UpInTheClouds21

Hello everyone! I'm currently a college sophomore, and I decided to write this blog for my creative writing class! Ever since I was little, I've always loved reading, which probably explains why I love writing down using inspirational quotes in my everyday life. In my free time, I enjoy reading, sleeping, and hanging out with my friends and giving advice to people. I used to draw a lot, but I haven't drawn anything since high school. My blog is primarily designed for college students to use to draw tips and lessons I have learned over the course of my college so far and to draw inspiration/motivation from everyday life too!

[howtosucceedinschool]

Do the Math: How to Save Time and Prioritize During Finals

One thing I and many studyblrs tend to have in common is that we overstudy. Yes overstudying is a real problem. It causes students to waste time that could be better spent on other school work, or time that could be spent just doing activities that they enjoy and practicing self-care.

This semester I decided to come up with some new strategies so as to really evaluate how much I need to study. 

Step 1: Figure out what grade you have, what grade you want, and the grade which you are going to need to obtain on your final in order to get your desired grade. Try to keep this realistic and obtainable. You can use this website to help you with the calculations if math isn’t your thing.

Step 2: Prioritize which classes you need to study more. There are two schools of thought which you can follow. 

               School 1 says you ought to study the most for the classes you are      doing the least well in. 

              School 2 says you ought to study the most for the classes you have the best chances of doing well in, or of seriously changing your grade in.

Step 3: Take your study guides and cross off things you need to spend less time studying on. Don’t waste time studying the things you already know! Also, for study guides where you are given all of the possible essays prompts in advance, use the combinations formula to eliminate one or two things to study. In short, choose what to study wisely!

Anyway, sorry this post is late, but I truly hope it helped some of you as you choose what to study this week. Best of luck!

[studywithmariana]

7 Apps for Studying and Time Management

Companion video: link

►Memorigi

Android [FREE]: link iPhone: [NOT AVAILABLE] Similar app: Wunderlist [FREE] link

Memorigi is a really easy to use time management app where you can log in all of your tasks for the day, week and month. You can use a color code to track your tasks by theme or by subject so you can understand what your workload will be for the next few days. I really like this app’s simple layout and the fact that you can chose between different views, namely between a daily view or a three-days view. It also lets you set an alarm to remind you that your tasks and events are coming up. Other similar apps to consider are Google Calendar and Evernote.

►Duolingo Android [FREE]: link iPhone [FREE]: link

Duolingo is an app that lets you learn languages through an array of mini games and exercises that you can complete daily, increasing your fluency and mastery step by step. Each language comes with dozens of different themed levels that teach you different aspects of vocabulary and grammar so you can build up your knowledge on that language. Each level recycles what you’ve learned in past levels to make sure that you still remember that you have learned before. You can also use the training icon to get a personalized lesson with your weakest words, so you can really tackle whatever you are having a difficult time with, before moving on with the learning process. I also enjoy the fact that the levels are short and you aren’t required to speak or listen, so it’s the perfect way to spend some idle time during commuting to school.

►Forest: Android [FREE]: link iPhone [1,99$]: link

Another app that I always talk about is Forest, and for me it’s the best way to use the Pomodoro Technique whilst having a true visual experience of your productivity levels. The concept is quite simple: for each block of time you spend studying, you plant a virtual tree. While that tree grows, you cannot use other app in your phone, less you get distracted. When the timer reaches zero, you will have planted a tree in your forest. The more trees you have, the more productive you were during that day.

►Loop - Habit Tracker Android [FREE]: link iPhone: NOT AVAILABLE HabitBull [FREE], similar app: link

Habits is an habit tracker app that lets you follow up on those small daily tasks that we sometimes forget, like drinking enough water, taking medication or taking a walk outside. It’s very simple to use – all you have to do is insert which tasks you want to track and just press the small cross to mark it for that day. As time goes by, you will build a graphic that tells you how many times you’ve forgotten certain tasks and where you should improve. I usually do this by hand in my bullet journal but I think that tracking your habits with an app should please everyone who prefers to manage their time with their phone and doesn’t like to carry a notebook around.

►SaveMyTime Android [FREE]: link iPhone: NOT AVAILABLE Similar app: link

Still on the time management theme, I think that everyone should try at least once in their life to really understand how they are spending their time. A time wheel lets you do this – you basically input how you have been spending your time during the day, with transportation, sleeping, eating, studying and taking classes and you will be baffled by how little time you can actually spend at your own will. This app lets you do exactly this, you just insert the amount of time you have been doing something and it will build a time wheel for you, so you can reflect where you have been wasting your time and re-organize your schedule. I think this is a great challenge to keep up with during a week and just reflect on how you are actually living your life. Basically, it sets a tracking time and when you unlock your phone, the app will ask you what you have been doing for the past fifteen minutes so you can build your time wheel gradually during the day without even noticing it.

►Quizlet Android [FREE]: link iPhone [FREE]: link

A great app to save paper, ink and time is quizlet. It basically replaces all of your physical flash cards and lets you keep entire sets of questions and answers in your phone under your personal account. You can then export these to your computer and share them with your friends. I think this is an amazing app for anyone who relies on definition based classes and tests and is something great to use on idle times or when you need to study but only have your phone around. It has tons of different ways to test your knowledge on a subject and it can even read your cards out loud as if you were being questioned by your professor.

►Timetable Android [FREE]: link iPhone [NOT AVAILABLE] Similar app: Class Timetable [FREE]: link

Finally, and this is one of my favorites, there is a widget timetable app so you can place your school timetable in your homescreen and never skip a class again. I usually never know where I am going to have class and sometimes it’s not really useful to take out your planner and look at your schedule so having it right on your homescreen is really useful.

You can insert all data related to your class in this widget, like the name of the class, the location, participants and total duration. You can always assign a color to a certain class. Afterwards, you just tap the screen to assign your class to a certain timeblock and there you have it.

[queststudyskills]

#100studytips CORNELL NOTES

Have you heard of the Cornell Note Taking system? This note-taking method has been around for ages, but I think the value of it gets forgotten. So I thought I’d give it a bit of a plug today.

It’s a very concise and organised way to compile and collect notes prior to study. Here’s a quick summary of it, but do take the time to research a bit more about it, if you want more info.

1. SPLIT THE PAGE INTO 4. A section at the top for the subject, topic, date etc; a large margin worth 1/3 of the page on the left; a large note-taking section on the right; and finally a space at the bottom for the Summary. 

2. WRITE THE ESSENTIALS AT THE TOP. That’s fairly self-explanatory, otherwise notes can get all jumbled.

3. THE NOTES. When in class, write your notes in the Note-Taking Area. Write in point form with bullets, include diagrams, arrows of information relationship, mind-maps, and use abbreviations. 

4. KEY WORDS/ CUE WORDS. Once you’ve written the notes, then write the que/key words on the left margin. This is essential, as it makes you critically think about ‘what’ you have actually written. It’s also good to write ‘teacher-type’ questions here. The ones you might find in a test.

5. SUMMARY. In the summary section write a summary (duh obviously) about the notes on the page. This is an important step, as it tests whether or not you know what you just wrote about. If there are holes in the information, and you’re not able to write the summary, then you need to get more info or ask the teacher. 

6. REFLECTION. Write a reflection about the information in the summary section too. Focus on how you think this info relates to the rest of the info in the unit, or how it relates to the whole subject in general. This makes you think even more critically about the content, rather than just trying to rote learn like a robot. Sorry. 

Next post will be about Cornell Notes with a ‘TWIST’ !! STAY TUNED. 

[upinclouds21-blog]

Time Management

What is Time Management?

http://coed.com/2016/05/19/study-tips-best-time-management-tools-tricks-college-help-hacks/

I felt it was fitting to discuss time management because my friends who I interviewed for my previous video blog and my peers emphasize the importance of it to college freshmen. However, time management is not only a skill that needs to be learned by college freshmen, it is just as important for college students in general and even adults to learn proper time management skills! Now, what is time management? Having good time management skills can be described as being able to delegate the importance of specific tasks, and ensuring all of your work (whether it's social, physical, or academic) is being done in an efficient manner and will be done by the time it is due. I can tell you from experience that it is extremely easy to fall into the bad habit of procrastinating and leaving your assignments and studies for the last minute, simply because you want to avoid thinking about doing it. In the long run, procrastinating will catch up to you and you will feel even more anxious and stressed than before you started the work. If you leave your work for the last minute, not only will you be forced to stay up the night before it's due (damaging your physical and mental health, along with messing up with your sleep cycle which will cause you to be even more exhausted and unable to concentrate on your other tasks), but you will still have other responsibilities and other things you need to get done along with that one assignment, which will cause you to fall behind FAST.

I recommend that you buy yourself a planner, or even make your own planner/calendar to write down all the tasks you need to get done for the week(s)/month(s). Keeping yourself organized will ensure that you are getting what needs to be done in an efficient manner and that you will have enough time to address your other priorities all at the same time. For example, if you know you have two essays, two exams, and a presentation coming up in 2 weeks, don't wait until right before these events come up to start! Instead, use your planner and write down how much time you will allocate every day to work on the assignment. If one of these assignments is worth more than the other, or one of the assignments is due earlier than the other ones, then prioritize what needs to get done. For the two exams, make sure that you are staying on top of your notetaking from your textbooks, lecture notes, and any other resources for the upcoming exams. This will help you when your exam date comes closer, that way you only have to worry about skimming through your material, focus on the important parts or information you don't understand, and create a study guide for the material you will be tested on.  For the essays, it might be in your best interest to start creating an outline for the both of them, or at the bare minimum to at least jot down any ideas you have for what you want to write about, that way you just have to work on elaborating your thoughts and structuring your essay. Lastly, regarding the presentation, it would help to start working on any media platforms that are required for it (such as Powerpoint, Excel, Prezi, etc) and begin to brainstorm what you need to research and know for your presentation. That way you can do a little every day, and save yourself enough time leading up to presentation day to rehearse what you will be saying, that way you won't be as anxious about it necessarily.

I'm aware that you have probably heard about this topic multiple times over the course of your school life, whether it was by your parents, teachers, peers, friends, coaches, but they emphasize this so much because it's an important skill to learn for future events. You will thank yourself later on in life when you are organized, have a good work ethic, and are able to get what needs to be done done. Not to mention, you will also be able to focus on getting the right amount of sleep that your body requires (depending on your age level) and allocate time to exercise, have free time to do the hobbies you enjoy, and retain good mental health as well (along with your stress levels being lowered when you don't have to be worried about racing against the clock to finish everything).

How to get MORE done in LESS time!

Study With Jess

4 months ago 

57,629 views

How to get MORE done in LESS time! These are my top tips for being more productive, organized and enhancing your time…

If you're interested in learning more tips about time management, this youtube video by Study With Jess is extremely helpful! She provides additional tips and tricks for managing your time, and these tips might help you as well when it comes to doing your own tasks! I've linked her video right below this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jc6g_VzRjnQ&t=235s

[upinclouds21-blog]

My First "Movie"-What My Blog Will Be About

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0ciKxzxDuzeeERzZllCWE5iNzg/view?usp=sharing

[upinclouds21-blog]

First Quote of the Day

Quote of the Day:

February 8th, 2017

"It's not what you are that holds you back, it's what you think you are not." (Denis Waitley)

I can't begin to tell you the number of times I have doubted myself and my capabilities over the course of my life so far. Growing up, I was an extremely shy kid, especially since I had speech problems, where often times those around me couldn't always understand what I was saying. Not to mention during my elementary school years, I also faced issues completing and understanding mathematics as well, which resulted in me and a group of other students getting help from a student aid in our studies. Facing these problems growing up, I would constantly feel as though I would never be able to do well in my math classes or be able to communicate properly and become confident like my peers. Despite this, these setbacks helped me to grow into the person I am today. I went to speech therapy for a couple of years, where I developed my love for reading, which greatly improved my communication and vocabulary. In mathematics, I had an opportunity to have amazing teachers over the course of my education, who pushed me to be my best and improve, even when I began losing hope. It's extremely easy to say, "I'll never be good at this one skill, or I'll never be talented like this person". It's okay to admit that you aren't good at something, but don't let it hold you back from accomplishing your goals. For example, instead of just saying, "I'll never be good at math", push yourself to practice, that way you can build those skills and improve in the math department. Trust me, you'll get frustrated and might want to give up, but the only way you'll improve is through practice. Rather than thinking negatively about areas you aren't performing well in, think of it as an area to improve if it bothers you so much. 

Even today, I'm still a very shy person, but I have learned to accept that and to not let it stop me from completing the things I want to. I could have easily hidden behind my shyness and accept the fact that math was my weak point, but I worked on improving those things. I pushed myself to talk to new people, and I worked on the problems I had with my speech, and I practiced more in my mathematics skills. Over time, I grew to become more confident, and I managed to improve in math over the years, and to no longer fear these situations. If you want to accomplish something, don't let your negative thinking or other people's opinions about you hold you back, keep moving forward. As Denis Waitley nicely put it, "It's not what you are that holds you back, it's what you think you are not." Turn those weaknesses into strengths, and you can go far in your dreams.