Sonali // 24 // she/her Copywriter • BA in cognitive neuroscience • writing minor Just someone who procrastinates by looking up ways to be more efficient I track #thewriterslament ♡
Hey, just found your essay post from 5 years ago and I wish I'd seen it about a week ago. I struggle so much with actually getting my points to paper and eternally detailing things more and more is so effective in comparison to my vague-ass outlines. Thank you! I will use it better next time lol
I absolutely will not disregard this rant! It's such a kind and lovely rant and it honestly made my night to get these messages <3
I'm so glad the essay post has helped you! Looking back on it, I've always felt like there were a million ways I could have made it a more helpful post, or even that the advice is so basic that it can't possibly have been useful to anyone. So it's really wonderful to know that people are finding it useful.
Tips for building discipline that aren‘t “just be disciplined“
We’ve all seen those studyblr posts. “Build discipline by committing to doing the same extensive routine every day!” they proclaim. “Remember that you’re worth it! Don’t hang around waiting for motivation!”
I mean, okay, you ARE worth it. Motivation IS fickle. But if you’re anything like me, these posts don’t actually teach you HOW to stop hanging around waiting for motivation. Instead, they fill you will crippling anxiety and a deep-rooted fear that maybe you’re just incapable and lazy and won’t ever amount to anything.
So here’s a list of baby steps, a lot which I’ve used to build my own discipline, both in school and in my professional life.
i. try to figure out what your roadblocks are
If you know you need to study for that midterm next week but you just can’t make yourself sit down no matter how hard you try, you’re not being lazy. Something’s preventing you from doing that thing. And if you can figure out what that roadblock is, you can more effectively try to combat it. This is easier said than done, but as with most things, if you practice asking yourself “what’s blocking my path forward?” you will find it easier to find answers. Here are some questions to start you off:
Do you have a mental illness that’s acting up? Are you overwhelmed because you don’t know where to start? Are you afraid your final product won’t live up to your exacting/perfectionist standards? Is your task so boring that you’d rather hang out with your friends instead? Are you afraid of disappointing someone, like a professor, a groupmate, or even yourself? Are you already late and thinking what’s the harm in waiting another day?
ii. set achievable goals
It’s so very tempting to reach for the stars, thinking that if you fail then at least you’ll land among the stars! But the reality is that you’ll probably crash back down to earth just as often, if not more so. Setting goals that you’re unable to achieve can be demoralizing and reinforce a belief that you’re just not good enough.
Instead, set yourself up for success! There’s literally no reason that you have to go big or go home when setting goals. Be realistic and set goals you know you can achieve, so that you start to reframe your journey as one paved by successes, not failures. No goal is too achievable. I’m serious: your goals list can say “get left leg out of bed; get right leg out of bed; stand up,” and that’s valid. Say “I’m going to write a sentence” instead of “I’m going to write an essay,” or “I’m going to show up to every lecture for this class” instead of “I’m going to get an A in this class.”
iii. start small and build up
This goes hand-in-hand with setting achievable goals. It’s often way less daunting to take a single step than to climb a whole mountain. And it’s completely okay to climb a mountain step by step. Instead of committing to a massive task all at once, like a drastic change to your routine or a huge project, start with the smallest step, like one step of that routine or outlining the materials you need for your project.
A helpful way to start small is to use the “two-minute method” (different from the “two-minute rule”). The way this method works is that you make a list of things you need to do, and you try to spend two minutes on each task, giving yourself permission to stop after those two minutes are up if you want to. For most people, two minutes is a manageable amount of time, which can make an overwhelming task a little more surmountable. You’re not committing to doing the whole thing, after all, just two minutes of it. But more often than not, you’ll build up momentum, and you’ll find yourself working on your task for longer than two minutes. If two minutes is too daunting for you, start with 1 minute, or even 30 seconds, and build up.
iv. use positive reinforcement instead of negative reinforcement
Instead of tracking how long you’ve kept a streak and noting days you broke that streak (tracking failures), consider counting only the number of days you successfully achieved your task/routine/goal, even (and especially) if those days are nonconsecutive (tracking successes). Instead of withholding treats or screentime until you finish reading your chapter, reward yourself with a gummy bear every time you finish a paragraph. Practice thinking/speaking positive affirmations, like “I’m capable and I’m making an effort.” It may feel silly, but in forcing your brain to think affirming things, you train it to make these affirmations a part of its repertoire. Try to treat each day as a fresh start instead of stressing over continuing streaks/habits/projects you started yesterday. It’s easier to be disciplined when you associate discipline with positivity; it’s harder to be disciplined when you’re afraid that you might fall short and experience a negative consequence.
v. ask other people to hold you accountable
Outsource the effort of keeping yourself accountable to other people. This allows you to focus all your energy on actually doing the thing you are trying to do. Set up a standing study date with your friends to go to the library and work on your respective assignments together; ask your friends to hype you up and tell you cool things about yourself; if you function better with strict deadlines, ask your professor or adviser if they can work with you to create a timeline for that end-of-term paper so you have deadlines to work toward.
It is human nature to help and be helped. Most people feel good when they have a chance to help someone. You are not being a burden; you are doing the people who care about you a favor by giving them opportunities to help you.
vi. be gentle with yourself
This is another one that’s easier said than done, but it’s crucial to ensuring that you make progress instead of sliding back to square one. Give yourself grace and leniency. Forgive yourself when you don’t meet the standards you’ve set. Take breaks; eat and drink and nourish yourself. Work with yourself, asking how you can make things easier for yourself, instead of hounding yourself like an abusive parent. Encourage yourself to try again, just once, just for a minute. Use the carrot, not the stick.
vii. do what works for you, not what the studyblr hivemind says should work for you
Everyone is different and will benefit from different methods and strategies. Even my tips may not work for some of you. Maybe you work best with negative reinforcement; maybe it’s easier for you to motivate yourself by saying “I’m worth it and need to be more disciplined.” Ultimately, what matters is creating a path that will get you where you need to go. It doesn’t matter if that path is studyblr-approved or not so long as it works for you.
Protect brown girls who didn’t know the following scholarships existed
This isn’t my normal content, but I was thinking recently about how many academic opportunities I missed out on simply because my parents didn’t know the Western academic institution like my white peers did. And by the time I heard about most of these scholarships and programs, I was too old to apply, or they didn’t make sense for my career path anymore.
I have a lot of young followers. I imagine many of you find yourselves in a similar position, where your non-South Asian peers are applying for scholarships that no one ever told you about. I also imagine many of you are looking for ways to seek education on your own terms, and figuring out the finances poses a hurdle. So I wanted to do a rundown of some prestigious and/or South Asian-centric scholarship programs that you may find yourself eligible for and interested in, at a time when you’re young enough to take advantage of these opportunities–or, at the least, young enough to keep them in mind as you go through school.
This is not a list of every scholarship out there. The scholarships listed here are specifically prestigious, nationally or globally recognized scholarship programs that don’t require independent nomination or enrollment in a specific field of study. As a result, these are also highly selective programs, with some granting fewer than 50 awards each year. But that shouldn’t discourage you from applying! God knows your white peers are applying without caring if they meet the requirements.
National Merit Scholarship
Eligibility requirements: Junior in high school; must take PSAT/NMSQT test in 11th grade; must achieve one of the highest scores in the state the test was taken
Country of origin: US students, or US citizens studying abroad
What the program covers: Minimum $2,500 for undergraduate studies; maximum full tuition for undergraduate studies at certain schools
Deadline to apply: Take PSAT/NMSQT by January of junior year
Link
Coca-Cola Scholars Program
Eligibility requirements: High school senior; minimum 3.0 unweighted GPA; must demonstrate leadership capacity and commitment to making an impact at their school/community
Country of origin: US citizens or nationals
What the program covers: $20,000 for undergraduate studies
Deadline to apply: October 31
Link
The Gates Scholarship
Eligibility requirements: High school senior; person of color; Pell-eligible; minimum 3.0 unweighted GPA
Country of origin: US
What the program covers: Full cost of attendance not covered by other sources of financial aid for undergraduate studies; funding may continue for postgraduate studies in certain fields
Deadline to apply: September (phase 1); January (phase 2)
Link
NIH Undergraduate Scholarship Program
Eligibility requirements: Must demonstrate exceptional financial need; minimum 3.3 unweighted GPA; must be enrolled or accepted for enrollment at a 4-year undergraduate institution; must commit to a paid Summer Laboratory Experience and 1 year of full-time employment at NIH post-graduation per year of funding received
Country of origin: US
What the program covers: Up to $20,000 per year for undergraduate studies
Deadline to apply: Mid-March
Link
(Note: Some schools may require you to go through an internal application process before endorsing your application for one of the following scholarships. Check in with your university to see if there’s anything you need to do before applying to one of these programs.)
Rhodes Scholarship
Eligibility requirements: Aged 18-24 years; must demonstrate outstanding intellect, character, leadership, and commitment to service
Country of origin: Global
What the program covers: Generally 2 years’ tuition for any postgraduate course offered at the University of Oxford, plus an annual stipend for living expenses
Deadline to apply: Early October
Link
Fulbright Scholarship
Eligibility requirements: A bachelor’s degree; interest in facilitating cultural exchange
Country of origin: US (with some options for non-US applicants)
What the program covers: All expenses for 1 year to study, teach English, or pursue a research/professional project in a foreign country
Deadline: Mid-September
Link
Gates Cambridge Fellowship
Eligibility requirements: Must demonstrate outstanding intellectual ability and leadership potential
Country of origin: Global (minus UK)
What the program covers: Full cost of tuition, plus living stipend, plus discretionary funds, for most full-time graduate programs at the University of Cambridge
Deadline to apply: Mid-October (for US citizens in the US); December or January (for all else)
Link
Marshall Scholarship
Eligibility requirements: Senior in college or recent college graduate; minimum 3.70 unweighted GPA; endorsement from President, Provost, or Academic Dean of undergraduate institution
Country of origin: Global (minus UK); undergrad degree must be obtained in US
What the program covers: Full cost of tuition for up to 2 years of postgraduate study at any university in the UK, plus monthly living stipend and allowances
Deadline to apply: Late September
Link
Chevening Scholarships
Eligibility requirements: An unconditional offer from an eligible master’s course at any UK university; at least 2 years of work experience
Country of origin: Global (minus UK)
What the program covers: Full funding (tuition, room, and board) for any 1-year master’s program in the UK
Deadline to apply: Early November
Link
Knight-Henessy Scholarship
Eligibility requirements: First bachelor’s degree must have been obtained no earlier than 7 years prior to the year of enrollment
Country of origin: Global
What the program covers: Full tuition, plus a living stipend, for up to 3 years of graduate study at Stanford University
Deadline to apply: Early October
Link
Upakar Scholarship
Eligibility requirements: At least one parent born in India; family adjusted gross income <$90,000; minimum 3.6 unweighted high school GPA
Country of origin: US
What the program covers: Up to $2,000 per year for undergraduate studies
Deadline to apply: Late April
Link
APIA Scholarship Program
Eligibility requirements: Minimum 2.7 unweighted high school GPA; preference given to students coming from low socioeconomic backgrounds
Country of origin: US
What the program covers: Minimum one-time $2,500 award for undergraduate studies; maximum $20,000 for undergraduate studies
Deadline to apply: Late January
Link
SEED Scholarship
Eligibility requirements: At least one parent of Indian ancestry; minimum 3.0 unweighted high school GPA
Country of origin: US
What the program covers: $10,000 for undergraduate studies (tuition only)
hiiii im sorry about disturbing but writing a thesis seems to be pretty hard for me and i was wondering if you could maybe help me a little of course you dont have to but id appreciate it nonetheless, also my teacher keeps telling us about the how and why of a thesis which i dont get at all so if you know anything about that, it'd mean the world to me thank youu have a great day
sure! i’m happy to help.
the thesis is the main point of your paper, and it’s the road map to your argument. it tells your reader why you’re writing this paper, what you’re trying to prove, and what you’re going to say. your thesis should answer the prompt. it should effectively say “here’s what i’m going to argue and this is why i’m right.”
a thesis is not a yes-or-no answer; it’s an introduction. that’s the “how and why” of a thesis - you write a thesis to give your reader an overview of the paper itself and to make your main point clear. how many times have you read something long and rambly and thought “god, just get to the point already”? well, your thesis is your “point.”
what are you finding difficult about writing theses? answering that will help me give you better advice. are you struggling with something specific, like condensing your paper into one sentence, or using the right words? or do you find writing a thesis super daunting? or do you not know how to address the prompt?
Sending emails is already stressful enough; why make it more difficult by writing them from scratch each time? Above I’ve posted several email templates that I’ve used throughout high school and college with a pretty high success rate. I apologize for how not-pretty they look, but I promise the lack of aesthetic appeal doesn’t detract from the overall usefulness of these templates! You can also find these templates in this doc.
The templates given here are for:
Scheduling a meeting with someone
Sending in application materials for a job
Asking for an extension on an assignment
Sending a thank you email
Applying for a research position
Asking for a letter of recommendation
A few other tips:
Depending on your level of familiarity with who you’re emailing, you can start the email with “Hello NAME,” especially for the extension email. But when in doubt, err on the side of formality.
Don’t just copy and paste these templates! Use these as outlines/first drafts, and personalize your email before sending.
A lot of professors will list their extension policies in the syllabus, so look that over before asking for extension. If a professor gives one-week extensions, don’t screw yourself over by asking for a three-day extension. Also, try to ask for an extension at least 1-2 weeks in advance. This shows that you’ve planned ahead and didn’t just slack off until the last second, and professors are more likely to be lenient.
You should try to ask for rec letters in person rather than over email. However, if you’re busy as hell or socially anxious (or both, as I was), this email should work in a pinch. I secured 4 out of 4 recommenders using this email format.
A list of professional salutations: sincerely, best, best regards, regards, thank you, thank you for (xyz). Mix and match to avoid repeating something you’ve already said within the email.
I just hunted down my own post because I’d forgotten how to write a thank you note and didn’t trust the templates online. So here’s a fresh reblog of this post, in hopes that it’ll help y’all like it helped me today!
here are some lecture notes from ap environmental science! even though i have a tough class schedule this year, i’m learning so much every single day! when i get in the car to go home from school, my brain is finally able to process how much knowledge i attain in one day, and it blows my mind. the best part is, i find all of my classes extremely interesting, so I’m finding this daily overload of information, actually enjoyable. am I crazy? probably. but at least i can come home with a lot of pretty notes:) how are you adjusting this year?
as with literally everything i write, this got really fucking long! like, wordcounter.net estimates this will take 7 minutes to read. so i’ve placed the bulk of this post under a read more
this is not a quick tips kind of post; this is a detailed breakdown of how to write a resume from scratch, with examples that are largely taken from my own resume. this is primarily a resource for people who don’t know where to start with writing a resume, not for people who just want resume hacks
i’m saying all this so i don’t get people in my inbox complaining about how long this is. writing a resume takes a lot of time and effort, and this post does not shy away from that
creating a resume will take you a while, especially if this is your first attempt. don’t be discouraged! take breaks, and don’t try to make the perfect resume on the first try. this tutorial is designed to be completed in rounds
it usually takes me a week to get a new master resume into working order
don’t worry about page length right now. you should make a multipage master resume that contains every relevant experience before making a 1-page resume. after you’ve made the master, you can build custom resumes from it for job applications
this post is best viewed on desktop, because i use nested bullets, and tumblr mobile hates those
let’s get into it!
step 1:
list out everything you’ve ever done that could feasibly count as a resume entry: extracurriculars, jobs, volunteer positions, research, organizations you were a part of (professional or casual), freelance work, long-term hobbies. i will refer to each different experience as an “entry”
for each entry, write where (city + state) and when (timespan) you did that thing
ex. tritones a cappella group, los angeles, ca, august 20xx - present
going forward, update this list as you join or complete new jobs/hobbies/whatever so that you don’t have to wrack your brain a year down the road wondering how long you held down that job or leadership role
ok i opened this to tell you while reading your pretentious version of sentence about freud i felt dunno i think that was eyegasm?? lmao. btw what is written on ur bio is my biggest mood so far. have a nice day!
Thank you! I hate Freud and would not hesitate to throw hands if he ever came back from the dead! I hope you also have a wonderful Freud-free day :)
as with literally everything i write, this got really fucking long! like, wordcounter.net estimates this will take 7 minutes to read. so i’ve placed the bulk of this post under a read more
this is not a quick tips kind of post; this is a detailed breakdown of how to write a resume from scratch, with examples that are largely taken from my own resume. this is primarily a resource for people who don’t know where to start with writing a resume, not for people who just want resume hacks
i’m saying all this so i don’t get people in my inbox complaining about how long this is. writing a resume takes a lot of time and effort, and this post does not shy away from that
creating a resume will take you a while, especially if this is your first attempt. don’t be discouraged! take breaks, and don’t try to make the perfect resume on the first try. this tutorial is designed to be completed in rounds
it usually takes me a week to get a new master resume into working order
don’t worry about page length right now. you should make a multipage master resume that contains every relevant experience before making a 1-page resume. after you’ve made the master, you can build custom resumes from it for job applications
this post is best viewed on desktop, because i use nested bullets, and tumblr mobile hates those
let’s get into it!
step 1:
list out everything you’ve ever done that could feasibly count as a resume entry: extracurriculars, jobs, volunteer positions, research, organizations you were a part of (professional or casual), freelance work, long-term hobbies. i will refer to each different experience as an “entry”
for each entry, write where (city + state) and when (timespan) you did that thing
ex. tritones a cappella group, los angeles, ca, august 20xx - present
going forward, update this list as you join or complete new jobs/hobbies/whatever so that you don’t have to wrack your brain a year down the road wondering how long you held down that job or leadership role
step 2:
describe each entry
use bullet points to list out all the things you did within that role. start with the big picture, then move on to the small stuff
big picture: the goal of the role/organization/research, overarching and long-term projects, what results you were trying to achieve + why
ex. “studied the neuroanatomy and synaptopathy of the inner ear to determine the role of glutamate receptors in hearing loss”
small stuff: literal day-to-day tasks, every software and hardware you worked with, any particularly successful moments
basically, walk through a typical day or week in this role and list out every single thing you have to do, even the grunt work.
ex. “used redcap to administer neuropsychological batteries and collect biological data”
ex. “designed and implemented a novel article format that yielded a 10% increase in audience retention”
if you still have access to the original job posting or a corporate description of responsibilities for your role, pull that up and see how much you can paraphrase from it
no duty is too stupid rn. did you google weather forecasts for your boss every week? write it down. you can make it fancy or choose to delete it later
step 3:
fancify this shit
rewrite your bullet points from step 2 with better jargon. tell your employers what you did in a concise yet assertive manner
it helps to break down each point into its most basic components, which you can then generalize or rephrase
ex. “googled weather forecasts” might become “compiled weekly reports on changing data points to assess weather trends over time”
use action words. you can find resources all over the internet for this, but if you’re still struggling, shoot me an ask and i’ll link some of the resources i’ve used myself
caution: you don’t want to sound like you used a thesaurus on every word. make sure you aren’t obscuring the meaning of your bullet points. “googled weather forecasts” should not become “utilized online databases to assemble weekly communications on meteorological variations”
start thinking about how your responsibilities for each entry relate to a) what skills you want to showcase and b) what the employer wants from you. does the employer want you to demonstrate familiarity with online databases, or does the employer want you to demonstrate familiarity with weather forecasts? your bullet point for “googled the weather” will change depending on the answer to these questions
step 4:
look at the big picture
you probably have a metric buttload of bullet points for each entry. now you need to cut that down to what’s relevant. think about which bullets are most impressive, noteworthy, and descriptive of each entry
aim for 3-5 bullet points. any less than that and you have to ask why you’re including that entry. any more than that and the employer’s eyes will glaze over
try to combine bullet points
ex. “identify content and write articles when necessary,” “maintain a pool of freelancers,” and “identify key graphics and maintain tagging structure when uploading articles” all involve the process of creating an article, so they can be combined into: “identify content, assign stories to freelancers, write articles when necessary, and upload with appropriate graphics and tags”
start thinking about tailoring your word choices and bullet points to what the employer is looking for
if you can, pull up the job posting or a sample resume for the job you’re applying to and compare your resume to it. are you using similar language? are you demonstrating similar skills?
jobhero.com is a lifesaver
finally, eliminate redundancy in your resume, both in every individual entry and in the resume as a whole. if a skill can be demonstrated by multiple entries, you only need to list it once
kill your darlings! it may sound harsh, but the things that seem super impressive to you probably won’t even be a blip on the employer’s radar. “but saying i made coffee runs shows i’m dependable and a team player!” the employer isn’t looking that deep, my dude. you can showcase your dependability in your cover letter or your interview
you should redo steps 3 and 4 several times, soliciting feedback from your parents, peers, career center, etc each time
step 5:
add the Other Stuff
education
typically, you should only include institutions for the highest level of education you’ve attended. (undergrad and grad school both count as college for this purpose)
there are exceptions to this, depending on how long you’ve spent at a higher level of education, whether your alma mater will earn you brownie points, whether you had genuinely impressive accomplishments earlier in your life, etc.
once you hit, like, 2 years in college, you should try to get rid of high school achievements and showcase college achievements instead
list the school name, city + state, degree type (BA/MA/etc) and expected graduation date (even if it’s in the future), your major(s) + minor(s), and any related coursework (ie preprofessional tracks, specific courses related to the job). you can list your gpa if you feel it’s relevant, but i caution against doing this once you’ve graduated
ex. (where // indicates a new line) harvard university, boston, ma, may 2020 // bachelor of arts in cognitive neuroscience // minor: english: focus in creative writing // related coursework: pre-medicine, computer science 101 and 102 // gpa: 3.9/4.0 (dean’s list, all semesters)
skills
a list of items without descriptions. you can do a bulleted list or you can list the entries in paragraph form, separated by commas or bold bullets
hard skills: hardware, software, languages (spoken and programming), digital and communication platforms, social media proficiencies, other technologies and devices
ex. microsoft office suite, java, wordpress, slack, familiarity with ap and chicago style
soft skills: general qualities, buzzwords, personality traits
ex. leadership, conflict resolution, time management
certifications and awards
can be one section or two depending on how many of each you have
list each one on a separate bullet point
for each, write the certification or award, the institution that granted it, and the month and/or year you received it if relevant
publications
tbh i just cite my publications in the following format instead of following a style guide
lastname, firstname. “article or chapter title.” book title, publisher (aka company or website). publication date.
if you’re the sole author, you don’t need to list the author’s name
interlude: stretch the truth a bit. don’t lie about having experience or skills you don’t, but if you can reasonably google how to do something, boom! you’re proficient in it. if you worked with two team members who never pulled their weight? you just became the sole project lead. were you a beta reader for anime fanfiction back in the day? you’re a freelance editor, baby!
step 6:
now you have to organize all the entries from step 4
separate your entries into relevant sections. what’s relevant might change based on what you’re applying for
i’ve had, at various points in my life, some subset of the following sections: work experience, volunteer experience, leadership experience, research experience, writing experience, other relevant experience
list sections in order of descending importance
write all entries in reverse chronological order: start with the most recent and work your way backwards
write all bullet points in order of descending importance. unfortunately, i don’t have any quick tips on determining what’s important, but it helps to look at the job posting and see what matters to the employer
i tend to list big picture goals, then personal accomplishments (leadership skills, projects), then daily tasks
step 7:
format this shit
you can find resume templates online or in your word processor. templates serve as a good starting point, but i recommend creating your own format so you can edit and customize it with ease. this will probably involve a lot of fiddling with indentations, paragraph spacing, and moving things around
don’t go smaller than 10pt font
mess around with line and paragraph spacing to get the right balance of white space. if you’re curious about what i use, shoot me an ask and i’ll share my weirdly specific settings
keep an eye out for bullet points with orphan words (ie lines containing only 1-3 words) and get rid of them to streamline your resume
margins can be anywhere between 0.5″ and 1″
consistency is key! make sure each entry has the same kind of spacing. don’t use hyphens in one entry and en dashes in another
in the header, write your name, email, phone number, and address
interlude: save this version of your resume as your master resume. this gives you an unedited list of everything you ever did that you can now pick and choose from when you apply to jobs. update this list every 3-6 months.
step 8:
customize your resume for the job application
unless you’ve been in the industry for several years, your job-specific resume should be no more than 1 page
if you have more than 1 page: compare the job listing and your resume side by side and ask which entries demonstrate your capabilities most effectively, which bullet points are the punchiest, and if there’s any extraneous info
match each job requirement to one bullet point on your resume. then match each bullet point on your resume to a requirement in the listing. get rid of any bullet points that don’t meet either of those criteria. if multiple bullet points match the same job requirement, get rid of the extra bullet points
if you have significantly less than 1 page: see if you can add more bullet points or reformat your resume to introduce some more white space. a 2-column set-up is great for this, with section headers on the left and bullets on the right. do you have any hobbies you’re forgetting about? any soft skills you could add?
emulate the language of the job posting; use the same action words, the same soft skills
coda
your resume should work in tandem with your cover letter, but that’s a topic for another post. maybe in another 6 months i’ll write a post on that, too
always save your resume as a pdf! you don’t want your employer to have access to your metadata
if you made it through this whole post... i’m so sorry lmao but also thanks for sticking with me
let me know if you found this helpful or if this method scored you a job!
have 3 achievable goals a day: having a laundry list of things to do everyday is super unrealistic, and you just end up feeling bad about yourself because you didn’t accomplish your goals for the day.
leave your sundays open: i love sundays because they’re my day to chill out and catch up on school work that i wasn’t able to finish during the week.
recognize when you’re at your emotional limits: forcing yourself to get work done when you are unable to comprehend your study material does not benefit anyone.
learn how to say no: people will ask you for your time and it will stretch you to the limit, whether it be at your job, in your extracurriculars, or in your personal life. know when to step back and say no.
take care of yourself physically: take breaks, go for walks, shower regularly, get enough sleep, eat healthy, see your friends
celebrate your accomplishments: go out to eat with friends after a big exam, indulge in a night off after a busy week with some netflix and wine
make a study plan beforehand: it can be daunting to see how much work you need to put in to a class or task beforehand, but this allows you to spread your work evenly so you don’t become overwhelmed.
learn how to ask for help: it is very rare that people make it through school, whether it be high school or university or any graduate program, without needing the advice of others or just a kind soul to vent to. find that person.
never forget your hobbies: you will need things that keep you sane. if you love to play music, write, play volleyball, or cook, make you sure you don’t lose these things. they will become your escape when times get tough.
log off from time to time: it is exhausting to be constantly connected to social media and your email. just physically disconnecting from these for a night to take care of yourself can really help you clear your mind.
you guys, i need some advice. i have a 1400 word draft written on how to create a resume. it’s detailed, walks you through every step, and is written in bullet points to avoid assaulting you with walls of text.
but. it’s 1400 words. it’s long as hell. and i don’t know the best way to post it.
should i just post it as is, and tag it as “long post” so people with that tag blacklisted won’t see it? should i place a readmore cut after the first section? should i post 2 versions, cut + uncut, and let people reblog whichever version they prefer?
also something that makes me sad is when ppl reblog my rly popular “how to read an academic paper” post with “op this was long and stuffy and i didn’t read it”
like first off. it’s 400 words. sure, it’s not a snappy 1 para text post, but if you’re on studyblr, you’re not here for snappy text posts, you’re here to get the most out of your education. if 400 words of advice is too much for your attention span.... it rly makes me wonder about how social media is wrecking our abilities to, like, focus on things and stay engaged, and especially how it’s changing our ability to deal with cognitive load.
second off. despite not reading my post, you still found enough value in the first like 2 paragraphs to reblog it. so why are you bitching? why do you need me to know you hate my post but not enough to ignore it?
third off. i wrote that post at like 7am after pulling an all-nighter to read a stuffy 26k word reading because i had a presentation on that reading due at 8am. if i’d known the post would blow up the way it did, i’d have taken a nap and edited it before posting. making that post without giving it a second look is one of my biggest blogrunning regrets tbh.
For seniors or soon-to-be seniors, if you guys get into your dream schools, congratulations!
But, be careful.
It’s called a “dream school” because it’s not within your ability . It’s a school above your ability – that’s why it’s called a dream school.
So if you go there, expect other people to be smarter, brighter and better than you are. Know that the stress might be there, and it will be an uphill battle if you go there
If you don’t end up in your dream school, it’s ok.
Because what matters more is not the school title; what matters more is who you are
I know it sounds jaded, but it’s true. You don’t have to put on a fake side of your[self]. If your level is there, then go to that school and do well in that school.
If your goal is to go to a grad school or find a good job, then having a good GPA in that school, in the school that fits you might be better than trying to get into a dream school and struggling there.
And lastly, if you overachieve, you will feel stress at some point.
But know that it’s ok.
Know that other people may not speak up, but know that other people are equally stressed as you are and it’s ok for you to speak up and say that you are struggling.
If you’re not doing well at school, it’s also ok…you could go to the best school and be successful or you can go to a decent school and have the right mentality and become very successful in the future.
– Alex Chang, “The Unspoken Reality Behind the Harvard Gates”
An important video.
For students: prospective, current and past.
For teachers, educators and parents.
My initial reaction here. Expect something more thought out when it’s not the middle of the week after a long day at work.
1. Have a snack or drink (or both!) that you really like next to you while studying. Save this for after you’ve done half an hour of work. Having a short term reward should make you way more motivated!
2. Tell yourself that you’re going to do ten minutes of work. Because this is such a short time, you’ll feel much more comfortable committing than you would if you forced yourself to do an hour of work. Plus, once you’ve completed ten minutes, you’ll be in the swing of things and me much happier to continue.
3. Stay after school to study. I don’t know if this is just me, but I find it way easier to study at school than at home. The library at my school is always quiet, plus the school blocks social media so I can’t be distracted by my phone! Also, your mind has associations of learning while you’re at school, whereas your brain associates your room with things like sleep, which isn’t very productive!
4. Take regular breaks. If you work solidly for two hours, you’re going to get tired quickly, which won’t help you in the long run. You may want to get your daily revision done, but being exhausted while doing it won’t help you retain any knowledge. It’s much better to work for half an hour, then take a ten minute break, and repeat that until you’ve completed everything you wanted to complete. Besides, taking time away from work helps you learn.
5. Have fun! There’s no point reading for ages out of a text book, as you’re only going to get bored and zone out. It’s best to do the revision you find most interesting. If you’re artistic, that might be making a poster or a mind map. You might enjoy online quizzes. Or, you might want to create a presentation. There are so many different ways to study, and it doesn’t have to be boring!
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.
