Do no harm

recipes, lifestyle, and a life journal

[gothicprep]

are you gonna pick those penne noodles out of the boiling water one by one like a man, or are you gonna use a strainer like some kind of democrat?

[5ummit]

me: *worries that I’m Evil and Manipulative and tries very hard every day to be a good person*

me: oh my god

me: I’m manipulating people into thinking I’m good

[steadfast-deactivated20191017]

[leesh]

i’m in love with her

[shadyrican]

[blackmodel]

CLOCKED

[bookbearstudy]

After finishing my fall semester, I have decided to compile some study strategies that will hopefully help any other college students out there (especially the premeds). These tips helped me get a 4.0 at an Ivy League school.

Cornell Note-taking is KEY. Especially if you use the question-answer format. For example, for my Biology class, I took notes on the lectures in the question-answer format. By covering one side with my hand and answering the questions out loud every day, I aced all the midterms and the final.

Study every day or at least most days. Trust me, cramming everything at the end is not fun. It may have worked well for a high school class but college classes have so much more material and it’s not worth it.

If you live on your college campus, I recommend finding a study spot that not many undergraduates or your classmates use. Whenever I go to the most popular study spot at my school, I can practically feel the stress in the air and I just cannot focus. On the other hand, if that kind of thing motivates you, go for it.

HYDRATE!

For papers and essays, write your drafts as early as you can and then go to your professor’s office hours. They will appreciate the time and effort you’re putting into the assignment. For my Writing class, I went to my professor’s office hours every week and kept asking her to look over my essay. I can guarantee I definitely wasn’t the best writer in that class but she appreciated the effort I put in and gave me an A.

For STEM courses or problem set heavy courses like Econ or Math, practice problems and office hours are so important. If you have practice problems in your textbook, do ALL OF THEM. I know it sucks and it can be terribly boring but it will pay off! Also, if you do not understand something on your homework, go to the professor’s office hours. Most of the time, you and the professor will solve it together and then you will definitely have the right answer (This is so perfect if your homework is graded on accuracy rather than completion).

Be friendly to the TA. Even if you are going to miss a recitation or two, make sure you ask questions and participate in the ones that you attend. That way, the TA will recognize your face when it comes time to put in your participation grade or give you a bonus point or two on your exam.

When you are in class, especially large lecture halls where the professor cannot see what you are doing, turn off your phone or put it on silent. Then stuff it in the deepest part of your bag. Do not look at it until the lecture is over. If you take notes on the computer, turn off your WiFi and take notes on Word.

Life is too short not to party a little. Remember to spend some time with your friends or go out every once in a while. I have found that taking a few nights off helps keep me from becoming burnt out.

Always remember that you are extremely lucky for being able to get an education. There are thousands of people who do not have this kind of opportunity. College can definitely be hard and I have had some bad days but in the end, mistakes help you learn. It is better to fail at something new you tried than never do it at all and never learn from it.

Thanks for reading! Hope you all have a wonderful Spring semester!

[collegeife]

[sarahtaylorgibson]

College hack: When your professor passes around a sign-up sheet for projects, group work, or research, choose dates nearer to the beginning of the school year, the sooner the better. The professor will grade you more leniently, you will have more energy since school will have just started, and you won’t be bogged down with midterms or finals for other classes. It seems like more work, but I swear by this tactic, it will save your nerves and your grades.

[collegeife]

Well done my Friend …

Share it Like you care it ..

[motivated-by-coffee]

College Survival Tips

1. Don’t schedule classes before 9:30

2. use study resources

3. GO TO CLASS

4. always bring headphones

5. find a coffee shop

6. always carry a snack

7. print out lecture slides

8. steal bananas and fruit from the dining halls

9. bring a water bottle everywhere

10. sit near the front of your classes

11. find a study parter (emphasis on only one other person!!!)

12. never forget a phone charger

13. learn the bus system

14. say yes to anything you’re passionate about

15. learn to spend time alone

[collegeife]

[prodessostudies]

a honest study guide

As I am usually a straight A student, I thought I’d share some of my favourite study “hacks”, but be warned: i will not be gentle with you. I am going to tell you the brutal truth about getting great marks, because it is no use sugarcoating the fact that school is actually super hard work! 

discipline beats motivation

to be honest no matter how perfect your/any studyblr might be, looking at a blog will unfortunately never ever motivate you to study as hard as you will have to to get an A. Studyblrs may inspire you, but the one thing which will really get you studying is discipline. So, as cruel as it may sound, force yourself to be productive and you will get some serious work done.

have no social life

… at least on some days. if you find it difficult to fit your studies into your social life, try reversing the whole thing. Don’t make plans with your friends on days during which you want/need to study. This definitely isn’t fun, I know, but for me, I often find it difficult to get work done when I have plans later that day as firstly, getting a certain amount of work done within a strict time limit stresses me out and secondly, you should definitely use all the time you can get - especially shortly before the upcoming exam.

all-nighters equal bad time management

truth be told good students normally won’t have to pull all nighters as sleep is very important for not only your concentration but also for your health. To make sure that you get enough rest you should start studying as early as possible, for me that is normally one week before the particular exam, and plan what you will do on which day without trying to fit everything into the last minute. That will leave you relaxed, well rested and concentrated on the day of your exam.

find something that keeps you going

i usually drink a lot of coffee when i am studying, because during a hard study session i need to stay focused and awake. If you don’t like coffee, you could also go for black tea or green tea or simply some fruit as it is very important to get some vitamins (or in my case caffeine) in your system to not fall asleep while working.

ask for help

whether you swap notes with your colleagues or you mail the professor some questions doesn’t matter at all. It’s only important that you accept that you probably won’t be able to do everything on your own, so find yourself a study partner, ask questions when something seems unclear to you or even get a tutor. And definitely don’t be embarrassed about asking questions! Nobody knows everything.

no distractions

studying is boring and you might find that music makes it a little more exciting, but often listening to music or taking a lot of breaks is only keeping you from getting work done. So suck it up and study either silently, to classical music or to relaxing noises you can find on the internet. Also try not to take too many breaks. Don’t overwork yourself, of course, but also try to stay focused for longer than 15 minutes as this will allow you to be more productive and don’t study with friends if you end up chit-chatting to each other instead of working.

write everything down

even if you have a good memory, you won’t be able to remember a thing after class, so suck it up, don’t talk to your desk mate and focus on writing everything important down what the teacher says. even if you get handed enough material there will still be things which you should write down such as explanations, examples and additional information. that will help you later on to understand what you are actually studying.

you absolutely need to study

don’t ever think, no matter how much attention you’ve paid in class or how good you are at a certain subject, that you won’t have to study. there is always work to get done and if you are already good at something work on being better to excel at academics. 

(i added fun gifs, because it seemed a little too harsh - good luck, babes, you are going to pass your exams) 

[collegeife]

Reblog it and save a life !

[collegeife]

Reblog it and save a life !!

[chelseijoneltv]

How to Get a 4.0 GPA in College

#DearFreshman | How to Get A’s in College | College Hacks

Watch my Video Using This Link or keep reading.

Description: How to get A’s in College. Here are my tips on how to start your semester off right and set yourself up for a 4.0 GPA.

Go to Class: In college, no one is waking you up and forcing you to go class so set your alarms and make sure you have enough time to get ready and be on time. Go to class everyday. Professors can cover multiple chapters in one class period so missing a class can put you really far behind. If you have to miss class, contact your professor so that they know why and ask them what you missed. Going to class can also leave a good impression on your professors. Some professors dock your grades for absences and tardies and some schools fail you automatically for having too many absences based on their attendance policies. On the flipside, I’ve been in a class where so many people were missing that the teacher gave those present extra credit so being in class even when you know others won’t be, for example the day before spring break, can benefit you.

Read your Syllabus: A syllabus is to students what a bible is to Christians. It’s that serious. It has the expectations for the entire class and lays out when assignments are due and when quizzes, tests, and days off are. One thing I like to look for is the grading scale because a 90 is one class can be an A, but be an A minus or B in another class. There may also be hidden extra credit in the syllabus because professors like to test if you actually read the syllabus.

Get a Planner and Use It: Write down all important dates from class to personal life so you can better manage your time. Plan out study time and time for HW and create lists with the office hours of all your professors. Bring your planner with you everywhere. If you don’t like planners use a Calender App in conjunction with a to do list app like Any.Do to manage everything you need to do. There’s nothing worse than forgetting about an assignment or planning to work on homework the same time your club meets.

Know your Resources: Your school wants to do good so 9 times out of 10 they already have resources in place to provide you with extra help. Learn where they are, when they’re open, and how to use them. At my school, Winthrop, we have several places that can help you with your work. The main place is the Academic Success Center that offers free peer tutoring in every class that’s known to be difficult. Then both the Foreign Language, Math, and Chemistry Department all have their own tutoring labs. There’s also a Writing Center at my school that helps review documents for grammatical errors. That means they’re no excuse not to get an essay proofread before turning it in. All these places help with improving your grades. Every school is different, but don’t be afraid to ask for help because it could make the difference between a B and an A.

Ask Questions: Whether it’s in during class or during office hours, ask questions. If something in class is confusing you, ask about it. You don’t want to misunderstand something and then take that wrong information with you to an exam. You’re probably not the only person confused so you’ll be doing everyone a favor. Plus, asking questions is a good way to get your professor to know and remember you, which  helps when it comes to grading.

Read the Chapter before Class: This gives you a basis of information to expand on in class and makes class way smoother. This is really important in your more difficult classes because it gives you less to learn new material in class. Plus, you’ll actually have meaningful questions to ask in class and the professor will know you’re actually prepared, especially when you start a question with “I was reading in Chapter 6 and I didn’t understand what xy and z meant.” Your professor will be very impressed.

Ask Professor to review your work: You can do your assignments a week in advance and ask your professor to review it for you. That way you can make sure it’s done correctly and you’re not missing anything. This especially helps with essays because every professor’s expectations are different. Getting this extra help also shows that you care about your grade.

Avoid Procrastination: Don’t avoid doing your assignments because you know they will involve a lot of work. Instead, break your assignments into smaller pieces and set dates to finish each piece so it’s less intimidating. This prevents you from having to turn in a rushed, low quality or unfinished project and helps you maximize the best score possible.

Take HW Seriously: In most of my classes that gave me daily homework, which was mostly science and math classes, the homework problems mirrored the problems on my exams. This means if you’re not understanding the homework, you’re going to run into problems so make sure to fix these issues before your tests. Also, in a lot of my classes, the professor didn’t grade homework at all or only checked for completion. In those cases, go to the professor’s office hours and ask them to grade yours. That way, you know if you’re actually doing everything correctly.

Study the way that works for you: It is very hard to tell people how to study because we all have different preferences, but when you’re studying pay attention to what helps you and what distracts you. If friends distract you, study alone. If you need extra motivation to actually study, find a study partner or start a study group to help hold you accountable. If you’re tempted to fall asleep while studying, move somewhere outside of your room like the library, a bench or swing outside, Starbucks, the Bookstore, or any study room on Campus. Always bring snacks, a sweater, headphones, gum, or anything else that makes you more comfortable. Turn your phone on silent and put it face down so you can’t see when you get notifications. Other than those tips, just experiment with the different ways you can study. Utilize Quizlet, flashcards, practice tests, your old exams, quizzes, and homework as guides. If you feel your brain needs a break, get up and take a walk or move to a new location. Me and my friend Bri would often get up and take a few laps around the library when we felt we needed a break.

Final Tip: Get some Sleep! I fully believe in getting a good night’s rest. My freshman year I made sure I got 8 hours of sleep every night. I went to bed at 12 and woke up at 8 everyday Monday-Friday to get ready for my 9:30 classes. I think I may have done one all-nighter the whole year. I think sleep actually helps your mind retain information better, plus your brain works better when it gets rest. So instead of studying until 2 in the morning, I’d study as much as I could before midnight and then wake up slightly earlier to study some more. I could be wrong, but I really thinking getting enough sleep helped me perform better in class.

[collegeife]

Reblog and save a life!

[collegeife]

[collegeife]

[yournewapartment]

Hi guys! This might sound weird but do you have any tips for feeding yourself? For some reason now that I live on my own I’m awful at making sure I eat normally and it’s really affecting my energy and my mood. I don’t want to live off of fast food, but it can seem like making food or planning meals is too much sometimes? Anyway how can I make it convenient while still eating relatively healthy? Thanks!

Here are some posts for you to check out:

Cooking - Being Vegan

Cooking - Breakfast On the Go

Cooking - Bulk Meat

Cooking - Buying/Cooking Meat

Cooking - Buying/Cooking Vegetables

Cooking - College Cooking 101

Cooking - Meals Without Cooking

Cooking - Microwave Meals

Cooking - Vegan Foods

Cooking - Vegetables

Vegan - Inexpensive Vegan Food

Vegan - Vegan Blog Recommendations

These are all from our Index. I also try to post relatively cheap food recipes every single day. I tag these under #food. Check those out for more inspiration!