Preparing for my E&M midterm! I’m in hell!
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@ungracefulstudies
Preparing for my E&M midterm! I’m in hell!
Almost exactly four years since I last posted lol, wild. Back then I was just starting research, now I’m a PhD student. Knowing me I’ll end up forgetting about this but I may revive this blog for my own accountability
1/26/19
I got hired as a tutor! Also, all of my professors so far have been very understanding and willing to accommodate!!!
January 14, 2019
First day of spring semester! Here’s a sample of my system for notes in physics: color-coded notes from the textbook before lecture, pencil/pen notes during lecture, and equations/units recorded in a document. (It should be noted that my color coding changes often and who knows how long this system will stick lmao).
I’m pumped for this semester! My physics and computer science professors are AMAZING, and tomorrow I am get to start working with a professor on her research project!
Happy 2019!
Guess who just got an interview to be a tutor!
I was just offered another interview at the Science Center!
Guess who just got an interview to be a tutor!
I was really nervous about applying for testing accommodations but it looks like they’re being approved!
Moral of the story: if you have a physical or mental disability that makes things more difficult for you than for someone without that disability, don’t be afraid to ask for more support in order to be on the same playing field!
I ordered a textbook from Chegg and it came with a can of RedBull lmao
The lab report is worth 14% of your grade so I expect you to put in 14% of your effort.
Physics TA
August 13, 2018
I move into college tomorrow 😱
How I Went From Academic Probation to the Dean’s List in One Semester
Introduction
So if you haven’t read it and want to understand the full story, I recommend reading this post right here (x) Long story short, while yes, I did have very poor physical and mental health that contributed to my academic probation, I also could have been more organized and overall a better student, and maybe I would have not had the best grades - but still maintained “good standing.” My first two semesters were rough. Then I took two semesters off. When I came back this semester, I was determined to succeed and essentially, I learned how to be the best college student I could be. Albeit, this was also after I regained control over my health. Nonetheless, let’s get into it!
I took some time off from school
First of all, what helped me the most was taking two semesters off. I won’t lie to any of you. I took this time to see pain management doctors, receive treatment for my 6 bulged discs that contributed to my chronic pain, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease and re-learned how to live my life, I got my anxiety disorder under control, and I worked 40+ hours a week serving and bartending to become more financially independent - which helped my anxiety. During this time I also learned to be honest with my support system (advisors, close friends, and family), which also contributed to my success this semester.
I forced myself to use a planner religiously (for about a month) until it became an unbreakable habit
I forced myself to use a planner religiously (about a month) until it became an unbreakable habit. Planners are the biggest tool when becoming more organized. During syllabus week, I took my dad’s advice and wrote down every due date, even if it was TBA. This allowed me to be “ahead of the curve.” I am not taken by surprise by any assignments now.
Using my planner, I create artificial due dates for myself that are a day or two before the actual, posted due date. This ensures that my assignments are turned in early, or if something goes wrong in submitting them (if online) then I can make my professor/instructor aware of the issue beforehand so that something can be done. Write: “Have X turned in by today!”
Do your best to also not only stay “on top of” assignments, but also ahead of them. It is better to work ahead and have nothing to do (or due) for the remainder of the week than to be overwhelmed by copious amounts of work and studying.
I took pride in my work
I took pride in my work/notes, and set out to create work/notes that would impress peers (if they saw my work) or impress my professor upon grading my assignments. I specifically set out to “wow” people with what I was creating. This lead me to the studyblr community specifically with my notes.
I emailed my professors literally all the time
I emailed my professors consistently. Even if I had a question that could have waited until the next class - I emailed my professors. They were able to learn my names, and my grades are awesome because of it.
I participated in class
I participated in class. Not only do I sit in the front of the class because I can’t see (ya girl isn’t good about wearing her glasses) but I also do this because professors “teach to the T” This basically means that professors teach mostly to students who sit in the front row, and students that sit down the aisles. So imagine a classroom, and imagine which desks would make a T-shape. That’s where you want to sit. I also make sure to contribute to class discussions. When you sit up front, you are less inclined to be on your phone or doing miscellaneous things on your laptop. Your eyes will be drawn to your professor, you will feel more compelled to answer their questions, and you will pay better attention. With this being said, I was always the student that had to sit in front because I can’t see, but I was also always the teacher’s pet.
I purchased cool/cute study supplies that made me want to study
Buy materials that make you want to take notes with them. I really like Five Star notebooks. I also really like taking notes with Crayola SuperTips. Create notes that are easy for you to review later.
Which brings me to my next tip: actually review those notes later.
Tried and true study apps like Quizlet saved my semester
I utilize study-apps like Quizlet. I know that there are many out there; however, I prefer the tried and true method of good ole Quizlet.
Pay your advisor a visit. They do not judge you!
I make appointments to see my advisors regularly. Advisors can help you if anything begins to go awry. I also made an appointment with the same advisors, so that I didn’t have to re-explain my situation. They never judged me. They can provide you with materials and resources for any issue you’re having. I am always blown away every time I meet with my advisors because they know their jobs so well.
I sat my butt down and did my work
I didn’t exactly “time block” study time because that doesn’t really work for me. However, when I had time after work or whenever - I sat down at my desk and made time for assignments. I highly recommend the Pomodoro Technique. You set a timer for 15-25 minutes, focus on your work during that time, and then take a 5-10 minute break before continuing. Usually, you will find that you either just want to go ahead and finish up or that you definitely needed a break.
I created a study space that I love. It is really miscellaneous and not at all what you see on the majority of studyblrs, but it works for me. I love my desk!
Buy some expos and a white board in addition to using your planner
I use a white board in addition to my planner to write down upcoming dates for the next week/entire month. I use a different color for each class as well as miscellaneous things I need to get done. When I have completed something, I just erase it.
Treat yo self
I congratulated myself for little victories. 96 on a test? Ice cream for you tonight, babes.
Figure yourself out as a scholar
I learned how and where I studied best. My two spots are in the library or at my desk in my room. I also seem to study best with someone else around me, like when my boyfriend is playing his video games - that is the perfect time for me to study. Do you study best with zero distractions, or do you like to work with some music on? Do you like background noise from the TV or completely silent? Are you a night owl or a morning bird? Figure out those things first. You can’t force yourself to study at a time when it doesn’t work for you. For example, I am a night owl so I know that evening - night is the best time for me to get to work.
I learned what ritual worked best for me. Having a cup of coffee while I do my make up, and then ensuring that I was out at the bus stop at least 5 minutes before the bus was scheduled to come, and making sure that I got on the bus that came no later than 30 minutes before my class. Know your routine. What routine works for you?
The obvious
Go to class. Easiest one. Attendance policies can be brutal. Get to know yours. Sometimes professors also say things in class that gives those who attended the upper hand in some way.
I started this studyblr! Knowing I wanted to create content here kept me driven to take notes when I didn’t always want to.
I was honest with myself
I was honest with myself for my short comings. AP classes in high school were beneficial in many ways, but they really taught me how to underachieve my way to success. I hardly ever studied for anything and bs’ed so many essays, but it worked and I got really good grades. That doesn’t really work in college.
Non-curriculum based
I learned to say no.
I learned to cut people who did not fully support me out of my life.
I cleaned my apartment and room every weekend. It’s much easier to study when everything is clean.
I made time to go to the grocery store every week. It’s much easier to learn and function when you are well fed.
I did my best to get some sleep. Your brain needs rest to function its best.
I know it hurts, but check those grades frequently. It isn’t like a credit score, it won’t lower every time you check it
I checked all of my grades at least once a week. I know it can be anxiety-inducing, but you have to know where you are in your classes, especially when April rolls around and you might realize you need to put in a little more work.
I became a point whore
I became a point whore. I took advantage of every extra credit opportunity. Every single one.
The golden rule
I made up a golden rule: Do not cram for any exam. To do this, I always started studying once my professor mentioned the test OUTSIDE of the syllabus. If you have dropped the ball and the test is a week out - create a study plan.
Believe in yourself
Lastly, I believed in myself. You cannot do this if you do not believe that you can.
Remember that you can do anything you set your mind to. Start shouldering the burden now by forging good habits. Be honest with yourself. Lastly - dreams don’t work unless you do. I had a lot going on with my health that lead to my grades being terri - yeah they were terrible. But I still was honest about my shortcomings.
Happy studying, realistic students!
college advice from someone who’s been on both sides of it
So I’m finishing up my Ph.D. and preparing to depart for the real world (no, just kidding, I’m going to be in school forever, only in a different capacity) and I thought I’d put together a list of some college tips to share with you all. I graduated with my B.A. in 2012, magna cum laude, with 2 majors, 1 honours thesis, 2 on-campus jobs, and 3 music things. Since then, I’ve gone to grad school and also taught six semesters of first-year seminars. Now I’m going on the job market for teaching positions. All of this means that I’ve seen both sides of the college experience, as a student and as an instructor. There are a lot of great & useful college advice posts going around studyblr this time of here, and I wanted to add my own. I hope it’s useful. So here we go, with a “read more” because it’s long (sorry if you’re on mobile):
academics
find your classrooms ahead of time (profs’ offices too)
figure out how long it will take you to walk between places
figure out where your best seat will be & claim it
say hi to the people next to you, learn their names
take notes in class
take advantage of extra credit
try your best not to fall asleep in class (and if you do fall asleep, apologise to the prof afterwards)
bring your glasses if you need them, don’t be stubborn about it
check out the library, wander in the stacks, talk to the librarians
figure out how & where to print
buy used books/textbooks, or rent them, but be careful with ebooks (some profs don’t allow them)
plan breaks into your class schedule, or block everything together, whichever works best for you
work out the pros & cons of 8am classes and/or night classes
plan ahead – have a planner, put things in it, do them
fake deadlines are a thing (write down earlier deadlines, trick yourself into meeting them, bask in satisfaction)
grades won’t be what they were in high school
keep in mind GPA values: a 3.5 will see you graduating with honours
be nice to the departmental administrative staff, thank them for helping you (even with small things)
office hours versus emailing profs: both will get your questions answered (probably) but if you can go and talk in person, do it
profs & TAs are people too, they have lives, they have bad days
if something comes up, talk to your prof, be honest but don’t overshare, just show them you’re trying
on that note, try
Keep reading
To all my freshman babies who are panicking right now about how much your college textbooks cost: Yeah, you’re right, that’s some highway robbery. No, you don’t have to lie down and take it. You have options. Follow my advice and fly on your own debt free wings.
1. Forgoe the bookstore entirely. Sometimes you can get a good deal on something, usually a rental, but it’s usually going to be considerably more expensive to go through official channels. Outsmart them, babies.
2. Does your syllabus call for edition eight? Get edition seven. Old editions are considered worthless in the buyback trades, so they sell for dirt cheap, no matter how new they are. It’s a gamble, sure; there might be something in edition eight you desperately need, but that never happened to me. However, I’ve only ever pulled this stunt for literature/mass comm/religious studies books, so I don’t know it would work in the sciences.
3. Thriftbooks.com, especially for nonfiction and fiction. Books are usually four or five dollars unless they’re really new, and shipping is 99 cents unless you buy over 10$ in books, in which case shipping is free.
4. Bigwords.com. It will scan every textbook seller on the internet for the lowest price available, and will do the same to find the highest price when you try to sell your books back at the end of term. Timesaver, lifesaver.
5. In all probability, your library offers a service called interlibrary loan which is included in your tuition. This means if your library doesn’t carry a book you can order it for free from any library nationwide in your library’s network and it will be shipped to you in a number of days. Ask a librarian to show you how to search for materials at your library as well as though interlibrary loan; you’ll need to master this skill soon anyway. If you get lucky you can just have your required reading shipped to you a week before you need to start reading, then renew vigorously until you no longer need to item. I’m saving over 100$ on a History of Islam class this way.
You professors might side-eye you for bringing an old edition or a library copy, but you just smile right back honey, because you can pay your rent and go clubbing this month. You came here to win. So go forth and slay.
Can I add to this? 6. Find PDFs of your book to store on your computer. I managed to find an up-to-date edition of my textbook for sociology by doing this, and other books for other classes. It may be risky to have to look high and low for them, but it’s a godsend trust me
Other things to help college-bound kidlets:
Get Windows Office free.
If you’re having a panic attack.
When you’re writing a term paper.
Cheap school/college things. (Not all links are active, but still.)
College tips.
Cheap or free college books
Hobbies. (Because sometimes you need to turn off your brain.)
Libre Office. (Because Windows sucks.)
Practice in case you’re attacked.
If you have to deal with cops. (Especially important for POC because racism is still alive, sadly.)
7. A fair bit of the time, your lectures are directly out of the textbook. There have been classes where I’ve bought the book, only to realize the professor basically vomited the chapter into a lecture. Sometimes, you can just get away with taking really good notes.
You, an intellectual: 9+7=16
Me, with ADHD: if you take 1 from 9 and give it to 7 thats 8+8 and 8x2 is 16
Someone, usually a Teacher: NOT LIKE THAT YOU HEATHEN
This is literally how I would have done it
9 is a hungry bitch and takes one from 7, making it 10+6=16
VALID
…not to mention, learning decomposition of numbers early-on is a great way to build a solid foundation for concepts used later on, such as factoring by grouping. Memorization is sometimes important, but why discourage people from learning to play with and manipulate numbers in mathematically-valid ways???
This random points to ellipse logic looks interesting.
matthen: Draw some random points on a piece of paper and join them up to make a random polygon. Find all the midpoints and connecting them up to give a new shape, and repeat. The resulting shape will get smaller and smaller, and will tend towards an ellipse! [code] [more]
This makes me uncomfortable, but I’m all for it.
Famous Equations
In mathematics, an equation is a statement of an equality containing one or more variables. Solving the equation consists of determining which values of the variables make the equality true. There are two kinds of equations: identities and conditional equations. An identity is true for all values of the variable. A conditional equation is true for only particular values of the variables.
This is just me being curious
but if any of you would be willing to take a minute or so out of their day to answer my two-and-a-half questions, that would be pretty neat.
I assume most people interacting with this blog have some sort of math background. And I’m curious to know if math people
(1) have a higher-than-usual interest in music
(higher-than-usual is vague on purpose, prime example would be playing an instrument or something; if you answer yes on this question, it would be great if you also added what that higher-than-usual interest consists in)
and
(2) enjoy reading novels at least semi-regularly
(audiobooks count, musicals or movies don’t, neither do pop science books or text books; I’m interested in prosaic fiction here).
If you answered yes to one of the two questions, then there is a bonus question for you:
(B) What interest came first, math, music or novels?
Any answers in whatever form you like (tags, replies, messages…) are highly appreciated. If you don’t have a math background, you are very welcome to answer the questions as well. In that case, would you please add what kind of background you consider yourself to have?
If anyone is interested (and if there are any answers at all) I could maybe do a little evaluation? Based on my experiences so far, I am guessing many people will answer yes to (1) and no to (2), but I may be completely wrong. As for (B), I have no idea really.