum it up, to be honest. I am the Lorelei and Rory Gilmore of the real world: if I don’t have my coffee, I am not only useless but I am CRABBY. I should have called this studyblr something to do with coffee, but all the good URLs were taken. 

I’m going to a school that caused my dad, when I was a child, to say he’d disown me if I ever supported said school, because it was the rival school of his alma mater. I am happy to report that not only did my father not disown me, but he’s super happy that I’m back in school and finishing my degree. It’s also the university at which my grandparents met and fell in love. <3

This is usually where people list off people they’re inspired by, right? God, there are TOO MANY OF YOU. Some of the first, though, were @katsdesk, @emmastudies, @thehistorygrad, @thearialligraphyproject, @colllegeruled, and @365text, and @studie-s. I’m so looking forward to being part of this great community! 

[studysmrter-blog]

When I was in high school, my backpack was always a mess. It was full of random papers, broken pencils, wrappers, crumbs ... you name it, it was in my backpack. And even during my first tenure in higher education, my bag was never something I was very proud of. Because of the mess, I was always losing papers, missing assignments, and scrambling to find a pencil to take notes with. It drove me crazy but I never was able to break the habit.

Last semester, though, I had a pretty serious chat with myself about the state of my backpack and how it had a big impact on my studies. I figured out that the secret to success isn’t just keeping your backpack clean, but to only keep what you really need inside. So here’s a peek at what I keep inside my backpack almost every time I leave the house!

Let’s talk about my backpack for a second. I use a Northface Women’s Surge backpack in grey heather/cerise pink. Let me just say: I love this backpack. I cannot say enough good things about it. It’s roomy, it’s good for heavy loads, and (bonus) it’s certified by the American Chiropractic Association. I also love that it has several “felt” lined compartments for my electronics so I know my iPad and phone won’t get scratched up. Here’s a link if you want to go check it out in detail - not a promo or anything, I just really really really love this backpack.

Let’s dive into the contents!

ONE. I’m sans break-between-classes this semester, so it’s hard for me to find time to get some food in me. To combat that, I always keep a water bottle with me to help stave off hunger, as well as easy-to-grab snacks that I can throw in my backpack in the morning. Even though they’re easy, I really try to keep them in the “decently good for you” category or in the “actually fills you up” category. It usually includes trail mix, a protein/energy bar, dried apples, veggie straws, rice cakes, or some kind of wrap that doesn’t need refrigeration. 

Side note: I usually keep my snacks healthy because I keep a bar of dark chocolate in my bag. Not only does it help stave off my sweet tooth, but studies show dark chocolate helps stimulate your brain and aids with focus. Score.

TWO. These are totally necessary to survive college, especially since I’m a commuter student. These stay in a little pouch that can go with me from bag to bag: pain killers, hand lotion, perfume, hand sanitizer, lip gloss/balm, oil sheets, tissues, and my little wallet clutch. I’m also realizing I need more band-aids to throw in here; I used them all up last semester. Dang paper cuts.

THREE. This five-subject notebook from Five Star will last me the entire semester, and it’s mostly because I’m too lazy to make several trips to the store throughout the semester. I use it for scratch paper, things I need to turn in, and this one comes with folders in case I get handouts in class. 

I have a Kipling pencil case that I totally forgot to take a picture of, and that’s full of pens, highlighters, and pencils. What you see above is typically what I’ll have on my desk during class if I'm taking regular pen-and-paper notes.

FOUR. This actually isn’t something I have in my bag ALL the time, but I used this black padfolio from Sugar Paper L.A. when I have a meeting with a professor, when I’m doing my in-school observations for my teaching certification, and when I have my teaching assistant office hours. It’s more professional than a regular notebook, and since I’m a future educator, I’m always networking.

FIVE. This is my bullet journal! She’s pretty unassuming on the outside, but inside she’s an organization dream. I use a Leuchtturm 1917 A4 dotted notebook in emerald - small enough to be thrown in and out of bags whether I’m off to school or dashing off to work. The bullet journal system is the first planner and organization system that has worked long-term for me, and it has kept me super on top of my school work this year. 

SIX. Electronics! I always have my Beats wireless headphones on me. These actually hang around my neck all day, but they start off in my backpack. 

Lastly, I use my 12.5″ iPad Pro and the Apple Pencil for ... pretty much everything. I take notes on it just like handwriting my notes on regular paper, but it’s a totally green solution. The iPad Pro is lighter and thinner than a laptop, and it’s supports things like Word and Powerpoint so I can virtually do all my homework on it. If you’re starting school, I’m almost at the point where I’d recommend this or a similar tablet instead of a laptop. 

That’s my backpack tour! Hopefully you enjoyed and didn’t find this completely boring. If you have questions, feel free to send me a message, and let me know what you have in your backpack for school!

[basicwitchstudies]

Ah, you're my age AND you like politics and history! Double score. Nice to meet you! :)

It’s nice to meet you too!

Especially someone my age... Sometimes I feel extra old looking at the studyblrs of 17 year olds...

[scrubstudies]

That is so great that you're studying Christian apologetics! You should also look at early Christian theologians such as Thomas Aquinas and Peter Abelard and the entire scholasticism movement from the 12th and 13th centuries - it's where the entire movement really comes from! <3

oh my gosh thank you so much for the suggestions!! i’m very excited to start studying it more in depth. we very briefly talked about Aquinas’ ‘Summa Theologica’ and how that affected the worldview and the culture of the time it was published and i’m very interested in trying to look at it!

[studysmrter-blog]

You know it's gonna be a good day when you get to watch videos on babies in your psychology class.