Aesthetic Studying
*note: you do not need expensive stationery to make your notes pretty. Also, practical is more important- what matters is studying in a way that's functional for you. I want to give tips that are pretty AND practical, but you need to do what works for you. Without further ado: 1. I'll say it again: fluffy pens. Fluffy pink lens and fluffy pink notebooks will always make you feel like Elle Woods, Cher Horowitz, and Sharpay Evans all at once. Other elements: colour coding with highlighters and file dividers is useful and very cute, add pictures or illustrations where you can to emphasise points, and you can absolutely add doodles in the margins... But maybe not on your exams. 2. Make studying fun to encourage you to actually do it, especially if you're stuck with a module or subject that you'd rather not work on. You could: - make yourself a fancy beverage- a hot chocolate with ALL the trimmings, or a berry tea, or whatever you make to feel cozy and comfy - Keep your desk clean and tidy, but add a few things that make you happy such as a small potted plant or a teddy that can sit and watch as you go. - dress for the occasion! Use your favourite book characters as inspiration, or just a classic pink moment. If you feel pretty, it can be motivational to get stuff done. *if you don't have a uniform/ you're in third-level education, you could try wearing a certain colour when you study certain topics as a bonus visual aid. If you do have a uniform, try the same tip with a bracelet on your dominant hand. 3. For Auditory Learners: Pink Academia study playlists are very fun. I'm sharing my playlist soon, if you're interested, but if you're not then take some other options. If you're a classical purist, I'd use Tchaikovsky's three big ballets- Nutcracker, Swan Lake, and Sleeping Beauty. If you like musicals, there's Legally Blonde, Mean Girls, Carrie, and Six for a few to get you in the Pink. For musicals, I like to pick a song or character that I can sing along to and use that as a short break... Just don't pick Veronica. 4. For Visual Learners: Colour coding is very Pink Academia. You can also make your flash cards on colour-coded card. Something I don't see recommended that often is checklists. Break your tasks into smaller steps so that you can tick them off or fill them in. This is also another opportunity to talk about pretty pink stationery. 5. For Kinaesthetic Learners: Ok, this might just be a me thing because I've never seen it anywhere else- tell me if you do this! So, take your notes with you while you exercise at home... Or at the gym if you really want, I'm not going to stop you. Basically, you read them in sections to yourself (aloud is best) while you do something like mountain climbers or up-and-down planks, and then you recite the information again while you do, say, jumping jacks, or anything you can't really read while doing. It's kinda like a variation on the audiobooks while you work out, but what you're listening to is your own notes. It also totally feels like you're Elle on her treadmill! 6. Making your Actual Notes pretty. Analog: (aka physical notebooks) my tip is not worrying too much when you initially take down notes. My rapidfire note taking handwriting is absolute chicken scratch. But make it pretty when you need to read from it so that it's easier. - again, I will die on the fluffy pink hill - nice headers- try coloured pens, drawing a ribbon banner around it, colour coded underlines, or adding a couple of doodles that relate to the topic - consistent bullet points. I mean, if you draw your bullet points as filled-in circles, empty circles, dashes, or asterisks, it looks more aesthetically pleasing if you pick just one, or assign different roles for different shapes (like for staggered points) -work on your handwriting- when you need to be able to read it back, or when a teacher or examiner needs to be able to be able to read it, you should try to make it legible. You can add to the pretty with consistent sizing and shape. Digital: Literally please just... Notion. The free version has more than you will ever need, and you can make it as simple or as pretty as you like. It's... Listen. It's just good.
