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angel-of-studying-blog · 6 years ago

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study tips: from me to me

I see a lot of posts with study tips for students new and old. A good few of them seem to be pretty good while others also seem to have unrealistic advice and unachievable standards. This is post is more of an exercise for me to acknowledge my weaknesses and strengths, and to figure out which study tips actually work for me. My study tips for myself may not apply to everyone since we’re all individuals with different preferences. Please, keep in mind that these study tips are directed towards myself, though I do hope they help other students.

Although, I do suggest everyone gives this exercise a try. Which study tips would you give yourself to be a better student, based on your previous school year?

Develop a routine

I crave routines, organisation, and structure. It helps me to keep a clear head and feel like I am in control of my choices and my performance.

It doesn’t matter if your class is early in the morning or late in the afternoon. Stick to a morning and evening routine. Develop a routine based on early morning classes and follow through even on weekends. By maintaining a routine adapted to early mornings, it makes it easier for me to wake up early and get stuff done. I have more time to be productive and schedule meetings with friends, doctors, study time, working out, etc. The plus side of having a routine is you get into the habit of doing homework or other tasks immediately. :)

Study full-time ≈ 40h/week

This is actually a tip I got from Jamie from TheStriveToFit on youtube. I don’t remember which video it was, but I’ll just write what I remember her saying. I recommend her youtube channel to all kinds of students, she has great advice whether you’re majoring in med or language or any other field. :)

Studying is a full-time occupation. Ordinarily, you might work 40 h a week, which means you should be studying 40 h a week. If you have a part-time job then you can subtract those hours from the 40 h total. Same thing goes for classes. For example, this week I have 10.5 hours of classes and no part-time job, which means I have 29.5 hours left to study this week. I like to use Google Calendar to schedule my classes and study hours. Having a flexible overview helps me to stay organised. I can even put in homework assignments and tasks in the calendar. Recommend 10/10.

No zero days

This is tip I saw a few years ago on tumblr somewhere and for me the concept works. I don’t remember who posted, but if you are out there, THANKS!!

A zero day is a day where you have done absolutely nothing (zero effort) to work towards your goal, and we want to avoid zero days. If you are just too drained or don’t have time to sit a few hours and study, then just do something small. Read the syllabus, read a page or even just a sentence from your textbook, write down main points/keywords, or even a mind map. Just do something. Anything. It can be small. Sometimes when I really don’t feel like studying, the hardest part is usually getting started. By committing to no zero days, I at least do something, and that usually gets things rolling for me. And whaddya know I can study for hours as long as I just GET STARTED.

Limit your electronic entertainment

Lately, I have been trying to limit my time on Netflix, HBO, and YouTube, in order to have more time to read and study. Yes, I am an adult now, but for me being an adult doesn’t mean binging on TV and not being responsible for my studies.

I decided to limit TV time to Fridays and Saturdays during 17:00-20:00 (5pm-8pm). Once that time is up, I do other things for entertainment. Reading, writing, drawing, studying if I feel like it, yoga, or I might even do a late workout. I also avoid my phone at all costs after 20:00. Staying away from my TV and phone gives my eyes a break and reduces the risk of headaches, (I get headaches when I stare at the screen too long).

Develop the habit of caring for yourself

This is a very generic tip, but also a very undervalued tip. We are creatures of habit. The habits we develop now in our teens and 20′s are what we will be carrying with us for most of our lives. Yes, it is possible to break habits, but it isn’t as common as you think. Focus on habits which will be beneficial to your health now and throughout your life.

When I sleep for 7-8 h I am more focused and motivated to study.

When I eat a healthy meal, I am giving my body the nutrition and energy it needs to take care of my cells.

When I exercise, I am stimulating the production of hormones to keep me happy and healthy, getting stronger, and I am improve my heart health.

You CANNOT live off of energy drinks and fast food. Please, stop glorifying fast food as a staple for a student diet. You can eat healthy on a student budget. Also, the concept of “treat yourself” shouldn’t be something you do everyday. Treating yourself can mean treating yourself to some extra calories one day, it doesn’t have to be a large pepperoni pizza, a hot fudge sundae, and a box of donuts. I have to admit, it sounds delicious, but sometimes it’s best to not have such an epic splurge. I do that only once every three months, but mostly when I treat myself, it’s something small that won’t have a negative impact on my diet focus.

Don’t pull all-nighters and stay up until the early hours cramming for an exam. I usually know when an exam is coming a few weeks in advanced and so do most students. This means you have plenty of time to schedule your studying so that you learn and understand enough to pass the exam. Failing an exam isn’t everything, but it sure is an inconvenience to arrange a retake exam. Also, the lack of sleep/irregular sleep pattern causes more harm than good.

That’s all I have for now. Feel free to share or message me on what your thoughts are :) Have a good day!

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angel-of-studying-blog · 6 years ago

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Tbh I’ve come to terms with the fact that I will never be one of those aesthetic studyblrs and that’s okay. I’ll do me and you do you ✌️

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angel-of-studying-blog · 6 years ago

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This was helpful and also made me pretty proud of myself because I finally figured most of this stuff out by myself this semester due to a LOT of trial and error, and what I’m doing seems to be working for me :)

Thank you for taking the time to write this all out!!!

Study Tips that Aren’t Bullshit

Ok. Listen. I just graduated college on time with two degrees, a minor, and a 3.9 GPA, and now that it’s back-to-school time for some of you folks (my grad program doesn’t start until September) I’ve been seeing some study tips that are half-useful but mostly bullshit. So I’m here to give you some tips for collegiate success as a person who was pretty successful in the collegiate realm.

1) The Three to One Rule is Useless

Here’s the truth. Some classes are going to require minimal effort. Some are going to require more than three hours of outside study time per credit. It’s not a good rule of thumb because different people have different skills and take different amounts of time to do shit. For organic chemistry, you might be spending more 9 hours per week studying (and according to the success rates of some of my peers, I recommend you spend at least that much time on o-chem). But there’s also, say, Oceanography. I took that class. I studied/put in work… maybe an hour per week, and it was a three credit class. But I also took a class that was 3 credits called 18th Century America, and I would say I probably put something like 10-15 hours per week doing the readings and assignments for that class. It just depends, you guys. Figure out what works for each class and then distribute your time accordingly (and don’t waste time studying for something you very obviously know and have already aced).

2) Study When You Can

Sometimes you have to cram. I don’t recommend it, but it happens. If you do, use the whole day before to go over stuff and test yourself. Do not do it the morning of, don’t do it right before the test. That is useless. If you have a good memory, you can study the night before/two days before.

That said, if memorization and improvisation aren’t your strong suits, do go over your notes at the end of each day, and if you don’t get something, as your prof or your TA or your friend who definitely knows what they’re doing. Talking about it will only help you remember it more.

Overall, study when you can find the time. Sometimes that means staying off twitter for a few minutes and reviewing your notes instead, but if you’re paying good money for higher education (and I assume you are), don’t waste it by never studying or blowing off an exam.

3) Manage Your Time, But…

Just because you manage your time to make school a priority does not mean that you should let the other things in your life fall by the wayside. People often forget basic self care when they put school before everything else. Remember to shower and brush your teeth and take a minute for yourself because life is a lot and school is just a small part of your life. You cannot let time management become a synonym for school > everything else. It just means that you need to spend all of your time wisely, whether that’s getting some socialization in there or eating dinner or doing homework or taking a shower.

4) You Are Allowed to Forget Stuff

Look. I recommend always having more than one writing utensil, but you can forget one day. You can forget a notebook or a textbook every once and a while. I did, and yet I succeeded with flying colors. Definitely try not to be rushed all the time, but don’t freak out if you grabbed the wrong notebook. Just take down notes and staple them into the right one, or however you do it.

Also, yeah, your college profs aren’t here to attend to your personal needs, but if you have a class on one side of the campus and only ten minutes to get to the class on the other side of the campus, see if you can leave early or let the prof know that you’re going to be a few minutes late because you can only cross a mile so fast. Professors are far more understanding than they let on (some of them aren’t, but they’re just dicks, and you’ll either have to deal with that or be prepared to challenge them).

And, of course, if you’re struggling, ask for help. Profs want you to succeed, actually, and if they don’t, then it might be time for a discussion with the chair of the department.

5) Stay Organized, Whatever That Means

Some people stay organized with color-coded pens, tabs, and a designer planner. Some people have the patience for bullet journals. Some people write their assignments down on their phones, or set a google/apple calendar alert. However you remember things, just remember them. What’s organized to you won’t be organized for someone else, and what’s organized for someone else might not look organized to you. There is no objective way to stay organized. I don’t recommend trying to store everything inside your head, but you’ll figure out what works for you.

6) You Don’t Always Need to Read/You Don’t Always Need to Take Notes

Some classes are really important, some are not; some textbooks are really useful, some are not; taking notes can be effective, or they could be useless to you by the time the exam or essay rolls around. I took very light notes for my Brit Lit class (and did 75% of the reading), my World Drama class (90% of the reading), my Monuments in History capstone (20% of the reading), and I got A’s in all of those classes. I took heavy notes for Biology and Western Mythology and read about half of what was assigned. I took no notes for my Anthropology of Sex & Reproduction class, but I read absolutely everything.

It will probably take you about three weeks to figure out your prof’s teaching style. If it’s an English class, you’re gonna need to read most of it. If it’s a science class, maybe not. If you only have a midterm and a final, and not tests i between those, you might want to keep the textbook handy. But different classes have different requirements, just like they do with the number of hours you spend studying. So you know, act accordingly.

7) Read The Assigned Chapter Before Class, But Don’t Read Ahead

Look, most profs are gonna tell you to read the chapter before class on Monday, or maybe they’ll give you until Wednesday, so you should read in advance. But unless a prof says to read ahead, you really don’t need to read ahead, especially if you have content-based reading quizzes. It just gets really confusing and getting ahead is only necessary when you know that otherwise you’ll get behind. I mean, read ahead if you want to, but know that you probably don’t have to.

8) Show Up, For Fuck’s Sake

Look, showing up is the easiest thing in the world. And I know what having those 8am/9am classes is like. I’ll admit, I didn’t show up half the time to my 9am freshman philosophy class, but I bet I wouldn’t have failed two tests if I’d shown up (I still got an A in the class, don’t worry, there were a lot of assignments and one test didn’t count for much). I just wanted to sleep. But if you show up and pay attention, you’re more than likely going to get a lot of out of the class.

Oh, and if your prof takes attendance. Show up. Especially if it’s a small class. Trust me, they’ll notice, and it will be so embarrassing.

But also, don’t sweat it if you’re sick one day or sleep through the alarm. It fucking happens, and like I’ve said before, profs are pretty understanding most of the time.

9) Take Notes However Works For You

Some people use that weird method of dividing the paper in half hot-dog style, and that’s fine. Some people scribble shit down that no one else can read. Don’t feel pressured to rewrite your notes unless you can’t understand them. Do not review right after class - give your brain some fucking time to process that shit. But maybe review in the next 48 hours, it’ll help you be ready for the next class.

10) Don’t Be On Your Phone

Unless you’re literally not learning anything. I spent more time in my Geography class on my phone or computer getting useful things done or playing games than I did actually learning anything from the professor. In my Asian History class, the teacher was mediocre at best, so my friend and I sat there in the front row and played hangman (which was kind of disrespectful but we were idiots at the time so). But if your grades slip because you’re on your phone and not paying attention, or if your teacher has to tell you more than once to get off your phone, you might have phone addiction. See someone about that, k?

11) Review? Maybe

If you choose to review your notes, do so in a quiet, calm, and un-rushed manner. Don’t just look at them - actually try to absorb them. Otherwise there’s no point in reviewing them.

12) Study When You Can

Wait, didn’t I already have this one? Yeah. But! I saw a thing that said study early and often, which is great if you can make the time, but the truth is that if you study too early you’ll forget everything, and if you study too often you likely won’t be able to focus on other things that require your attention. So study not too long nor too shortly before the exam, and don’t study so much that your brain explodes. Give yourself a break. Have a kit-kat.

13-14) Flashcards? Mnemonic Devices?

Use them if they work for you, and maybe try color coding them. That can help with memorization. But if they don’t work for you, don’t use them.

15) Don’t Rewrite Your Notes

Unless you can’t read them. Then definitely either rewrite them or type them up, so that they’re actually usable.

16) Consolidate

This suggestion was actually pretty okay. Making lists and/or tables or whatever can really help, especially if you’re a visual learner. But if they don’t help you, don’t use them, because then it’s just a waste of your time.

17) Teach It To Someone Else

Yeah, this one is good, too. But make sure the person you’re explaining it to doesn’t have a lot of background knowledge, because it’s being able to explain it correctly to someone who hasn’t heard it before that really counts.

18) Is There Even Such a Thing as a Good Study Environment?

Some people can’t study on their own. I sure have a hard time of it, especially because I get distracted on my own. For me, studying with others for exams has saved my grade. But there are times or assignments that are best done on your own.

What I will say, is that when you study with other people, sometimes it’s best to study with your friends who are studying something else. My friend Breea and I had completely different majors and classes, but we made the best study partners because she could explain science to me and I could explain anthropology and history to her, and that’s how we knew we were good to go.

19) Sleeeeeeeeeep. Plan. Deal.

Get a good night’s sleep before an exam and try not to be late. Mean profs will not let you make up a missed exam. Good profs will, even if it was just a traffic jam. But generally speaking, try to prepare for all worst case scenarios when you have an assignment due.

20) Ask. Questions. Jesus. Christ.

Look if you get something wrong, don’t be embarrassed or ashamed. Ask why you got it wrong, and if you think you did something right but the TA or prof just graded it wrong, feel free to point out their mistakes (in private, though, not in front of the class). Go to office hours and make use of that time, or make an appointment with a prof so that you don’t have to skip class to go to office hours.

21) Midterms and Finals Are Different. Or Not.

Ask your prof at the beginning if the final will be cumulative. If it is, keep reviewing that midterm material through the end of the class. If not, feel free to forget most of the stuff from the midterm and earlier. Each prof is different and some finals aren’t even exams, they’re papers or projects. So, you know, plan accordingly.

22) Don’t Keep Your Fucking Textbooks

Look, unless you fell in love with a text (happens to English majors), sell back your books. And after a few weeks (or once the next term starts) throw out your notes, especially if you can’t read them or if they’re for a class you had to take for university credit but didn’t actually need for your major.

SELL. THOSE. BOOKS. I can’t say it enough, you won’t make much, but it’ll be nice to get that lunch after finals are over. But remember, don’t sell the book until you’ve taken/turned in the final.

23) Talk to People!

I saw something that said not to discuss grades/quizzes/tests/exams with classmates. Fuck that. I mean, try not to talk about it before the exam starts or whatever, but fucking talk about that shit. In my Mediterranean Archaeology class, we all talked about the readings before class on Fridays because we had a reading quiz and no fucking idea what the reading was about (those were some of the hardest readings ever). It was really helpful to discuss and summarize to make sure we got the point of the article. Also, like, if you’re comfortable with sharing grades, do, and if you’re not, don’t. It’s your grade, you can do whatever you want with it.

Also, if you’re unsure about something, you can ask a classmate. That’s probably a better first resource than a prof, who will get annoyed, especially if you didn’t do the reading.

THAT’S IT.

Well, I hope this fucking helps. This was basically how I survived college, except add a lot of caffeine. Every major is different, some things are universal. So. You know. Go ham.

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angel-of-studying-blog · 6 years ago

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My Study Habits; awareness of what works for me and what doesn’t.

I need to be at a desk. If I’m on the bed or couch it’s like my brain refuses to do work.

I need to have water at my side while I’m doing homework or studying. I eat when I’m stressed, procrastinating, or bored, and drinking water instead is a good way to keep that bad habit at bay.

Rewriting notes doesn’t actually help me that much.

Reading the assigned readings is so so so important for me. I need to remember that I don’t actually have to read in depth and analyze, but that sometimes simply skimming will do the trick. Skipping readings screws me over though.

Notes are good most of the time. But don’t write down stuff I don’t need. They don’t need to look pretty.

In fact, trying to make my notes pretty detracts from my mental energy reserve and makes me not want to do the things I actually need to do. Plus it puts this pressure on me like from that point on, I HAVE to have pretty notes. Like who cares if they’re pretty.

To-do lists are everything. I need them to function.

Routines are important. When I abandon them, my life spirals out of control for like a whole week and makes me behind on a bunch of stuff.

I need to clean out my backpack and folders more often. It gets heavy and hurts my back, which is bad since I already have back problems.

Don’t depend on that extra 30 minutes I have every morning to get stuff done. My friends usually distract me, so just get it done on time.

Paying attention is class is the thing that helps me most. I also need to participate, because that is almost a sure way to do well in the class.

Writing down questions I have, like in math, is a Good Thing. A really Good Thing.

I’m not a physical Planner person. Like, writing stuff down everything on paper doesn’t work for me because I can’t just change it easily like I can on Google Keep.

Don’t try to be Aesthetic. It’s draining and pointless.

Don’t force myself to maintain a blog or whatever because feeling obligated to do unnecessary things stresses me out.

Flash cards are actually really useful for me. Huh.

My schedule is pretty full on Mondays and Wednesdays. That’s why I should get started on my homework pretty soon after I get home, if not immediately.

Planning out the things I’m going to do the night before with a quick list really helps keep me on track.

I need to take advantage of all my free periods. Instead of talking to my friends, I should just shove my earbuds in and keep my mouth shut and focus on my work.

For two years, I had myself convinced I didn’t need much sleep to function. I was so wrong. Sleep makes all the difference. Not getting enough sleep for one night can screw up my entire week as I try to ply catch-up, so I need to start thinking ahead. I need to teach myself that sleep is the biggest priority. It lets me focus in school, absorb knowledge, as remember it better. Plus it keeps me out of awkward situations since I don’t have control over myself when I’m tired. And it makes me look and feel better. Just remember that feeling of exhaustion and almost dozing off during an important lesson.

Deadlines are what motivate me.

Study groups aren’t very effective for me, especially in math. I need time to sit down and think about stuff at my own pace, I don’t like being rushed and being distracted by chaos and people talking.

BUT they can be effective IF I take the lead and do the actual teaching. I can’t listen to other people, especially peers, review stuff. I need to be the one explaining, but that requires knowing the knowledge before hand. So basically, I should only count on study groups for review. I’ve found the groups effective for history. Sometimes biology (again, know the material). Math not really, but maybe if I was sure about the material.

Writing things down helps me. Sometimes I just need to sit down and visualize my ideas and put it down on paper so I can see it physically.

Maybe I should try mindmaps ^

Maybe I should also give Cornell-style notes a shot. I’ve only done outline-style so far.

Do assignments in pencil. I get sloppy and careless for some reason when I use pen and I’m dissatisfied with how it looks.

All the stuff in my backpack has to be organized in a specific way, that way my stuff stays intact and I have peace of mind. Same with the stuff in my pencil pouch.

I love sticky notes.

Coffee is a good last resort, but try not to get addicted to it or depend on it. Sleep is better anyway.

I need breakfast or else my stomach will hurt and I’ll be distracted.

Drinking water in the morning helps me stay focused and keeps headaches away.

Speaking of headaches, I tend to get them often, especially when I have less than six hours of sleep (GET SLEEP) and when I’m dehydrated. Keep Advil on hand.

I need to sit in the front. I hate the back. The middle is okay...but the front is the best. Okay, maybe second row.

If I get sleep, I focus better in school and do better on homework and tests. If I do that, I know what I’m doing. If I know what I’m going, people notice and praise me. I look smart. I LIVE for that. When I get that feedback, I do get motivated. When I’m motivated I sleep better. It’s a whole cycle and SLEEP is what makes it all happen.

Deleting all my social media apps is how I keep myself from procrastinating, and I don’t even like social media so it’s easy for me.

My main distractors are YouTube and Webtoon. I need to do something about that.

I’m more of a reward than punishment person.

If I’m currently watching a show I love, I tend to let it take over my life and then I don’t do my homework and I get behind. BUT I also can and do use shows and movies to either reward myself or look forward to as a break. What I do with 20 minutes episodes is I try to get 2 or 3 things done. With longer episodes, I bunch together more assignments on my to-do list. With movies, I try to get everything done and then I watch them.

My dog distracts me. I spontaneously cuddle with him, telling myself I’ll only play with him for 5 minutes, but then it’s 15 or 20 minutes later and I’m only then finishing up. I should practice self-control.

I can only work upstairs at the kitchen table when my whole family isn’t home. When they are, I can’t focus, so I should work downstairs instead. I get distracted downstairs too, but I’m working on it. That chair really hurts my back though. I should get a new one.

Putting a blanket around my shoulders puts me to sleep. Don’t do it while working.

Sometimes I don’t want to do work so my brain pretends to be tired and I tell myself I’ll only nap for 15/20 minutes but it always ends up being like way over an hour. Just push through it or make coffee instead.

I get sloppy and lazy in my PJs, so over the weekends I should change into something once I wake up so I don’t waste my weekend and I actually get things done.

I should try to get stuff done on Fridays mostly and some on Saturday, because when I leave everything for Sunday, I rush and do a poor job.

Making a physical schedule for my classes helps me.

Sometimes I don’t want to do homework if I can’t listen to music while I do it. Like with watching assigned videos, or reading textbooks. But I need to get over it and somehow get it through my head that I’m making it worse than it is.

On days I don’t feel motivated, I should make some sort of reward. Whether it’s taking a walk with my friend, watching something, reading something, eating something, sleeping, relaxing, etc.

Maybe I should schedule some crying-time for myself. Just to relieve stress and anxiety.

Under-wire bras are uncomfortable and distract me in class.

The main ways I learn: paying full attention

How I should study for math (after learning the hard way): practicing the problems by doing them is more important than looking over all the notes. Do the practice packets and focus on the problems she says to focus on. BUT Indo still need to look at the notes beforehand, or else I’ll act crazy and feel like I’m not doing it right and start going insane. So I need to really have some self control for about a week before finals and split up the notes I need to review. Because looking over the notes let’s me see everything we learned and reminds me about stuff I forgot.

I’m a visual learner. Then a kinesthegic learner. I’m definitely not an aural learner, but I can maybe work on that?

The main ways I learn: paying full attention in class, participating, doing the homework, asking questions. A bit of studying for tests included.

I have to actively pay attention and really try to absorb stuff and process it at the same time as I’m paying attention. Especially for math and the sciences. Not really for history, and definitely not for English.

When I get home, reviewing my math notes from that day’s lesson just really quickly before I do the assignment helps me learn it and understand it and remember it.

I once tried to briefly review a week’s math notes every day before doing an assignment in order to do better on the math test and I think I did better.

Listening to music while I do math doesn’t distract me 99.9999% of the time.

But it does with reading things like textbooks.

Listening to music while reading textbooks because I don’t want to stop listening to music is way less effective than hardcore skimming through a textbook without music because I wanna get back to music. When I listen to music while reading, I take nothing in, it drags out longer, and I get distracted. When I don’t listen to music, sure I’m bored a bit, but I take everything in, I don’t get nearly as distracted, and I finish quicker. I should try to not just skim though (but if I can’t help it, then yeah, even just skimming is better).

Highlighting doesn’t always help me. In fact, it rarely does since I only use it for the aesthetic. I should try utilizing it better.

I’m good at English and can write essays easily, so that’s let me get lazy and not look to improve my writing. I feel like because of this, it’s been stagnant. I should challenge myself.

When I have had teachers, I should try to not use that as an excuse to do poorly and instead put more effort in.

Talking during class is disrespectful and doesn’t help me. I don’t usually do it, but I do when I’m tired or in a class I don’t like.

Audionyms are so useful to me, but ONLY when they have the accompanying images.

Do the damn extra credit, dumbass.

Don’t waste my free periods.

If I know I have a lot of homework, but I have plans, I should do some homework beforehand.

I didn’t realize how valuable and useful practice tests and questions are, but they really are and I should start taking advantage of them when I have them.

Don’t waste time making quizlets if you can find ones that already exist.

Physical flash cards are more effective for me. They require me to go through them less than digital ones. I’ve proved this to myself. But if I want some quick review I can use quizlet.

Study guides are great.

Getting homework done in classes like English is great because then I don’t have to worry about those stupid little assignments and can focus on more important things.

I don’t really like doing my math homework around other people because I like silence and peace so I can really focus on it and take my time with it.

Sometimes I use that ^ as an excuse to not do anything, when really I should just do different homework.

I have all these little processes and routines that I find therapeutic and a good way to get myself in the zone for homework: setting up the lines on my graph paper for my math homework, cutting my flash cards, making a to do list, getting all my stuff out in a particular order and the same with putting it away.

I also use a lot of alarms.

Taking notes during classes like math and science saves my life.

Drawing stuff for math and science in my notes helps.

Don’t waste time rewriting nooootes.

Notes for History are useful, but not always necessary. Math notes are unquestionably necessary, same for the sciences (like Biology). English notes are whatever, and I only write them because they’re required.

I memorize physical notes easier, but if a teacher talks fast, computers might be more useful. Maybe I can rewrite it physically at home. That would probably be the only time that rewriting notes is good for me. And I can do stuff like drawing diagrams on the side if I do computer notes and then combine the two.

Usually I don’t like checking my answers on tests because I’ll change it and get it wrong when I could have gotten it right, but math is the exception.

Most days I have a few hours at home before my sister gets home, and that’s the best time to get homework done because it’s quieter.

Before high school, I didn’t have to study. It was a rough transition, and it took me two entire years to realize that I had to get off my ass and actually put effort into school. This semester I figured out a lot of things about how my brain works, how I learn, what I need, and how to utilize all of these things. I put in a lot of effort, and looking back, I think I mostly did my best. I feel satisfied with it.

I do better when I have a lot on my plate because I know I can’t mess around, whereas I get lazy and form very destructive habits when I only have a few things to do. I need multiple hard classes at a time instead of just one. I need at least two that require a lot of effort/time or are difficult, at least one fun or easy class, and about two classes that are somewhere in the middle.

I’m an extremely competitive person. This is also what motivates me.

Surrounding myself with smart and hardworking friends pushes me to be the same (but also to be smarter and harder working than them, shhh)

I’m a natural leader, so when I’m in group projects I always end up being the one taking charge and delegating tasks/reminding people.

Also I’m not a fan of group projects if I can’t choose who I work with.

I like making some sort of visual for upcoming events because it makes me less stressed to know exactly when an event is coming up and how it’s oriented around other events.

I’m really good at memorizing things, but usually for short-term things. That’s useful for unit/module tests, but not for things like finals. Luckily, I don’t have to relearn the material, I just have to review it. Maybe to prevent having to cram, I should do more frequent reviews in shorter bursts over the semester.

I need to fully understand things like math and science to feel comfortable. I can kind of shrug off history and English if I’m not solid on a topic.

I developed a growth mindset at the beginning of this year because I was sick of my old school habits.

I’m an optimist/realist.

I’m not superstitious buuuuut, if I get cocky about a test, I usually end up disappointing myself. It’s best to just go in neutral because that way I’m not stressed or anxious or excited, I’m just sitting down and my brain is functioning normally at the best of its ability.

I’ve come to learn that time speeds up the month of finals week.

I find it really useful when a teacher demonstrates the lesson or does the problems with us.

#my post #studyblr

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angel-of-studying-blog · 7 years ago

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Last semester, I made the transition from listening to lyrical music when I study to listening to background noise. I found that I became much more productive and engaged in my work when I wasn’t distracted by what I was listening to.

nature noises

rain

rain on a tent

tropical island

ocean waves

deep sea

thunderstorm at sea

blizzard

fire

swamp

cave

forest

farm

unnatural noises

cafe

restaurant

airport

airplane cabin

potion shop

train / train + rain

white noise

office

fandom noises

harry potter playlist

game of thrones playlist

lord of the rings playlist

gaming playlist

star wars playlist

supernatural playlist

bioshock playlist

overwatch playlist

doctor who playlist

fallout 4 playlist

destination noises

new york

paris cafe / paris + rain

london / 19th century london

seattle

las vegas casino

disneyland

italy

#playlists

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angel-of-studying-blog · 7 years ago

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1/5 back to school 2017 masterposts

school is starting soon (or has already started) and i also wanted to somehow thank you guys for 7k in a way other than the usual blog rate or blog awards. keep a look out for the other 4!

this is a collab with @studyruels. his masterpost is on making an aftetschool routine which you can check out here!

now, i’m naturally a morning person. i just am, and i always have been. no matter how late i go to bed my body thinks it’s a great idea to noT sleep in and wake up at 6 am every day (’: here are a few things i do to make it a little easier and enjoy my mornings!

1. GO TO BED EARLY. this is honestly a no brainer but STOP SPENDING HOURS ON YOUR PHONE WTH like it’s so harmful for your eyes and your mind and your brain and your body will thank you in the morning when your eyes aren’t burning with exhaustion.

1.a. when i decided to stop being an irresponsible smol child who tried to stay up every night, i started setting alarms for going to sleep. so like at 9:00 (ok ik thats pretty early but thats usually when i go to bed), or maybe that’ll be like 10:00 or 10:30 for you so that you can go to bed around 11. but anyways, when you hear this alarm, it’s time to get off of your phone or laptop (-: send your gn streaks and texts, close insta (log out if u have to), and shut it all down. soon after, you will start to notice how tired you actually are without all that blue light distracting you !!!

2. read! this is a personal favorite just because i’m a huge nerd but reading right before bed is just killing 2 birds with one stone: you’re exercising your mind and subconsciously improving your writing skills (vocabulary and grammar) while making yourself very tired!! if you think reading, especially at night, is boring, you aren’t reading the right books for you. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

3. prepare yourself for the morning so it seems less dreadful. OPEN YOUR BLINDS BEFORE BED JUST DO IT OMG you will wake up with the sun. do a little miniclean of your room before bed so you’re not waking up to yesterday’s disaster. make your coffee the night before and leave it in the fridge if you like it iced in the morning. plan out what you’re going to wear tomorrow, as well as your lunch. shower (so u sleep better and/or dont have to do it in the morning) and brush your teeth. pamper yourself. set up fairy lights. just do anything that will cause you to wake up and go “jeez glad i did that last night; now i have more time and peace of mind”.

4. find something to look forward to in the morning. this might be going to get coffee or tea with a friend in the morning, getting to wear the cute outfit and eat the delicious lunch that you prepped last night, or remembering that you’re going to see a movie after school. whatever it may be, let it motivate you to get up and start your day as soon as possible.

5. turn off/disable snooze. do it. if your alarm app can’t do this, install an app that can. i also like to set up my alarm so that i have to do some challenging mental math to turn it off.

5.a. make your alarm something that will cause you to get up. it doesn’t necessarily have to be something really annoying. it can be something upbeat and light that puts you in a good mood for the day. however, if you’re a really heavy sleeper then you might want to make it some obnoxious and loud sound so that you will be motivated just to get out of bed and turn it off.

6. put your phone across the room. we’ve all heard of this one but most of us are too lazy to do it. at night, when you whip out that book, log off all your social media and then put your phone somewhere so far that you’ll have to physically get out of bed and turn off the alarm.

7. make your bed suit your aesthetic. this derives from the basic “make your bed” tip. sure, you can make your bed, and sure, it might motivate you to not get back in. but if you really struggle with this, buy one of those prepackaged bed sets that has a nice color scheme. once you make your bed, you’re not going to want to ruin that aesthetic tbh

8. keep a consistent sleep schedule, even on the weekends!! i’m not saying you have to wake up at 6 am even on saturdays, but don’t go from waking up at 6 to waking up at 12. maybe push your wake up time to 8:30 or 9 latest on the weekends. as you get used to waking early (and sleeping early, too!) you can slowly push back your weekend wake up time earlier and earlier until it’s almost identical to the time you wake up when you have school.

i hope this helps! good luck with this school year, everyone!

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angel-of-studying-blog · 7 years ago

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making it through high school

i’m graduating this week and i wanted to make a post of advice (academic, social, and self care) that i learned throughout high school

academic

if you have a bad teacher, read/take your own notes on the textbook! it can be tedious but it pays off on the test, since the test is most likely going to be based on the book.

do your homework and do it well. even if assignments are only 20% of your grade, doing your homework will help you so so so much on test day.

on that note, do your homework as soon as you can after school. get it over with and just think about how much more relaxed you’ll feel when it’s done (you might have to literally force yourself- just tell yourself you only have to work for five minutes, and once you start you’ll want to finish it)

don’t buy so many new school supplies!! buy a few of those Mead refillable notebooks or their flexible binders, some highlighters, and a pack of muji 0.7 pens on amazon and you should be covered.

start thinking about post high school plans early- whether it’s 2 year college, 4 year college, military, starting work, etc.

unless it’s a big project, stop doing ur homework at midnight and just go to bed. not all nights are going to be easy, but you should try to make cramming homework late at night an occasional thing

social

be loyal to your friends, you’ll be happy to have good friends later on

don’t date someone if you know you shouldn’t!!!

watch how much you drink if you go party- make it your goal to not throw up (also there’s no point if you don’t remember the night)

leave people that make you sad, it isn’t worth the drama or heartbreak

^^^ also avoid drama as much as possible (AKA don’t talk shit, don’t start shit, don’t take shit)

these are my three commandments for getting over a shitty relationship: 1) unfollow 2) block 3) delete. use them (unfollow on social media, block them so they don’t see what you post, and delete old photos and conversations. phones/social media make it so much harder to get over someone)

be friendly to everyone! you don’t need to be friends with everyone, but just be nice. high school is already hard, don’t make it worse

self care

S L E E P

find a hobby outside of school- it can be an extracurricular or just something you do at home. but find something you love (things to try: guitar/piano! learn another language online! reading! skateboarding! weight training/body scupting! running! art! etc!)

read outside of school, learn outside of school

hang out with relatives/family more. you might get annoyed by your parents at this point, but remember that you’re like the biggest thing that has happened to them. hang out with your siblings/ cousins, ask your grandparents about their childhoods and culture before it’s too late. (unless your family is abusive, this piece of advice is more for people like me whose family was good but i treated my parents badly and my grandparents died before i could get to know them. it’s just me)

make sure you eat something fresh every day- i know it’s hard to eat healthily when you’re a teenager and your friends always get mcdonalds, but jus make sure you have some fruit/vegetables every day

get a small job if you can, it feels good to make your own money. save as much as you can of it! (my rule was save hundreds, spend tens. so if i got $447 on a paycheck, i’d save $400 and spend $47. you really dont need to be spending that much at this point, saving will do more good)

there is obv. more advice you could be given, but these are some of the most important things i’ve learned throughout high school. learn from my mistakes pls and good luck!! it goes by fast

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angel-of-studying-blog · 7 years ago

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Handwritten Note-Taking Methods

The appearance and organization of my notes plays a huge role in the amount of time that I dedicate to studying and my overall performance on tests. Therefore, I’ve spent the past several years experimenting with various methods, and these are a few of the techniques that I’ve found to be most beneficial.

Cornell Method

The Cornell Method emphasizes identifying the key points of a textbook passage or lecture and consolidating information as much as possible.

I’ve found that this style works best for literature and science courses that require extensive, dense reading and note-taking. It allows me to easily and quickly identify what I understand versus what I still need to work on.

Adapted Cornell Method

I’ve created my own adaptation of the Cornell Method by eliminating the summary section at the bottom of the page and incorporating Post-It notes throughout the body of the page to highlight lists and key points. And, of course, I had to add some color!

Outline

This is, by far, my favorite method due to its flexibility and clean, minimalist appearance. While the image above doesn’t depict a true series of bullets at varying levels of indentation, you can experiment with different types of bullet points as well as varying spacing.

I prefer using this method for maths because it allows sufficient space for me to draw graphs, record examples, and solve problems.

Mind-Maps

Mind-maps are extremely helpful for organizing complex or extremely confusing topics. There’s no right or wrong way to go about drawing one, and much of the final appearance will be related to the material that you’re diagramming. Keep in mind that certain topics and information will more readily lend itself to this sort of portrayal.

For those of us who aren’t artistically talented 🙋🏼, these can be rather challenging to construct, especially when working with unfamiliar material. In the past, I’ve used mind-maps for history when looking at isolated events or individuals.

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angel-of-studying-blog · 7 years ago

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bad study/school habits to drop

like seriously, drop them asap.

they’re toxic and prevent you from being productive and doing your best. change won’t come right away, but do your best to stop these bad habits.

comparing yourself to others. in anything, we tend to compare ourselves to others even though we know how unhealthy it is. stop comparing yourself to your friends and classmates because everyone works in different ways at different paces.

complaining. i get it. nobody wants to write multiple essays or do fifty math problems. it’s either you do it or you don’t. if you don’t do it, there’s nothing to complain about. if you do the assignment, why complain if you know you’ll finish it anyway ? complaining is counterproductive and honestly quite annoying.

being negative. “i’m gonna fail this test.” “i can’t do it.” everyone says these things to themselves, including me. sometimes i’ll say “i don’t understand anything” even though i’ve barely tried. speak your success into existence and put in the work. believe in yourself or at least accept the situation if you didn’t prepare enough so you can do your best.

cramming. if you know you have a test on friday, start studying a few days before. rather than spending a whole 3 hours studying the night prior, study in smaller increments several days beforehand. take your time to understand the concepts. cramming stresses the body by trying to force memorization which usually doesn’t end up well.

going out when you have homework. i get it. you want to hang out with your friends, but you really should get your work done. make an effort to finish most/all of your work before you go out. personally, the fact that i have work to do lingers in the back of my mind which lowkey stresses me when i’m trying to have fun. who wants that ?

procrastinating. you all know why you shouldn’t do it so there’s really nothing to say. it’s one of the worst habits to have, and i hope we can all work towards getting rid of it.

p.s. thank you to everyone who disagreed with my advice but gave me feedback in a polite way. i’ll keep editing slightly because i usually write these at the end of a long day so sometimes my intended meaning doesn’t get across to some people.

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angel-of-studying-blog · 7 years ago

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50 Reasons Why You Should Study

Need motivation?

To get an education.

To earn a degree. There are barely any jobs that offer positions to people without a degree, or are on the path of obtaining one.

To prove people wrong. That science teacher that said you’ll never make it in the medical field? Make him eat his words.

To prove yourself wrong. Every student has doubts on whether or not they can be good enough in the classroom. Prove yourself wrong, and always be better than you were yesterday.

This is a privilege. Regardless of how much you believe that you HAVE to do this, to some extend you don’t. Realize that you have the privilege of an education even being an option for you.

Take advantage of what you’re capable of. Don’t waste a perfectly intelligent mind.

More money. That degree can do wonderful things to your bank account in the future.

It’s interesting. Studying can get pretty boring, but there are always those topics that spark your curiosity and motivate you to learn more.

It’s attractive. Not everyone cares for someone who is academically gifted, but a partner who is eager to learn makes me eager to take my pants off.

It’s useful. That random fact that you read in a random textbook can stick with you and really end up helping you out one day.

It’s fun to know useless shit sometimes.

To make your parents proud. This is one of the main reasons I study. My parents have always been aware of my capabilities and have pushed me to be academically better every year. They know I have big dreams, and I just want to achieve them so they can know that their child made it.

To make myself proud. This goes along with number four. Knowing that you accomplished something, however small or big the thing may be, is a huge self-esteem booster.

To be independent. There’s nothing quite like knowing that you don’t need someone else’s job, degree, intelligence, or presence to make you successful.

To pursue your passion.

To gain knowledge. Whether its in your field, or a completely different one, being knowledgeable is just downright fun.

People will look up to you. Your siblings, your best friends, and your classmates may see you consistently studying, and it could motivate them to do the same.

To make a name for yourself. “Oh yeah, (insert name here), I know them. Aren’t they like really successful now?”

To become your own role model.

To be able to pay off your student loans.

Because the long nights and excessive coffee will all be worth it. Even if it doesn’t seem like it now.

To exercise your brain. Your brain is just like a muscle, and like the body it needs to be exercised.

To improve your hippocampus. Your hippocamus is responsible for memory, and if you study your memorization will become significantly better.

To not waste time doing useless stuff.

Because stationary is amazing. I could spend a whole paycheck on just pens.

Because notes are actually all so pretty.

To be productive. I used to spend a lot of time on social media, and although I still do, the amount of time I spend studying and getting stuff done has definitely increased.

So classes will be easier.

So tests will be easier.

To impress your professors. Get those letters of recommendation!

So the anxiety of getting a bad grade is sufficiently decreased. I constantly worry about my grades, but studying has helped me not worry so much.

Because coffee exists.

There is no other atmosphere quite like the inside of a library.

So you won’t have to retake a class. Failing a prerequisite for your major really sucks, so maybe try not failing the first time around. This also saves you a lot of money because you won’t have to pay for the class again.

Finals week won’t suck as bad. You’ll be used to studying so when finals week comes around it wont nearly be as stressful as for those students who are now opening a textbook.

You won’t go to as many college parties. Don’t get me wrong, I am all for socializing and having fun, but a lot can go wrong at a college party very quickly. And there’s no better way to prevent that, than just not going to the party cause you’re reading your economics textbook.

You’ll get used to FOMO. Fear of Missing Out. Every teenagers nightmare. Eventually, you’ll get used to the feeling.

You’ll be getting the most out of your college experience. You’re paying for these classes. Might as well try your best to pass.

You’ll get used to not getting enough sleep. So, if you decide to go to grad school you’ll have that department covered.

There’s really good study music out there.

I guarantee there will be at least 5 places on campus, or around you that are perfect for studying, and you’ll want to go there everyday.

You’ll become a pro at writing essays, or lab reports.

You’ll learn fairly quickly that study groups rarely work.

You’ll make a lot of friends that are just as passionate about studying as you are. And you will cherish them.

Beauty and Brains. Don’t you want to fit that description?

Thousands of students before you have done it, so you can too.

You can run a studyblr. Aren’t they the cutest?

You get really good at time management.

Sleep becomes 5x more satisfactory after a night of studying.

Because you want to. There’s no better motivation for studying, than the motivation that comes from within.

#motivation

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angel-of-studying-blog · 7 years ago

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how I keep myself sane during summer break.

I think we can all agree that the mere idea of having holiday breaks from boring lectures and all-nighter study sessions sounds like heaven; although this romanticized idea of having so much free time often turns into wasted summer days, oversleeping, and basically an anti-social teenage version of house arrest. so, to help you out (or, more to help Myself) here are some things I do to keep myself busy, on a budget (kind of), and mentally healthy during long breaks from school.

continue your morning routine. this is important; by this I mean to basically treat your summer mornings as you would your school mornings, without the rush and alarm. brush your teeth, brush your hair, start/continue a skincare routine, get out of your pajamas and into real clothes, make your bed, make some coffee, eat some breakfast, do it with some music on, whatever you want. this keeps your mind and body into a daily routine. don’t let all your precious no-class mornings of summer go to waste!

savor sleeping in, but not too much. I know its super tempting to go to bed at like 2 AM and wake up the next “morning” at 12PM, but trust me, you’ll regret fucking up your sleep schedule once you actually have to set an alarm and get your ass to class next fall. I’m not saying you should force yourself to set a summer alarm (although, if you really want to train yourself this isn’t a bad idea tbh) but for the love of god, at least go to sleep and wake up at reasonable times. don’t waste your entire day!!

force yourself to see your friends a couple times a week, even if you really don’t want to. obviously this excludes mental health days, but I’ve found that spending time with my friends actually distracts me from any anxiety I’ve felt during the past week. I love my alone time, but human interaction is super important both mentally and physically. as college students we’re all pretty much broke, so don’t underestimate the power of free things- watching netflix at someone’s house, having a boardgame night, going to parks, you name it. as long as you’re with your friends, you’ll have a great time!

clean out your music library + make a playlist or two. y’all know I love a good playlist. this is something totally 100% FREE, and a perfect way to make use of your free time. delete all the stuff you don’t listen to anymore and make a few playlists of your favorite songs, or even go with playlist themes to organize your songs. it’s fun and your future self will probably thank you later for getting rid of so much audible junk.

get back into reading. this is something that was on my personal summer to-do list. I haven’t read a book for myself (aka not for a class) in sooo long, and let me tell you- I don’t know why I ever stopped reading. I know for a fact that once the semester starts I’ll have zero free time to read for myself, so summer is the perfect time to get into a new book or two!

eat your three meals a day +hydrate. I mean this. its very easy to skip/forget meals when you really don’t have any set schedule whatsoever, so plan your meals into your day. even make an alarm if its necessary. also: if you don’t know if you’re drinking enough water, you probably aren’t.

deep clean your room/workspace/closet. I’m super guilty for putting this off but, long breaks like summer are the perfect times to deep clean! what makes it easier for me to clean my room is to go section by section, which means not doing it all in a day (because that gets hella overwhelming and stressful, let me tell you). grab a garbage bag, put on some tunes, and pick a section to clean that day; you’ll be done with the entire space in no time!

outfit plan. for someone like me who has way too much in my closet and somehow still “never has anything to wear”, this is essential! set some outfits out on the floor/bed and take pics of them on your phone so that you can look back on them for some style inspo the next time you have “absolutely NOTHING to wear”.

find a new hobby, even if you’re bad at it. make some collages of your friends, make a scrapbook, learn photoshop, paint a little, learn how to sew, garden, cook, practice your phone photography skills… if there was a time for you to try out new things, it’s NOW.

make a post about all the shit you should do. I’m doing it right now. literally. you’re reading it right now. its not a bad idea.

if you know you have shit to do, plan it into your day! this is where the planner/agenda/bullet journal aspect comes in. having no class and no homework is not an excuse to stop planning out your day, your week, or your month. make some task lists and pencil in your dentist appointments and dates with people and whatnot; and even journal your days while you’re at it! if you’re a planner, never stop. Future You will thank you for it, I promise.

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