one of the biggest things I can advocate for (in academia, but also just in life) is to build credibility with yourself. It’s easy to fall into the habit of thinking of yourself as someone who does things last minute or who struggles to start tasks. people will tell you that you just need to build different habits, but I know for me at least the idea of ‘habit’ is sort of abstract and dehumanizing. Credibility is more like ‘I’ve done this before, so I know I can do it, and more importantly I trust myself to do it’. you set an assignment goal for the day and you meet it, and then you feel stronger setting one the next day. You establish a relationship with yourself that’s built on confidence and trust. That in turn starts to erode the barrier of insecurity and perfectionism and makes it easier to start and finish tasks. reframing the narrative as a process of building credibility makes it easier to celebrate each step and recognize how strong your relationship with yourself can become
Bonjour mes amores💋 It has been about two weeks since I last updated my blog... because i have been super busy with uni! So I thought I'd share this photo because it contains valuable info. Take it as advice.
how to get your calories in while studying: snacks for in between and your bag
especially at college and university, staying fit by keeping a nutritious and dense diet throughout the day is the key to physical, mental and therefore academically wellbeing
boiled eggs
beef jerky
avocado: raw, in salad or as guacamole
smoothie shake/smoothie with supplement powder + drops of your choice with bananas, chia seeds and nuts
(from a 3rd year student that only learned all this this past semester)
(applicable to other stages of your academic life, ofc, i was needing this advice rn in the end of my bachelor's)
1. Find ways to be interested in all classes.
Being it by watching documentaries/movies, wanting to be the smartass that knows quantum physics in family reunions, or wanting to tutor your crush on maths (not me doing that to learn integrals lol). You have to at least find a short term motivation to study for that class. That's the most important bit to be able to study it. But of course you also have to be interested in your classes, so try to watch tv shows about it to make it look cooler. (me watching big bang theory and realizing I understand some physics equations)
2. Find other people who are also interested in your classes
For example, this year in radiations class, i would have given up on being on track with the classes if my friend wasn't a master in radiations. They always answer my curiosity questions, and give me fun facts, so it helps me be interested in it. Also, other people's enthusiasm about a course is going to make you so much more excited about it.
3. Ask questions to your teachers.
I promise it won't be dumb. And even if it is, i promise it won't be in the top 10 dumbest questions they ever had to answer in their career.
My rad prof said in our first class that a master's degree student had once asked her what is a photon, and she answered bc there is no shame. (he was a comp sci undergrad, so he genuinely didn't know) That helped me feel more at ease asking her questions tbh, bc now i feel like every question is valid.
4. Don't worry if you are unsure about your future.
Everyone is. The only ppl that aren't unsure are the Rory Gilmore's of this world that had the same dream for so long that they don't even know if it's still their dream or not.
You're still changing, literally during my first year i had two different mental breakdowns thinking I chose the wrong degree. Which was just the stress and uncertainty speaking, bc im still very much enjoying my degree lol. (and the funniest bit, one of those mental breakdowns was me thinking i wanted to switch for computer science, but now i think that wouldn't do it for me. I changed my interests so much since then)
5. Make time for friends.
Both your "old" friends and trying to meet new ones. It will help you not to go insane during exams period lol. Also, try to talk to students from the years above you, they'll have so much advice to give you (you just have to say you're a newbie in uni, and they'll literally start rambling about their 1st year mistakes, at least that's what me and my friends do with the new kids lol)
When you have a task that you don't want to complete, just get started and keep going for 3 minutes. If you still don't want to complete the task after 3 minutes, stop and start another task
This method can be very challenging during the initial stages of trying it
When you procrastinate, you tend to find something else to do first to dodge the main task at hand
This rule forces you to immediately avoid any deviation from completing the task for 3 solid minutes with the option to stop after those 3 minutes
Discipline plays a crucial role in this motivation technique as starting the 3 minutes requires you to overcome procrastination
Something that helps in this process is trying to slightly mentally detach yourself from the situation to have an objective view on it
You need to look at the situation and acknowledge that you have the freedom to stop the task after 3 minutes if you truly cannot complete it and that you absolutely must start the task immediately
Often times, I keep going once I start which results in significantly improved productivity
Flexibile Schedules
Often times, I plan out the perfect study and work session with my tasks and times detailed to the second
However, sometimes, life gets in the way of these plans and I'm forced to reschedule everything
Something like this can be extremely demotivating, especially if your day revolved around your very detailed plan
To help solve such issues, there are 2 options for 2 different scenarios
The first option is to prevent the situation from occurring at all
Extremely rigid and detailed plans are very easy to disrupt
Preventing the situation would be done by outlining more flexible study and work plans that can be done at most times and don't rely on strict timings (I will post another article on creating a flexible and functional study schedule)
The second option is how to move forward if you do find yourself in a situation where your study plans have been disrupted and you're demotivated
In this instance, the first step is to list the topics you need to cover and sort them from most important to least important
Estimate how much time each topic will take and look at how much time you have available
Evaluate if the time you have available is adequate to completely cover all of your listed topics
If not, choose as many topics with the greatest priority that will be able to be completed within your available time
Remember, these steps should be completed within 5 minutes at most to prevent you from losing any more time
There's always a plan for every situation. It just needs to be found.
Justify It
If you truly feel like there's no reason to compete the task, find a reason
If the task is important enough for you to lament over it, it's certainly important enough for you to complete it as soon as possible
Clear your mind of any frustration and just relax
Think of what the purpose of the task is
Do you need to complete an assignment that will be a part of your final grade?
Do you need to complete a report for your job?
Will this benefit you in the future - near or far?
If you need to study, what is your end goal?
When I hesitate with my studying, I always remind myself that what I'm learning now will one day help me improve as a doctor
Once you identify a reason, act on it and complete the task
The reason will help you sense that what you're doing has meaning and purpose, making the task less of an inconvenience and more of a duty
Recently I finished Cal Newport's another book, How to Win at College. A fast read, the book is basically a list of tips gathered by the author to help the reader succeed easier at uni.
Some of them were quite obvious to me, some of them caught my attention more, and they are the ones you can find below. Words in italics are the exact quotations, headlines are also original from the book. The rest of it is my attempt to summarize it (although the descriptions in the book itself are very short and clear, so really, check out the book). Without further ado:
Studying
Build Study Systems
before you start to study spend few minutes so you know exactly what and how will you study, that way you will optimize your work and study more efficiently
Avoid Daily To-Do Lists
rather try time-blocking
Do Schoolwork Every Day
doesn’t matter how much you do, as long as you do something daily it will be easier staying in that zone of the smooth work flow
Find a Secret Study Space
Take the time to explore the odd corners and depths of your favorite buildings on campus, and you will certainly find a hidden jewel of a study space to call your own.
however! switch them from time to time to prevent making studying tedious and alienating
Don’t Study In Groups
you really do need to sit at your QUIET desk in the library to absorb the material
seek out someone for specific help on a specific issue, then return to your solo work
Don’t Do All of Your Reading
read chapter introductions and conclusions, skim everything else
you may miss something important, your professor won’t – listen carefully during class
pay more attention to the assignments which will be part of an exam but weren’t or won’t be covered in class
make tick marks next to sentences that catches your attention and is faster than highlighting
Start Long Term Projects the Day They Are Assigned
finish some work the same day; 30 mins are enough, plan the whole thing, do some research, maybe write some draft
Keep a Work-Progress Journal
every nigh jot down the day’s date, the long-term work you had scheduled for the day, and the work that you actually accomplished, be brief
that will keep your mind in the game, and you will feel being hold accountable
Start Studying Two Weeks in Advance
first ~12 days– an hour or so, maybe a couple extra hours over the weekend
two days before exam – three-hour secessions to cement that knowledge
Focus On Grades, Ignore G.P.A
bad grades happen, as long as you put in the effort nobody cares about one bad day
focus on learning for the sake of learning, not for the sake of grades !!!!
Uni life
Get Involved with Your Major Department
attend the events, guest lectures, seminars, public thesis defenses
show up once a month, become a recognized face, that will have several benefits
Learn to Listen
never be the first person to give an opinion, listen to others’ thoughts first, be sure you understand their positions, and then interject your own thoughts with careful aplomb
you don’t want to be that stuck-up person who acts like they know everything, and only they are right – listen, listen, listen!!!
Relax Before Exams
studying right up until the testing begins releases too much adrenaline, resulting in troubles with focusing
take an hour before an exam to relax so you will feel confident and calm
Ignore Your Classmates’ Grades
Worry about your performance and progress; let your classmates worry about their own.
Blow the Curve Once a Term
every semester choose one class you like, then within this class choose one interesting project, and then just absolutely kill it
Ask One Question at Every Lecture
(…) when you are doing the reading that will be covered in the lecture, jot down a quick list of questions that seem relevant. Then, once in class, follow the professor’s material carefully modifying and honing your questions as appropriate. Finally, when you feel you have a question that is meaningful, and will clarify an important point of the discussion, ask away.
Befriend a Professor
make them your mentor, they provide the letters of recommendation, informal instructions, and many other useful tools you need for academic success
visit office hours not only when you have troubles with certain topics; when working on a paper talk to them about possible topics, get feedback on the selected idea, check with them the structure of your argument, ask for clarification etc. etc. etc.
Apply to Ten Scholarships a Year
For every ten well-selected scholarships and awards you apply for, you probably have a good shot at winning at least one (…). The more scholarships you win, the better your odds on future applications.
it will accumulate and after few years your resume will be looking good when joining the job market
Lifestyle
Schedule Your Free Time
so you don’t waste it sitting and wondering what to do and turning 10-minutes jobs into 2-hours ones
either you are in one of your scheduled break periods, or are you working – no more feeling guilty or uncertain when to relax
Find an Escape
schedule an escape every single week, do it alone; can be a long hike, sitting in the coffee shop reading, anything allowing you to relax and cut off uni stuff for a few hours
Exercise Five Days a Week
keep yourself active to boost your brain, but also to take care of your muscles and joints – they were made to move!
Stay In Touch
talk to your family and friends at least once a month; literally talk, call them or meet if you can, messaging doesn’t count nor sending voice massages
Don’t Undersleep, Don’t Oversleep
find out how many hours do you need to feel rested and stick to them
avoid too few but also too many hours of sleep – The fact that you can sleep more, doesn’t mean that you should.
Laugh Every Day
Find something every single day that will make you laugh
Seek Out Fun
if you don’t actively seek out fun, it won’t actively seek out you
Reconsider reading Newport's book, or give his podcast (Deep Questions with Cal Newport) a try. He's the first person I found with such a healthy approach to productivity and work
Since it's now September and most people I know will be heading either back to school or gearing up for university. And if anyone did what I did they might look at Tumblr to get some studying/life ideas (I did this during my A-levels and ended up making my own blog!). So I wanted to give some general advice from my perspective to anyone who might want it - also this will be specific to the UK but some of it is just general too. Also I want to be able to look back on this since I went back through my blog recently and realised I may have needed this advice even just a year ago.
For those who are about to go to university do not panic (cliché I know) but seriously. You will survive the first year I promise! It obviously varies from person to person and between unis and degrees but the first year will generally be a massive adjustment period in your life. And that will likely impact your mental health. This is totally normal. I got major impostor syndrome the first few months of uni. It wasn't until semester 2 that I started to feel comfortable. And largely because if was an entirely new way of learning and teaching, I had to completely relearn how to study, whilst also learning how to live on my own, and living in a new city and making friends.
You will make friends, it might not be immediately but you will find someone before the end of your first year. I got blessed by chance in making friends, but I know lots of people who it took the entire year to find their people. The unfortunate part of this advice is to make friends you do have to go outside and meet them (and I don't always mean going out drinking although this is definitely an option). Look for societies and clubs at your uni this will be 100% an easy way to meet people. And especially especially in the first few weeks of uni go to the welcome/fresher/first year events. I avoided them because I was anxious but turns out they're an amazing way to meet people because guess what? Everyone else is just as anxious as you are!
Expect your grades to go down at first and don't be discouraged, you can and will get those grades back up. And even if you don't (given that you are passing) it doesn't matter. Grades, especially at grad level are kind of inconsequential for most people. Two things to be mindful of are if you are going for a work placement or study abroad year (if you live in the UK) as first year grades do matter for those. Something no one will probably tell you till it's too late. But even then for most study programs you only need a 60% in your first year. And to just progress you only need a 40% (at most unis double check yours). Point being if there's ever a time for your grades to go down it's now, don't panic, your degree isn't over, you're not an impostor, you deserve to be here.
Everyone is struggling just as much as you are. Don't be fooled by Instagram or whatever. Even though I am guilty of it, we only show the nice parts of our lives online. When I get most stressed I step back from this blog, and you guys don't see the tears, sleepless nights, frustrating, and also kind of gross parts of being a student. So don't be fooled if Amanda from your seminar seems to have a perfect life on her Instagram, chances are she hasn't got it as together as you think, and you are no less better than anyone else in the room.
Save money anyway you can!!! I cannot stress this enough but one of the students biggest issues is spending. I'm guilty too but do your best especially in the first year to not overspend too much. Still enjoy yourself 100%, but do you really need to take out five times a week? Or the new shoes? Trust me by the time you get to your second year and your savings or your loan is gone you'll be wishing you held back a little.
If you are struggling. Talk to someone. For uni students, go to your mentor, academic lead, or look up the mental health service at your uni. Every uni (in the UK) has a mental health team. I know many of us are disillusioned with student support networks but I mean this when I say uni support systems are better funded, more rigorous and it serves them to support you. You are not just a student at the university, you are a customer paying a lot of money to be there. It's important that you are happy and you are progressing, otherwise both you and the uni lose! Don't be afraid to speak up when you need it, there will be someone there.
For UK students look up student groups for your university of Facebook. I'm being 100% serious when I say there is a gold mine of info on Facebook for unis. I never ever post on Facebook but it is so useful for staying in the know on events, stuff currently happening, and lots of student groups are pretty funny/gossipy. Some unis even have pages giving away free stuff from previous students, i.e. crockery, kitchen stuff, speakers etc. I managed to save some decent money on these groups. Also if you're into clubbing this is a pretty good way to learn where the good spots are in your city ;)
Romanticism will only go so far. Don't exhaust yourself on how you look. At the end of the day if you are getting the job done who cares if you did it hunched over a bag of cold McDonalds at 3 am? It's no better than someone with a green smoothie at a coffee shop.
I say a lot of this because my first semester was an emotional rollercoaster. During my GCSEs to A-Levels I thrived academically and then coming to Uni I felt like I was so out of my depth. And it wasn't until the second year I realised that this is, a) normal, and b) not that deep! So you scored a little low on an essay? Take the advice and work on the next one. You had some awkward conversation at a uni event? Everyone has forgotten about it already, give a different event a go. One of my favourite things about university is that it is surprisingly low consequence (in the grand scheme of things). Making mistakes won't end you it's okay. I know everyone on studyblr is a perfectionist but give yourself some leniency please. Anyway that's enough of my ranting. To be honest I expect no one to read this. But I am curious how I'll update it in a year's time once I'm going into third year.
If anyone has any questions about university my DMs are open. (I actually am now a paid guide for welcoming first years so it is literally my job lol).
