#treblestudies

[treblestudies]

09.20.2018

Music theory notes 💕

Decided to get some homework out of the way while sitting outside. It’s a beautiful last day of summer.

[horn-to-be-wild]

Hey guys! I decided to make a studyblr to motivate myself while I'm at college. So far I mostly have reblogged content, but I will be adding original content once school starts. I will be posting written notes, bullet journal spreads, planner spreads, practice logs, and basically everything school related. I would really appreciate it if you checked it out and maybe followed 💕💕💕 thank you.

[treblestudies]

I got a 4.00 GPA this semester!

I am so, so excited about this! In high school it would have been no big deal. I went to a tiny school where all of the classes were rather simple and I never really had to try. When I went to college I made the mistake of taking on too many classes, and it was difficult to keep up to my personal standards. Since I was used to having straight A’s, I was disappointed when I didn’t get them during first semester of freshman year, and again during the second.

I worked extra hard this semester and managed to receive all A’s on my MANY classes. (If you aren’t a music major, you probably don’t know that credit hours aren’t equal to how many hours you’re in class per week; I had 16 credits and instead of the usual 4 of 5 classes for “regular” majors, I had 9 and was in class for about 29 hours a week — and that’s not including an online class nor practice hours.) Considering how much time was consumed in class as well as marching band, I am surprised by how I managed to keep my grades up.

I hope this doesn’t come across negatively; I am just extremely proud of myself and wanted to share my achievements. I very excited for next semester. I will be taking 19 credits/9 classes and I hope to be able to keep up the hard work!

[treblestudies]

I recently purchased the 2018-2019 Recollections Creative Year Medium Planner (it starts it July, so I still have a little while before I can use it). I really liked this planner last/this year (see my last post for pictures) and I’m super excited to start using the new one! For those of you who haven’t seen/heard of this planner, it is basically a much cheaper version of the Erin Condren Vertical Life Planner. It is originally $29.99 in the US, but they go on sale quite often. With the sale and a coupon, I got it for about $17. What a steal! It comes with four full pages of stickers and the colors are so, so pretty. I also picked up the Recollections Creative Year Lifestyle Stickers because I knew that I’d want more than what came in the planner. I’m still trying to decide on what pen I’ll want to use, but I have plenty of time to figure that out.

[treblestudies]

Since school is over, I’ve gotten back into planning. Sounds kinda backwards, right? But now I have a lot more time to decorate and make everything look pretty rather than just writing down a to-do list. Currently I’m using the Recollections Creative Year Medium Planner with the succulents cover from Michaels. I used this at the beginning of the school year, but didn’t really know how to utilize it, so I switched to a different planner for awhile. Now that school’s out I’ve figured out how I should be using it, and I’m very excited to be able to do so. I also use an Artist’s Loft dot journal for my bujo, and it accidentally matches my planner; how cute! I mostly use the Pilot Juice pens and the Staedtler Triplus Fineliners.

[treblestudies]

Messy middle page of my music theory notes. 👌🏻

[treblestudies]

Simple notes for Thinking on the Page, chapter 6. I used some white-out, oops.

[treblestudies]

Back to School Advice

Since we are in full swing of the back-to-school season, I thought I would write out some advice for going back to school. This is mostly aimed at upperclassmen in high school because those are the years I remember most clearly, but it will probably help for other grades as well! 

Before I get started, I'd like to point out that I'm an incoming college freshman, so I can't really give university advice (yet). However, I was extremely successful in high school and finished with a 4.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale (AP/IB/Honors Classes were not offered at my school) so I think I’m slightly qualified to help high school students. 

ORGANIZATION

Get yourself a planner. I personally think that this is the most important part of going back to school (and for everyday life in general). It can be anything, really, as long as it’s a system that works for you. I really like the Recollections planner from Michael’s. It’s basically a knockoff Erin Condren, and it’s a lot less expensive. I also really enjoy bullet journaling, but I plan on making a more specific post about this later. There are spiral bound planners, such as the Lilly Pulitzer agendas; ring bound planners, such as Kikki.K or Filofax; hardbound planners like Moleskine; and the options are endless. I recommend trying out a few different styles of planners throughout your high school career in order to know what works best for you by the time you head off for college.

Deep clean your bedroom. This might sound a bit odd, but I find that it is a lot easier to be successful during the school year when I have a clean and organized living space. When I say deep clean, I truly mean deep clean. Take everything out of your closet, dresser, bookshelf, everywhere. Place it all on your floor and pick up every single item in your hands. Ask yourself, “Does this item spark joy?” (This is commonly known as the KonMari method). If the answer isn’t yes, get rid of it. You can sell, donate, or just throw it away (or recycle, if possible). Once you’ve gone through all of your belongings, give everything a home. This way you will know exactly where it should return to the next time you use it.

While you’re at it, deep clean your desk. Do this the same way as your bedroom. Keep only what you need.

Develop a cleaning/organizing routine. This can involve anything you’d like. I like to go through all of my school work and notes at the end of each week, and all of my sheet music at the end of each semester. I have a very short, five-minute cleaning routine for my bedroom that I do each day before bed, as well as a slightly longer twenty minute routine once a week.

SCHOOL SUPPLIES 

(Most of these links lead to Target. I personally shop at Staples a lot more than I do Target, but I feel like everyone else prefers Target, so that’s why I linked to there.)

A notebook and folder or a binder for each class. Decide which system works best for you. I prefer notebooks and folders because they work better for the types of classes I take. Make sure they are sturdy enough to last for the entire semester (if not longer). I’ve also seen people use expanding file folders instead of folders, notebooks, and binders, but I’ve personally never tried that for schoolwork. However, I do use an expanding file folder to organize all of my sheet music.

Loose-leaf/filler paper. I feel like this one goes without explanation. I really like the reinforced filler paper from Mead Five Star, but it’s pretty expensive. Target’s brand Up & Up has a very similar version that is just as good for a lot less money. I prefer college ruled paper, but they also have wide and graph ruled.

Pencils, both mechanical and old fashioned. I much prefer the way mechanical pencils write, but I’ve been told that some scantron machines don’t detect their lead, so I like to stay on the safe side by having a couple old fashioned No. 2 pencils. My favorites are the Paper Mate Clearpoint 0.7mm Mechanical Pencils and the Ticonderoga No. 2 Pre-Sharpened Pencils (I prefer the black ones because I think they have better erasers, but I couldn’t find them on the Target website).

Pens, pens, pens! I absolutely LOVE pens! I almost always write with a pen (except on sheet music, for obvious reasons), and I would consider myself a pen enthusiast. I usually write with my Lamy Safari (I actually have the limited edition Neon Coral pen, so I linked another color) or my Kaweco Sport fountain pens, but I realize that those aren’t quite as accessible for everyone as a gel or ballpoint pen. As far as “normal” pens go, I really enjoy the Pilot G2, Pilot Juice, Pilot Frixon, Papermate Inkjoy, and Papermate Flare pens. I could go on and on about pens, so if you have any questions just send me a message!

Erasers. My favorites are the Pentel Hi-Polymer erasers, both in cap and brick form. I find that these erasers don’t smudge or rip the paper like others do.

Pencil sharpener. I don’t have a favorite kind; I just buy whatever one is on sale. 

Stapler and staples. I like the Swingline Tot Mini Stapler. It comes in a lot of different colors, and there are 1,000 staples included in the box. I also like that it is miniature, so it fits nicely in my pencil case.

Pencil case. I use the LIHIT LAB Pen Case. You don’t necessarily need one as big as this, but I carry a lot of things to class with me. I know that another popular choice is to use a makeup bag. I did that my sophomore year of high school and found that it worked decently well, but sometimes it was difficult to quickly find what I was looking for. 

Scissors. Really any kind will do, but I like the children’s sized scissors because they will fit in my pencil case.

Highlighters. I was never big into highlighters. I use them a lot, but I don’t have a favorite brand. I usually buy the Sharpie Accent Highlighters, but I just ordered the Zebra Mildliner 5 Color Set from Amazon. These are a fan favorite within the studyblr community, and I’ve been interested in them for quite awhile.

There are other school supplies that you may need depending on what classes you take, but I think I covered the basics. As a music major, I also need manuscript notebooks so you can tailor this list to your liking.

SELF-CARE

Get some sleep. This one is extremely important. As someone who suffers from insomnia, I know how hard this can be, but try to form a regular sleep schedule. Please realize that it is more important to get some sleep than it is to stay up studying into the wee hours of the night (or more correctly: morning). It is very difficult to stay focused on your schoolwork when you are sleep deprived.

Eat breakfast. Yes, I know, I’m going to be cheesy and say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I always feel so much better when I have something to eat in the morning. It helps me focus throughout the day, and it gives me plenty of energy. I like to have toast with peanut butter, as well as an egg or two, but I understand that it can be difficult to prefer yourself a meal in the morning. It is better to eat just a little (such as a granola bar or an apple) rather than nothing at all.

Surround yourself with positive people. I recently did a cleanse of my Facebook Friends. If there’s anybody that is constantly posting negative content, I would recommend deleting them on any and all social media. I know it’s hard to do if they are a close friend or family member, but it will be better for your own well-being in the long run. 

Set aside time for yourself. It can be as little as fifteen minutes or as long as five hours. It doesn’t really matter, as long as you have a specific amount of time set aside for “me time” every single day. You can do whatever you want. Read a book, listen to music, watch a movie. Just do something that you enjoy.

Drink plenty of water. I don’t think I need to write about why this is important. It helps to keep you healthy, your skin clear, your body awake, etc. 

Another aspect of self-care is taking care of your mental illnesses - if you have any. I personally struggle with severe generalized anxiety disorder, so if you’d like a post about how to cope just hit me up.

AFTER-SCHOOL ACTIVITIES

Join a club, organization, or sport! I know that academics may be your main focus right now, but I find that it’s a lot easier to find a good group of friends when you all share a common interest. For example, if you really like music you could join marching band, an a cappella group, or a music appreciation club. (My high school actually didn’t have a large array of clubs and organizations, but I know that most large schools do). If there isn’t a group for what you are interested in, you can often mention it to your school board and start one yourself!

Join a study group. I like study groups because you (usually) aren’t required to attend every single session. That way if you’re too busy you don’t have to feel bad. They are very helpful when it comes to specific subjects/topics, and it’s useful to have a group of people you can turn to whenever you have any questions.

Don’t overload your schedule. While it is important to get involved, I also think it is important to not overwhelm yourself. If you are in eight classes, two sports, three clubs, and two student organizations (okay I know that’s overkill and an exaggeration, but you get what I mean) your schedule will be way too crowded and it will lead to stress. Please don’t do that to yourself. Only participate in the extra groups that you enjoy.

Try something new. If you have time, it can be really fun to try something new that you think you might enjoy. This doesn’t necessarily have to be school related (I wasn’t quite sure what category to put this in). It can be something as simple as learning how to knit, taking a Zumba class at your local gym, or setting a goal to try as many new foods as you can. Try whatever you’d like! I’m currently learning how to speak German, so maybe you can try something like that. (If you are thinking about learning a language, I highly recommend using the website version of Duolingo. The app is good as well, but the website has a lot of helpful information that isn’t included on the app.)

Alright, I think this is all that I have for you today! If you have any questions about this post, or if I didn’t cover something you’d like help with, just send me an ask or a private message and I will be glad to assist you!

- Erin