[purplebuddhaquotes]

“Do your thing. Do it every day. Do it ‘unapologetically’. Don’t be discouraged by criticism. You probably already know what they’re going to say. Pay no mind to the fear of failure. It’s far more valuable than success. Take ownership, take chances and have fun. And no matter what, don’t ever stop doing your thing.”

—

[taajeh]

it didn’t go as planned, it went better; look what tawakkul unravels; you were looking at a single flower when there were fields beyond your scope of imagination; look what tawakul unravels. 

[mjalti]

when u dont really know what ur feeling but there’s alot of it there

[gunzonyatmblr]

People don’t take you serious until you start moving on without them.

[studyandstorms-deactivated20250]

I cannot stress this enough- Build a routine. Build Habits. Wake up every day and get used to being productive, one day at a time. Do this for long enough and eventually you’ll be at your goal without even realising it. 

[like-fairy-tales]

By: Vera

[eearth-deactivated20180601]

Don’t settle for nice, for pleasant, for familiar. Keep looking until you find something that really moves you, that resonates with your core. And I mean this for people, for interests, for hobbies, for your possessions, clothes, music, books, art. Everything. Curate every aspect of your life, as much as you can. It’s in the things that deeply inspire us that we find ourselves. Surround yourself with truth, and you’ll have built yourself a heaven.

[fruitsaladchewits-deactivated20]

A Pakistani Muslim man offers the daily Asr prayer, near his goats feeding in a field on the outskirts of Islamabad, Pakistan, Sept. 24, 2012. 

[Credit : Muhammed Muheisen/AP]

[nowitsgevaudan]

Allāh will always make clear to you what you’re meant to hear and see. People’s true colors will always come out in the end. Just keep your own heart clean and your intentions pure and be sure that everything will eventually fall into place.

[thegoodvybe]

“Have the courage to be exactly who you are without apology.”

— Iyanla Vanzant

[julaibib]

Never compromise your religion or morals for these socially constructed measures of success they come and go…rather hold tight to the rope of Allah and strive for success in this world and the next

[gloupblog]

No one else cares for your success, so you have to care. You have to force yourself to get up early, you have to force yourself to turn your phone off and revise, you have to force yourself to workout, you have to care for the whole world because no one else cares until they start seeing results. And they won’t ever see your results if you don’t care enough first. It’s your life, they are your goals, your dreams, it will be your success but it has to be your effort and your work first and foremost x

[theoptia]

— A piece of advice.

[study-like-you-mean-it]

50 Things that Top Students Do

Listen to everything they’re taught, not just hearing

Take notes

Listen to opinions they don’t like

Be open to having their minds changed

Don’t listen to music with words when studying

Practise

Commit

Keep a regimen of self-discipline even in the face of a lack of motivation

Take breaks

Sleep regularly and more than expected

Work very hard during the day

Exercise

Plan in advance

Get small tasks done when there isn’t time to do bigger ones

Engage

Take failures as a learning curve

Think positively

Do their best work at the start of the year so they get more slack later

Talk to those who teach them

Debate

Do a little every day instead of all at once

Ask for help

Help others

Drink water

Work hard but work smart

Know what study setup is their most productive

Hold themselves accountable

Figure out which work is a priority

Don’t waste time re-reading as a form of studying

Find out things they don’t understand

Test themselves frequently

Work backwards through things to understand why something works

Learn more than they need

Have more interests and hobbies than just academics

Find out the most important concepts in a course

Learn the most important 20% of the course to get 80% of the grade

Don’t complain

Tailor their courses to focus on what interests them the most

Play hard after working hard

Read in advance

Know how to say no but don’t say no unless they have to

Take every opportunity they can

Eat well

Defend their personal beliefs

Don’t use other people’s successes/failures as an excuse for anything they do

Don’t let studying become the main part of their life

Understand that everything is temporary

Set goals, short- and long-term

Put their phones away/on silent when studying

Don’t expect any results immediately

[gentle-reminder]

gentle reminder

this is your life, you can change it anytime; you are in control of this, nothing is over, nothing is lost, everything is possible and everything can and will happen or change if you believe in yourself and work hard

[dilemind]

It starts hitting them, when it stops hitting you.

[overshadower-deactivated2026010]

How I am making the best of my education!

I see lots of people asking how to be successful in college. I thought I’d make a post to throw everyone my 2 cents–though no one asked for it. It’s free money though. Who doesn’t want it?

1) Figure out your learning style. If you google VARK learning profile, there’s a great quiz you can take with study techniques based on your results. We actually use this quiz at the tutoring center at my college. You’d be surprised how many students come specifically for help figuring out how to study.

2) Keep a planner. Or a bullet journal. Or use google calendar. I even know someone who carries around a full size 18 month calendar folded up in her backpack (and she’s a professor). Just find something and WRITE EVERY SINGLE ASSIGNMENT DOWN IN IT. EVEN IF YOU THINK YOU’LL REMEMBER IT, THERE’S A CHANCE YOU WON’T. DON’T TAKE THAT CHANCE.

3) Try to make a personal timetable and stick to it! This kind of goes along with the planner point, but it is different. It takes lots of discipline to block off and actually study during study times, but you’ll be thanking yourself later when you’ve finished your homework and can actually get to bed at a reasonable hour. In addition to studying, homework, and classes; also block off time for eating, possible times for napping (if you take them), and extracurriculars. If you can’t find adequate time for things, maybe you should consider dropping a class or an activity for the semester.

4) Make a to-do list every day. I personally use sticky notes and stick them to the page of my planner. This helps me remember things that are school related, but also other things, like appointments, social gatherings, research stuff, and family events (since I live at home and commute to school). Yeah, it’s important to remember school stuff, but the other stuff you’ve gotta get done, like laundry and social time, is JUST AS IMPORTANT.

5) Don’t neglect your health! I cannot stress this point enough!! If you aren’t eating enough, sleeping enough, or spending enough time relaxing, you will burn out very very quickly. You think it won’t happen to you, but it will. I thought I was immune to burnout, but after a month of intermittent and inadequate sleep and nutrition–I really figured out that I was SO wrong. I ended up missing an entire day of class towards the end of the semester (plus missed a lab the next day because my professor sent me home) because I just couldn’t make myself do any more stuff. It could have been much worse, but I was lucky. I used those days to rest up and returned to my classes ready to finish out the semester strong. College is hard enough to do with no mental health conditions. If you have one, and even if you don’t, be extra sure that you are taking care of yourself. YOU come before EVERYTHING ELSE. Nothing is more important than you. If you have to, ask people to check up on you. Ask a friend to check in with you, or your RA, or even your parents. They won’t mind. Your RA really does want to help you.

6) Study smart, not hard. Sometimes, studying just isn’t worth it. If it’s been half an hour and you just CANNOT FOCUS and feel like you’ve learned nothing: go outside, do some homework, do some laundry, or even just switch the topic you’re studying. If you’re trying to study the right way and you can’t make yourself do it, just find something else productive to do. Come back in another 15 minutes and try again. It happens to all of us. Also, if you’re studying for hours at a time with no breaks, it leads to burnout super quick. I have friends who do that and I don’t understand why. They’re so miserable about studying. It doesn’t have to be terrible! If you take the 25 minutes on, 5 minutes off approach, studying becomes less terrible, because you know there’s an end in sight. Plus, the 5 minutes off gives your brain a little time to process what you’re learning. That said, try to study what you learned in class that day a few hours after class. Material is so much easier to learn this way! Don’t save it for the night before your exam. Cramming rarely helps. Don’t let other people fool you–studying doesn’t have to be something out of your worst nightmare.

7) Find professors who inspire you. I always love a subject more when the professor makes it exciting. Luckily in college, it’s a lot easier to find those kinds of teachers–those who genuinely love what they do. I never would have gotten interested in math without my stats professor (who actually taught me how to integrate, bless her heart), and my proofs professor, who basically let me live in her office last semester (i.e. I like doing my homework with help 5 feet away because I always have so many questions). Find the professors who want to help you. They exist.  

8) Make connections with them! Show up to office hours. Ask them questions you had from lecture. If it’s not a rushed, busy time for them, ask how they got interested in their subject; ask them about what they study–they’ll totally explain it to you like you’re a 5 year old, so don’t worry. In my experience, I have found that professors really like to connect with students. Maybe I’ve just been really lucky. Making connections is easier to do at a smaller school, or within a smaller major–but you never know what will come out of a few questions! Maybe you’ll find a research advisor, or someone you could TA for. I am friendly (and even friends) with so many of my professors just because I’m a curious person. I ask them questions about their experiences in academia, and just general stuff (believe it or not, the decorations they have in their office often lead to some cool conversations). In turn, they’re usually curious about me too. They ask me about what I’m interested in, if I need a reference letter for anything, and even just about my life in general. I know I can ask them for advice on applying to grad school, any problems I’m having with lecture material, and sometimes even general advice. For me, it’s just comforting to know that I have some people on my side who have been through college (especially if you’re like me and 17 or 18, fresh out of high school). Also, they know what you should do if you accidentally miss a final exam (like I did my first semester).

9) This is for all my math, science, tech, and engineering people out there–and people taking those classes! It also applies to other majors to maybe not as great an extent. Don’t get frustrated if you come across a problem you can’t solve.  If you can’t figure it out and have spent a chunk of time on it, move on and go back to it at the end. If you still can’t quite get it, try to go to office hours for help! You are not stupid for not being able to arrive at an answer. When you can’t figure something out, you might just be missing the most crucial piece of the puzzle you need to solve it! Don’t think “Wow I’m such an idiot” (don’t be like me basically), think “what am I missing here?” Think about it. See if you arrive at any conclusions. If not, go find someone to help you. If you find that you’re struggling with a majority of the questions, consider getting a tutor. Tutoring should be offered by your school for either very little or no charge at all. Take advantage! Tutors don’t know everything, but they sure can get your thought process on the right track! I’m a tutor and believe me–it really does help.

10) Find study buddies! My study buddies have become my best friends. We all share a love of biology, and it really brings us together. We love hiking together, and commiserating when it feels necessary. Plus, we make studying fun! If you have trouble making friends (I know I really struggle), start a study group. It’s really a great way to make connections with other people in your major, or even people outside your major.

I hope this helps! Good luck in the fall to any of you kids who are just starting college–and happy studying!