help im on break

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[lifewithlala]

HOW I STRATEGICALLY PLAN MY SEMESTER

AND GET SHIT DONE

STEP 2: PLANNING AND SCHEDULING

We talked a bit about looking at the planning of your syllabus back in part 1, however, this should get a proper post by itself when I say you gotta get your schedule right. 

To recap, step 1 was to Study your syllabus. The syllabus has a lot of information, so you just need to make sure to check the following items: 

Books

Learning objectives

Test form

Planning

You can read more about them in detail here. 

Will the second take a bit of time? Hell yeah! But I assure, it will save you time in the long run. I’m talking about planning and scheduling. What is the difference between the two of them? We’ll start with the one we do most: 

Scheduling vs planning

Scheduling is concerned with the when. When do you have to deliver your report? When are the feedback sessions? When do you have exams? The schedule is in the syllabus. They give you all due dates, deadlines, and information about other events. 

Planning, on the other hand, is concerned with the what and the how. What must be done? What guidelines are there? What resources do you have? What can go wrong and what measurements can you take to avoid or to overcome the situation? How can you achieve what must be done? How can you break the end result into smaller and more manageable tasks? How can you deliver a complete product? 

As you can see, we often bother ourselves with only scheduling, but what 👏truly 👏 makes 👏 a 👏 difference 👏 is 👏 planning. The teachers don’t tell you how to go around a problem. They tell you what the end result should be and when it is due. It is up to us, as students to see how we are going to do it.

How to schedule and plan your semester

Ideally, you want to plan first and then schedule. But college already gives us a schedule. Here are the sub-steps I follow to plan and schedule: 

1. Get scheduling out of the way. Yes, get it out!!! I grab that syllabus and start highlighting the shit out of the important dates. What’s very useful is that you can make a monthly and weekly schedule/ overview right away. So far most schedules I’ve ever gotten are divided in weeks. 

But don’t just highlight, you’re supposed to have done that back in step 1 while you were studying your syllabus. Put them in your go-to calendar, agenda or bullet journal so you can see it every day and feel the pressure. I like planning my entire semester in Evernote.

Putting it all on the calendar gives me a nice overview of my semester. And having it like this makes it easier to divide into smaller tasks. AND will help me with the second step.

2. Prioritize your subjects. When I looked at the syllabus, I determined what the learning objectives and test examinations are. These two help me prioritize my subjects. Why is prioritizing important? Because if you get a lot of subjects it’s gonna be hard to get straight A’s for them all. That’s why one of my golden tips is to see what kind of tests you’ll get for the subjects. If it’s a report that you have to write, you know that’s gonna take you more time than just doing a presentation. Reports and projects are usually done in groups, so you’ll have lots of deadlines/ revisions in between. Take a look at the calendar and determine which subjects take the most time.

And also, look at your own capabilities. What are you good at? Which subjects are hard for you? I’m horrible at remembering theoretical subjects. So depending on how many chapters we’ll be analyzing, the more I’ll prioritize it. So make a list, give it numbers and see which ones will take priority this semester and write down the reasons you are prioritizing it. 

This is how I do it: 

3. Brainstorm. Now that you know what each subject is about and what is expected of you (learning objectives), you can start brainstorming. 

I mostly do this in projects and reports, because most of the times that information is already in the syllabus. I start by thinking about which subject I want to talk about or which company I can choose. I also make a bit of desk research. For example, if it’s a marketing plan that I have to do, I look up my previous works, see what I’ve done or look for templates and official marketing plans of other companies. This will give me a general idea of what a marketing plan consists of and I brainstorm what models I could use on my own. (A web clipper is a life saver when doing this!!!) If it’s a big project, I usually come back to this section as I work on it. So I don’t brainstorm everything in one shot. An idea can pop up anywhere.

4. Break down projects/ work into smaller tasks. This helps you get a detailed view of what must be done but it also saves you a lot of time. 

When I have the lists of the tasks that I must complete, I can start right away without wasting time because I’ve already brainstormed about the project. I know which direction the syllabus wants me to take it but I also know where I want to take it and how I can give it my own twists. So I know where I’m heading right from the start. 

5. Risks and things to avoid. THIS 👏 IS 👏 THE 👏 HEART 👏 OF 👏 PLANNING. This is what has saved me a lot of headache and stress. Especially in group works because your grade depends on the work of others. I don’t like doing everything alone because that’s hella stressful. But I don’t like delivering a mediocre report either. So in order to get a high grade, I start by thinking about who I want to pair with in ADVANCE. Then I ask the classmates I have in mind BEFORE we reach the first lecture. So we already have a group before class even starts. 

In case that doesn’t happen and I get a classmate that doesn’t understand a lot of the subject, I don’t blame them. I HELP THEM. I offer my help, and try meeting up and work on the part, even if it’s only the two of us. It doesn’t have to be the entire group. 

If procrastination is a risk for you, try figuring out why you’re procrastinating and how you can fight it. Make a plan of action for when you fall into a rut. Or if you tend to get sick, try coming up with a plan to avoid getting sick as often. Come up with whatever that might pose a threat to your schedule and make a plan to avoid it and/ or overcome it. If it gets too hard for you, try looking for past experiences and learn from them. Ask yourself what you could have done differently.  

In the third step, we’ll be focusing on evaluation and feedback, which is what ultimately helps me to improve. I’ll be sharing how I evaluate my performance and what I look for when giving myself feedback. I’ll also be sharing some templates if you guys want to use my method of planning. 

[studyblob]

(Source) I found this online and thought it might be helpful with the SAT coming up! These are also good tips for any other test!

[intellectys]

If you’re anything like me, you go to the library with the best intentions then inevitably get distracted and wind up finishing none of the tasks you set out to do. Here’s a handy guide to how to get more done when you go to the library!

Planning your study session

Know what you’re doing ahead of time. Not only does this mean you can plan out your time to keep you on task, but you can also pare down which books and notes you need to bring.

Try and choose subjects that you need to be in the library for. For instance, if you need books to write an essay, read them in the library so you don’t have to drag them home. It’s better for your back, and more motivating when your time is limited!

Make a plan! Whether it’s just a to-do list or chunking your work into ten minute blocks, have goals to accomplish and keep yourself on task.

Don’t expect to be fully focused the whole time you’re there. No one can concentrate for 4 hours straight, so work some breaks into your plan and cut yourself some slack.

What to bring

A water bottle. You’re better off staying hydrated with water than sugary drinks from the vending machine, and bringing your own bottle is the best way to do that because you can keep it right at your desk.

Your chargers! Nothing cuts a study session short like your computer dying, so be prepared and make sure you’ve got your laptop/phone/tablet charger on hand.

A jacket. At least at my university, the library is almost always freezing. Even if yours isn’t, bring a jacket to keep you warm because sitting still for ages is a surefire way to cool you down!

Healthy snacks. Bringing your own food means you won’t be spending money, and you have a reason to stay at your desk and away from the vending machine. It also means no noisy crisp packets! Here’s a guide to library-friendly quiet snacks.

Headphones. Sometimes, even the library can be a bit noisy. Whether you’d prefer silence or some light music, having headphones can help you out.

Study essentials. Don’t depend on the library having copies of your required textbook, so bring your own from home, alongside essentials like pens & paper!

Making the most of the library

Don’t sit on the ground floor. It’s the loudest and busiest, and the place where you’re most likely to run into friends or get distracted, so avoid it off the bat. Similarly, stay away from high traffic areas like the loos, printers, and cafe.

Use the resources available! The library offers so much more than books: research databases, primary sources, librarians, and even audio resources if you’re a languages student like me. Make the most of all that’s on offer!

Get there early. Especially in exam season, the library fills up pretty fast and that can prevent you from sitting where you would usually. If you want a prime spot, your best bet is to get there when the library opens.

Try booking a study room. They can be great for working on group projects or if you want to snag a one person room and work with even fewer distractions.

Remember that the library doesn’t guarantee productivity. You still need to be prepared and focused, regardless of the location! Try and ditch the rest of the day’s worries at the door and just concentrate on work.

Other tips & tricks

How To Effectively Study In A Library from The Happy Arkansan

Library Study Session Tips & Essentials from Bookish & Bright

How to have a Productive Library Study Session from Macarons & Mascara

Packing List for Studying in the Library from Life As A Dare

How to Study Efficiently and Effectively

Home vs. Library: Finding a Study Spot from Survive Law

[study-like-you-mean-it]

Need a Reset? Try These:

Clear your desk

Organise your folders

Make a list of all the things you need to get done or a timetable

Go for a run/do some sport

Watch an episode of something or a youtube video and then get back to work

Tidy your whole room/study space

Write a letter to someone

Play some music/make some art/do something you love

Change your revision style (e.g. I went from taking notes to doing practices on a whiteboard for a bit just to switch things up)

Change your study space for a bit

Meet up with someone you haven’t seen for a while

Make a cup of tea/coffee

Wash your face

Have a shower

Stretch

Leave your study space!

Breathe

Meditate

Do a face mask

Remember that you’ve got this, and that blips are temporary and you can’t let them stop you on the way to making progress ♥

[iknowthis]

me to other people: ur self-worth should not be defined by ur grades!

me to myself: if u don’t get a 107 on this assignment ur dead to me

[samsstudygram]

college study tips that actually help

put your phone on silent and put it across the room

listen to classical/soundtrack music without lyrics

make index cards for important vocab

wear pajamas

make diagrams and pictures. they don’t have to look pretty, as long as you understand it

make timelines for historical events

have a light snack

drink coffee or tea to keep you going

take a break every hour or so

have one pencil/black pen and one colored pen or highlighter. anything more will just distract you. the aesthetics aren’t important, your knowledge is

don’t be afraid to email/message your teacher or a classmate if you don’t understand something. the last thing you want to do is learn the incorrect information

know that sleep and health is more important than your grade. you cannot perform as well on a test if you are tired or sick. take care of yourself

it’s not a race. it’s not about who can learn something in the quickest time, it’s about learning

take a deep breath 

prioritize your homework by how long it will take you and when it’s due

plan some you time in between studying and school

if you’re mentally exhausted, set a timer for 30 minutes and take a nap. any longer and you’ll wake up even more tired

don’t understand something? that’s perfectly fine, don’t stress over it. ask for help rather than complaining

have a goal in mind and write them down. say things like “i am getting an education so i can get the job of my dreams. the life that i want. the happiness that i deserve”

be thankful. it is a privilege that you get to go to school and get an education. 

you got this.

[eintsein]

Redefining My Bullet Journal System

The bullet journal is probably something you’re no stranger to. It’s been circulating around the internet for a while, and it’s one of the main subjects of studyblr posts. However, when I started college last semester, I found that I no longer relied on my bullet journal to organize my tasks and structure my responsibilities anymore. Instead, I tried out a bunch of productivity/task-organization apps: Taskade, Actions by Moleskine, Any.do, Todoist, Wunderlist. None of them seemed to have what I needed, so I decided to give the bullet journal method another try.

The first thing I reflected on was why I stopped in the first place. At first I thought it was because the method itself allowed for a lot of freedom and I’d get confused as to what things to include and how to structure everything. But then I realized that it was in fact because I had previously been bullet journaling for other people instead of myself. Since I had what one could call an ‘artsy bullet journal’, I tended to focus more on the artistic aspect so that it would get more likes and reblogs after I posted it, when I should have been focusing on how it can organize my life. I realized that the bullet journal is a tool; the focus should be on life itself, not the bullet journal, but you can use the bullet journal to add value to your life.

At the beginning of the year, I deconstructed my organizational needs and attempted to apply that to my bullet journal method. I stopped looking at other people’s bullet journals and started thinking about my own needs and preferences. I thought about how I would best organize my time so that I could accomplish all of the things I want to accomplish in the different aspects of my life.

Supplies

The fact that I only have 2 main supplies allows me to bullet journal anywhere, anytime.

The Structure

The Practice

Simply having the tool to organize your life isn’t enough - you should also have a practice, a habit, for using it.

Going Forward

One thing I’d like to work on is future logging. As of now, I think in terms of months, since the my main commitment at the moment is my education, and monthly planning has worked out for me. But I think if I’d like to tackle on larger projects - e.g. my YouTube channel that I just started - I’d need to do a lot more future logging.

Another useful thing I want to try out is to summarize my journal entries in the form of notes. Recently I’ve been audio journaling (15-20 minutes of me talking to myself), and it’s been pretty effective. However, I have no way of ‘skimming’ the entries like I would a written journal entry. Summarizing them would help me retain main ideas of each entry and remember the things I said that are or could potentially be important and useful.

Final Thoughts

If you don’t think your bullet journal is adding value to or improving productivity and organization in your life, I think you should reconsider the way you’re approaching the system. I found a method that works for me; yours might be different. While it can be beneficial to draw inspiration from other people, do whatever helps you the most, not what other people tell you you should be doing. After coming up with an appropriate structure, make sure you maintain the practice.  

[cityinmars-blog]

Barbara Oakley: Learning Techniques

Test yourself on everything, all the time. 

Use flashcards for all subjects. Stem and the arts.Flashcards are not just for language learners. Great poets often say, “memorize the poem, because you will feel the passion and the power of the poem much more deeply”. Memorize equations and think about what it really means; this will help bring out the richness of what you are learning.

Do homework problems more than once. You don’t have to do all of the problems over again, pick some of the key ones and see if you can do it again. Go through all the steps and if you can, play it almost like a song in your mind. 

Recall. Resist the urge to over underline or over highlight when reading. It is more effective to write, because it is neurally encoding the ideas you are learning. Then after reading, simply look away and see what you can recall.

Study judiciously with classmates or colleagues.

Explain in a way that a 10 year old can understand. 

[etchtheboltcutters]

(in college)

so! i have adhd but you don’t gotta have adhd to benefit from these tips. everyone struggles with lack of focus and executive dysfunction sometimes, especially in college. so without further ado,

1. go to the library every day.

your “library” doesn’t have to be a library, but it helps if it’s a place outside of your home/dorm. pack your bag and head to that place within an hour of waking up. do work, study, even and especially if there isn’t anything urgent to do. this is a huge one for me because getting to a productive space is half the battle and once i get there, i get in this mindset of “well, i walked all the way here. might as well get shit done”.

2. embrace the discomfort. discipline isn’t wanting to do something, it’s doing it regardless of your emotions. i know it’s hard but separate your feelings from the task at hand. don’t give yourself time to think, just do it. this will get easier over time as you build discipline.

3. use mechanical, low dread level tasks to get yourself in the zone. this means taking notes or working on your planner so you get into the rhythm of productivity. after you’re in the zone, start that essay without giving yourself time to dread it.

i know there’s only three tips but i didn’t want to include typical, motivation based tips. as always, these methods don’t work as well if you aren’t sleeping enough, eating right or prioritizing emotional needs. i hope u have a good productive day!!

[onlinecounsellingcollege]

Good Habits to Develop

1. Set yourself some daily goals. Keep them realistic and achievable. That will give direction – so you don’t fritter your time.

2. Read inspirational books and blogs; hang around people who are positive.

3. Stay in touch with what’s happening in the world. We’re not just islands – we are part of one another.

4. Make the effort to stay in touch. Just a “like” on facebook, or a brief text message, conveys to that person that they matter to you.

5. Invest some time in your appearance and health. We’re more confident when we look and feel our best.

6. Pay attention to your priorities. Do what’s most important, and not most urgent, first. (Note: If you never learn to prioritise then everything seems urgent – and that’s what runs your life!)

7. Smile. It makes people feel more positive towards you – and it tends to lift our mood, and enhance our feelings, too.

8. Tidy as you go. It’s easier to work, and you’ll feel a lot less stressed, if you’re working somewhere that’s devoid of clutter. Also, if you tidy as you go then it feels less overwhelming.

9. Include some margin in your life so you don’t feel so stressed, as unexpected things always eat away our time. Expect that to happen – and leave some extra time.

10. Take time for yourself as you need to relax, unwind, recover, and recharge your batteries.

[eintsein]

The Mandatory Midday Break: Why You Should Take One and How

It’s Monday afternoon. I have two papers and a programming assignment due Wednesday, and an exam on Friday, not to mention two homework assignments I haven’t started on. But I’m sitting in a cafe with my earbuds in, listening to The Moth Radio podcast while I drink my cup of Cafe Au Lait and occasionally bite into my vanilla macaron. I’ve been sitting here for nearly 45 minutes and I don’t plan to start working again until another 15 minutes.

What am I doing? Shouldn’t I be working right now? Why am I wasting my time? Well, I’m taking one of my mandatory midday coffee breaks.

Why take a midday break?

You probably think you’re too busy to take breaks. You think there are way too many things on your to-do list that you can’t afford to lose even five minutes of time away from doing them.

This is how I used to see things, too. Even though I’ve been using the pomodoro method for a relatively long time, I discovered that I needed something more, especially since my daily college schedule very much tempts me into studying for long stretches of time. I used to think that whenever I didn’t have class, I had to study, but that was just harmful to my overall productivity.

These mandatory coffee breaks serve as a sort of mental reset, a time to wind down just a little bit so I can get back up refreshed and ready to tackle on more tasks. They help me stay sane and not feel stressed and overwhelmed by all the things I have to do, and they also help me restore focus so that I can achieve full concentration on my tasks after the break.

Sometimes we don’t realize how draining all the chaos of studying and working can be until we stop doing those things, so taking these breaks can definitely help you recenter yourself.

I’m sure you can see how these breaks are helpful, but how exactly do I take these breaks?

When?

I take my coffee breaks during the time of day when I would feel sluggish and slow, from 3:30 to 4:30 pm. This is of course different for everyone, but regardless of the exact time, if I chose instead to work during my slow hours, I wouldn’t get much done, and I’ll only end up feeling too tired to do much else the rest of the day.

Where?

As much as I can, I’d go someplace where I don’t normally study so I can get the entire ‘busy mindset’ out of my system. This place could be a cafe on campus, or even one of the quads or something.

One of my favorite ‘break spots’ is the art museum on campus. I could walk around the museum during my break, maybe even go to the fifth floor where there’s an amazing view of Ithaca, and then I’d have a cup of coffee in the lobby (you can make one for $1), and then continue studying or doing schoolwork in the lobby.

Another great place for a break is anywhere with outdoor seating. This also allows you to take a breath of fresh air and re-energize your brain to take in more information after your break. However, as the weather’s getting chilly here in Ithaca, outside’s not the best place to be when it’s not a very nice day out.

If you’re in high school, I realize you might not have the freedom to go wherever you wanted to; I wasn’t even allowed to leave school grounds during the day. You could simply go outside or again, go somewhere you don’t usually study - this would be the best option if you’re at home by the time you want to have your midday break. (I would go out to my terrace or sit in my living room.)

What to do?

During these breaks, I’d usually write in my journal, read a book, listen to music or podcast, or sometimes make music on my phone (with airplane mode turned on so I don’t get distracted by any notifications). Sometimes, if any of my friends are free, I’ll ask them to come along and we’ll chat (in practice, this is actually very difficult because my friends and I have vastly different schedules, so yeah).

If I’m feeling especially tired, I’ll go back to my dorm to take a nap. However, with the weather getting colder and the sky growing darker, it’s very very tempting to extend my power nap, so I just settle for a cup of coffee.

What if I don’t?

Sometimes you might feel guilty for taking such a long break, and I admit I sometimes still feel that way, but you have to remind yourself that taking this break will have a greater net positive effect than if you continue working.

I’ve noticed that on days that I don’t take a break - or even shorten my break - I perform less effectively on my tasks and I’m less productive. This could actually lead to sleeping later (which it had a couple times) and as you all know, lack of sleep reduces cognitive functioning.

I’ve definitely experienced physical consequences of not taking breaks: one time I was working on an assignment for my computer science course, but since I was a little behind, I didn’t take the midday break in fear that I wouldn’t finish it on time. However, by the time I finished, my head was so hazy and my vision was blurry and I couldn’t really do much else afterwards. The worst thing was, I also had a philosophy paper due that night which I’ve finished but still needed to revise one last time. I knew this was bad, so I took a 45 minute break afterwards, before I revised and submitted my paper.

I know it can be difficult to stray from your tasks once you’ve achieved a certain momentum, but trust me, you need to take that break. Like, ok, I managed to study for my philosophy midterm in 4-5 hours, but it could’ve easily taken me 10 if I hadn’t taken a midday break that one Tuesday afternoon.

Take a while every day to detach yourself from school or work. Don’t try to excuse yourself from having a break. Make time for a break. By mentally resetting your brain, you’ll achieve greater productivity for the rest of the day, and be able to tackle your remaining tasks more efficiently.

So yeah, mandatory midday breaks are one of the strategies I’ve been using to maintain wellness in my college life, and I hope you’ll consider making it a part of yours, too!

As always, if you have any questions or comments, feel free to drop me an ask :)

[eintsein]

Getting Stuff Done: How to Deal With Lack of Motivation

“How can I stay disciplined?”

“How can I get things done if I don’t feel like doing them?”

“How can I overcome my lack of motivation?”

As a college student who has had their fair share of being absolutely unmotivated to do anything, I know it can be hard to get things done if you don’t feel like doing them. Luckily, there are some things you can do to become more motivated to finish your homework, write your paper, study for your exam, or whatever tasks you have on your plate.

Part 1: Increasing motivation

Break up your tasks

Just thinking about one huge task is going to intimidate you so much that you’d rather leave it till later, when the urgency of time pushes you to complete it, than start now.

Breaking up your big tasks into smaller ones will make your tasks seem less daunting. Since you won’t be as intimidated by the amount of effort it might take to complete these tasks, you’ll be more likely to start doing them.

For studying, this can be something like ‘make flashcards for units 1-3’ or ‘practice past exam papers: 2015 + 2016’. For writing papers, this could be writing an outline, doing research for each point of your outline, writing the first 3 paragraphs, etc.

Working on small tasks at a time will also make you less prone to distractions since you only need to focus for a short length of time.

Make small goals and reward yourself

These goals could be accomplishing one of the smaller subtasks above, or achieving a certain grade on a practice test, or finishing a section of your study plan - as long as you’re working towards something.

The rewards? Maybe going out to eat, watching something, or even just time off. Hopefully these rewards will motivate you to complete your task.

I know some people are more inclined to do their work if they’re punished for not doing it, rather than rewarded for doing it, so if you wanna take the ‘punishment’ approach, you could do something like not allowing yourself to use social media until you finish a set of tasks - this is essentially the same thing, just thought about in a different manner. However, you should always be careful with these punishments/restrictions, because sometimes they can end up harming your health and productivity (e.g. ‘I can’t take a break until I finish all of my homework’).

Part 2: Not relying on motivation

Of course, you can’t always expect yourself to be motivated all the time. In fact, it’s very ineffective to rely on motivation to get things done; motivation is fleeting. Here’s an alternative: self-discipline. But how does it work?

Establish a study routine

Humans are creatures of habit. Even if you’re a P-type (like me), habits are hard to break. So making a habit of accomplishing your tasks/studying at a set time every day will help you, well, accomplish them. For example, it’s a lot easier to get your homework done every day if you do it at the same time - e.g. once you come home from school - rather than doing it ‘whenever you have time’.

Having a study routine will also make you less likely to be distracted since you know that that period of time had a purpose. If you’re trying this out for the first time, you might wanna completely get rid of distractions so that you can focus (e.g. putting your phone in your bag, on silent). However, with practice, I found that my phone or any other sources of distraction don’t really bother me anymore since I’ve had tons of practice resisting the urge to pick up my phone whenever there’s a notification, for example.

Schedule in time for breaks

This ties in well with the point about rewards: the break might be the reward for your studying. However, this doesn’t always have to be the case. You shouldn’t always think of relaxing as merely a reward for studying or accomplishing your tasks, but rather a necessity for the well-being of your mind. This sort of approach to breaks ensures that you actually let your brain rest once in a while.

After taking a break, your mind will be refreshed and revitalized, and you should have more than enough energy to continue with your other tasks.

Some of you asked - with regards to my previous post on The Mandatory Midday Break - how I can limit myself to exactly an hour, and to be honest, the answer is habit. It’s like having a habit of showering at the same time every day and not extend the length of time you spend in the bathroom (except in certain circumstances, like during a day off, I guess).

This is why it’s important to schedule your breaks and establish a study routine or habit - not only does it ensure you get enough rest, but it also prevents you from extending your break so that you don’t become unproductive and leave a ton of tasks unfinished.

It can be hard to motivate yourself to accomplish all your tasks, but there are things you can do to increase your motivation. However, you can’t expect to be motivated all the time, and you shouldn’t rely on motivation to get things done. Discipline and habit are the most important tools you can use to be efficient and productive without having to be motivated.

Hope this post has been helpful, and, as always, feel free to drop me an ask if you have an ask. Have an awesome week :)

[cafe-studyy]

7.17.18 made a list of things NOT to buy in my bullet journal so i dont end up with too much of the same things XD it’s like a reverse wish list of sorts?

[endlessly-enamored]

new year, new better me

[daisystudies]

20 important study skills/tips i’ve learned from my professors

1. start studying a week before every quiz/test. seriously.

2. watch youtube videos/ted talks on the topics you are learning about.

3. get lots of sleep! sleep helps you process the day’s events, including what you learned.

4. write out your notes. it’s proven that handwritten notes help you learn better than typed out notes.

5. don’t just read what your professor gives you. find academic journals, books, etc. that correspond with your subjects.

6. read the news! especially in the social sciences/humanities, connecting concepts with current events helps you understand and process more easily.

7. exercise! this doesn’t have to be going on runs or lifting weights, it could even just be going for a 20 minute walk. just get your blood pumping, it’ll help you focus.

8. study at your desk. it may be tempting to study in bed, but your brain connects your bed with sleep, so you’ll get tired more quickly.

9. reviewing notes doesn’t have to be something you sit down and do for an hour. skim through them and test your memory while eating breakfast!

10. expand your study time throughout the day to avoid burnout. for example, rather than studying for 5 hours straight, study for an hour here and there in between your activities.

11. make your notes organized and easy to read, but not distracting. bright colors and flashy notes may seem better, but can sometimes distract from the purpose of the notes.

12. use apps such as quizlet. this way, you can go through definitions while waiting in lines or walking to class.

13. it’s more important to know concepts rather than facts. for example, you should be able to take what you know and apply it to different situations, not just the situation the textbook gives you.

14. just because the professor doesn’t require you to read textbook, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. it helps explain concepts in a different way than your professor, and a lot of times hearing two different explanations for the same concept helps you understand it.

15. read in advance. read the textbook before your professor begins going over the chapter, so when he/she does, you can easily follow what they are saying.

16. do any extra credit work that comes your way. even if you don’t need the extra boost now, you might later.

17. go to class!! if you always skip class and show up at office hours completely lost on the concepts, they’ll laugh in your face. they’ll take you 100x more seriously if you show up.

18. however, if you are sick, take a day off. it’s more beneficial to you in the long run. 

19. learn how to say “no”. if you have an 8 am the next day, don’t stay out until midnight with your friends. 

20. don’t stress too hard over quizzes. if you expect them to go horribly, they will. you got this.

[studentdiaries]

“years in the future, when you look back, that grade won’t matter, you probably won’t even remember it.”

sure, you’re probably right. congratulations.

i can say without a whisper of a doubt that messages like this do nothing. yeah it doesn’t really matter later on, but it matters now otherwise you wouldn’t be upset.

stop telling people that it doesn’t matter. it does. it matters to them during that moment at that time of their life. stop invalidating their feelings in an attempt to console them.

because you’re probably making them feel worse.

why can’t we say that it sucks and it means something? and that it will have some effect in the present? that you’re going to have learn from this mistake and better yourself because of it?

why can’t we ask what they plan on doing about it? what they can do? where they went wrong?

why must we see failure as simply something that happens, instead of a learning opportunity?

we need to stop telling people it won’t matter later on, because the fact is that it matters to them during the moment it happens.

[doinbetter]

how to win at college

this also applies to high school in a lot of ways, esp in organization and involvement

I read this book by cal newport called “how to win at college” in prep for my freshman year & u should definitely read it yourself because there are lots of important points i don’t cover in this post, but if you don’t want to, this is my summary of what I think were the most important points he made. 

STUDY HARD, BUT YOUR GRADES DON’T MEAN AS MUCH AS WHAT YOU LEARN OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM. he prioritizes getting vital experiences such as

- joining a club and eventually taking responsibility in it and becoming a leader

- apply for scholarships every year (he said 10 a year) 

- volunteer, but not for your resume. do it to learn and become a better person. 

- get involved in research, and get involved in your major department (like go to the events and lectures, even if they aren’t mandatory)

- write outside of class regularly because writing is super important (example- submit to your school newspaper) 

STAY ORGANIZED AND ON TOP OF YOUR SHIT

- he really really REALLY emphasizes not procrastinating and studying / starting papers well in advance of deadlines. his rules are to 

- - >start long term projects immediately after they are assigned and continue to work on them by following a reasonable schedule (he says to finish early, revise, then finish again), 

- - > take 3 days to write shorter papers (aka you have abt 2 weeks to work on them and they range from 2-15ish pages) (aka make preparations pre writing, then write a rough draft on the first day, revise and focus your writing on the second day (make sure your arguments are very clear!), and polish your paper on the third day), and

- - >take 2 weeks to study for an exam. study in shorter blocks during the first week, like maybe an hour or so each day. over the weekend, add more hours. the few days before the test, study in 2-3 hour chunks to really cement the already familiar information. 

- get a filing cabinet for your papers instead of just piling them on your desk and having to search for them later. 

- have a HIGH QUALITY notebook and a folder for each class (or whatever stationery keeps you organized) and keep all your folders/notebooks/binders neat and organized. 

- empty your inbox and organize your emails 

- schedule your free time- aka have specific times that you choose to relax and spend with friends rather than unintentionally relaxing during work time, or worrying about work during relaxation time. 

TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF

- you NEED sleep, you NEED healthy food, and you NEED exercise. you really shouldn’t put anything ahead of these things. 

- NEVER pull an all nighter. if you’re studying ahead of time, this should be easy. all nighters aren’t glamorous, they’re unproductive, really stressful, and unhealthy

- keep in touch with old friends, and remember to call your mom

- make sure to spend time with new friends and take care of them. be there for your friends. 

- keep your room neat and make your bed!! 

like i said, there is a lot of important stuff that I didn’t cover so i recommend reading the book how to win at college by cal newport, and take what you need to from it. good luck!!!