lonerlearns

[lonerlearns]

journaling ideas: writing prompts

summarize your day; what did you do? how did you feel

lists lists lists

shows + movies you’d like to watch

books you’d like to read

concerts you’d love to go to

bucket list vacation ideas

new projects to start

recipes

write about your ideal day (or date)

write out your favorite song lyrics

write a letter to someone that you’d never actually send them

inspo boards; print out photos from pinterest + create collages

home inspo

study inspo

food inspo

vent + let out any thoughts

[lonerlearns]

introduction!

hi! my name is phoebe, i am 16, i am from the uk and i am just about to go into year 12 (help)

i created this blog a while ago and meant to use it in year 11 while i was doing my gcses but i never really had the time or motivation, and then miss rona went and cancelled them :))))))))))))))))))))))))

over lockdown i have been watching a lot of studytube videos and going on studyblr and studygram a lot which have motivated me to put more effort into my work and revision than i did at gcse so i thought i would actually post more on here! (cut to me in 6 months crying over my workload having not posted a single thing ahah) im honestly quite excited and motivated so hopefully i can keep that up going into year 12 :)

i have spent a LOT of time trying to decide my a levels and i have changed my mind about 10 billion times and sometimes i’m even unsure about what school i want to go to ahahahahah but i think im mostly decided on the subjects i want to study which are…. *drumroll*

politics, spanish and religious studies! (and maybe an epq)

this is because im not completely sure what i want to do in the future so i thought i would keep my options open and pick subjects that i am interested in and i’m honestly quite excited to start them :)

please tell me if i’ve made a terrible mistake ahah

if you’ve made it this far down the post, thank you, and please follow me for (hopefully) more content! :)

[lonerlearns]

23/4/2020 | 33/60 Days of Productivity | 2020 Quarantine Studyblr Challenge | Week 5

Wed: What is your favourite song?

Maybe it's cause I really miss my bf but I've been listening to Perfect - Ed Sheeran a lot

Thur: Who is your hero?

My mum a thousand times over

[lonerlearns]

good emotional skills to know 4 college but also in general

this is stuff that i’ve found helpful and am in the process of working on. they may not be achievable for you without help and may not work for your specific circumstance, but this is a list of suggestions that you might be able to think about. i am also not a mental health professional so please do feel free to contradict me!!

self soothing.  having a toolbox to take care of yourself by yourself. bc sometimes nobody else is available and you just gotta put some lotion on, listen to a tune, and go to bed early. 

checking in. checking in with yourself to see if you’re okay. knowing how to alter your strategies when your strategies aren’t working. knowing when your strategies aren’t working. this is just taking some time every day to reflect on what goals you didn’t meet and why and what you can do to fix that.

there’s nothing you “should” be doing. if you get caught up thinking “i should be doing x” that’s false! stop that! “should” be doing better implies that you have some obligation to do whatever it is that you “should” be doing. you don’t owe anybody except yourself. analyze why you think you should be doing that thing and change that into…. “i want to be doing x because…” or “doing x will make me happier, because…”. overall, more productive and less self-shamey. 

disconnecting from the crowd. eating in a crowded dining hall can be stressful! knowing how to be alone in a crowd and stay calm is helpful

being okay with being alone.  tbh college is kind of… being alone a lot, in my experience. even though you’re surrounded by people, a lot of time is spent alone. making friends is hard. your friends have different schedules. you’re busy. shit sucks. we make the best of it.

knowing yourself. this relates to a lot of what i’ve already said but like. knowing your emotional state and knowing what helps trick the monkey brain is helpful. stop repressing your feelings, friends.

talking to strangers. ordering from a menu! paying library fines. going to office hours. asking for a cashier at the register if there isn’t one. ya this is hard. ya you gotta expose yourself. sometimes i just try playing a persona. like this isn’t me ordering a sandwich. this is a cool me who knows how to talk to people who is ordering a sandwich.

you don’t have to be friends with your roommates. you just have to live together in a way that doesn’t make you two hate each other. ideally, you two will coexist in a way that doesn’t interfere with the other’s daily life.

give and taking. on the topic of roommates, sometimes your roommate can be a shitty person, but sometimes you are the shitty person! give a little but if they’re negatively impacting your life, communicate.

communicating during disagreements. explain what your emotions are instead of blaming them. “i feel hurt when you…” or “i feel frustrated when” or “i feel unappreciated when.” if things get heated, ask if you both can take a ten minute break and then come back. and don’t bring up disagreements when the other party is preoccupied or going somewhere. you can legitimately schedule a discussion.

it’s okay to apologize. learning to swallow your pride gets easier each time.

knowing that people work differently than you. some people are not gonna click with you and it’s gonna seem like they have this whole brain process up there that is totally unlike yours. and yeah! that’s how it is. and that’s chill if they aren’t hurting anyone else. work with them and be flexible!! 

comforting people. you will probably/definitely see someone cry! hell if i know how to comfort people. someone please help. but some things i’ve learned are: 1) different people need different things. different people need different things! 2) people need different things at different times. 3) you can ask them what they want and it won’t be weird. 4) apparently a lot of people like hugs? but ask. and it’s okay to not want a hug. 5) just show that you care in some way if you don’t know what they need. i used to think that if somebody needed to tell me what they needed it was a sign that i just didn’t know them well enough and we weren’t compatible or i wasn’t being a good friend. that’s fake! friendship isn’t based off of fitting naturally in every way and making an effort to be good for them is important.

knowing it’s okay to not be liked by everyone. it’s okay if strangers think you’re dumb because you said something dumb in public. you know you’re not dumb. it’s okay if not everybody you meet likes you. it’s okay if you do something cringey. everybody has their own shit to deal with and you will not shatter their world.  grow and move on!

forgiving yourself. i’m trying this new thing where when i feel embarrassed about something i say. out loud. “i forgive myself.” and then i just try to grow from that and move on without getting caught in a spiral of shame.

knowing what you need vs what you want and what is better at the time. what you need: a shower. what you want: to not do that. solution: take a shower! or maybe what you actually need is to go to sleep? but guess what. you probably know what is good for you. the hard part is actually doing it.

realize that building habits is less work than discipline. emotional effort is expended every time you have to make yourself do something. just make it part of your routine and you’ll just think it’s normal to do all the good things! like, for example, i’m trying to make it a habit to eat structured meals instead of a “eat when i’m hungry” thing because i know that makes me skip meals, which is bad!

you won’t be able to do everything. forgive yourself for that. write down  things that are top priority and focus on them. everything else is not important right now and you shouldn’t beat yourself up for not being able to do them.

your health is important. i’m not saying health will solve all your problems. it won’t! but health will cause a lot of your problems to go away. because let’s face it. not sleeping causes a lot of problems. 

it’s okay to ask for help. we say this a lot but it’s hard to internalize it. here’s a thought: there’s so much shame and hesitation about asking for help so by doing that you’re actually being proactive (which is respectable) and mature, and therefore… not weak or stupid. ask for help even before you need it! most people love to help others. and especially take advantage of people who are OFFERING help. for example: counselors at school or TAs. it’s literally their job. they want to do it. and if you don’t want to talk to anybody in real life, my inbox is always open.

[lonerlearns]

5 STUDY MOODS

I’ve seen study moods among the studyblr community and I think they’re super cute, so I decided to make some of my own. If anyone has already done any of these, I apologize! I did not mean to steal your idea. Nevertheless, I hope you try these out the next time you need inspiration to study. All study moods include 3 song suggestions and pictures. 

The Hogwarts Experience:

Night time. (preferably winter).  Big, brown desk filled with open textbooks and notes. Library, or a cozy room in your house. Candlelight, or lamps. Possibly near a fireplace. A cozy blanket to keep you warm. Subjects such as History, Science, or reading a book for a class. Harry Potter soundtrack playing in the background. A big cup of hot coffee. 

Song Suggestions: 

Hedwig’s Theme: Harry Potter Theme Song 

Lily’s Theme: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 

The Resurrection Stone: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 

The All Nighter:

1am-6am. Night before a big exam, or on finals week. All your materials layed out on the floor. Energy drinks and coffee. Sweats and a huge t-shirt. Upbeat music playing to keep you awake. Lots of review, flashcards, practice tests. Possibly some friends with you. 

Song Suggestions:

Never Be Like You: Flume ft. Kai

Gold: Kiiara 

Help Me Lose My Mind (Mazde Remix): Disclosure 

The Early Bird:

Early in the morning. A clean, white desk next to a window with sunlight pouring in. Studying just one subject, or reading a book. Eating breakfast and listening to soft, calm music. Birds chirping. Fall time. A cozy blanket thrown over your legs.

Song Suggestions:

Birds Flying High: MOWE 

Earth Angel: The Penguins

Roslyn: Bon Iver & St. Vincent 

The Comfy Kid:

Laying in bed after a shower. Very light studying. Reading a book, or watching video notes. Lots of snacks and pillows. Calm music. Warning: probably going to fall asleep. During sunrise or sunset. Maybe in bed with a significant other, or pet. Coffee.

Song Suggestions:

Sleep Walk: Santo & Johnny 

Bloom: The Paper Kites 

Sweater Weather: The Neighbourhood 

The Workaholic:

A whole day committed to studying. No distractions. In a library. Classical music plying through your headphones. Writing essays and dong lab write ups. Coffee and snacks. Laptop, books, textbooks, and lots of notes. Alone all day. 

Song Suggestions: 

Primivera: Ludovico Einaudi 

Mirror in the Mirror: Arvo Part 

An Ending: Brian Eno

[lonerlearns]

how to be your most productive self

hi! i’ve been thinking a lot about how i’m going to manage my workload this year – i’m going into year 11 and i’ll be taking my GCSEs soon. i thought it’d be a good idea to make a list of ideas on how i can manage my time and increase my productivity, so i can work as efficiently as possible this year :)

make a list of what you want to get done every day and stick to it. this can include not just schoolwork and revision, but also household chores, and little goals like reading a chapter of a book, eating a healthy meal or drinking more water than usual. don’t be too hard on yourself, but try your best to tick off everything off the list before you go to bed.

write down your goals, both short term and long term. for example, one of mine is to revise for at least an hour per day from the start of year 11, increasing it as i get closer to the exams. i also write down the grades that i want in my mocks and final exams. if you have a clear vision of what you want to achieve, you are constantly going to be reminded that you are putting in all this effort to get there. stick your goals up in a place where you can see them. anytime you feel demotivated, read through them and remind yourself that they won’t achieve themselves.

make a study playlist of relaxed, calm songs that provide background noise without being distracting. it helps if the playlist isn’t too long, so you’ll gradually get used to hearing the same songs repeating and they won’t distract you from your work. here’s one that i like!! https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2STKuSNoNC7Ev9DOOZsZDr?si=tyMXbeqHQ7WYgBngE8po1w

don’t waste time unless you can afford to. and unless you’ve ticked off everything on the aforementioned list, you probably can’t afford to. i like to allow myself one hour of complete procrastination after school before i start working, and then i keep my phone in another room and get started. i like to save netflix and youtube till after i’m done studying.

with that being said, don’t forget to take breaks. it’s up to you whether you schedule your breaks into your work time or just take them when you lose focus. either way, try to keep your breaks at a maximum of 15 minutes per hour of work. don’t waste them on mindless shit: instead, do something like having a snack, drinking a glass of water, going to the bathroom, reading a few pages of a book, talking to a family member, cleaning your study area, or playing with a pet.

if you aren’t motivated to work or you keep procrastinating, start with just five minutes. set a timer and for those five minutes, don’t look up from your work. more often than not, you’ll get into it and keep going after the timer’s up. if you can’t, don’t stress: take a break as described in #4, then try another 5-minute block of work. once you get going, you’ll be able to build up the amount of time you can work uninterrupted!

a pretty obvious one is to reward yourself. the more productive the day, the bigger the reward. it can be anything from your favourite meal to an episode of your favourite show to buying a cute new top online. generally, i use rewards as motivation to get through really big assignments, or to treat myself at the end of a productive week.

personally, i really want to start using studyblr more. seeing a community of people who all care about doing their best academically is so motivating. plus, putting my own ideas out there and seeing how they help other people makes me want to keep finding successful methods that i can post about. once i go back to school, i also plan to start posting actual schoolwork as well as tips like these. the 100 days of productivity challenge is also something i really want to get involved in, as i think it’ll help to build a habit and the pressures of social media will keep me motivated to do it!

try filming yourself working. grab your phone, set it to time lapse and get going. having the pressure of a camera recording you means that you won’t want to fuck around instead of getting it done – otherwise you’ll seem lazy in the video. and if your phone is recording, you can’t go on social media and waste your time there. this is something that you can post online, or just keep as a reminder of how hard you can work when you try.

it’s okay to have off days. everyone has days where they feel completely unproductive and don’t get anything done no matter how hard they try. in that case, don’t stress about it. take the day to yourself to relax, then treat the next day as a new beginning. but if these days become a regular habit, that’s when you need to force yourself to just suck it up and do it. you will feel so good about yourself once you do.

[lonerlearns]

things to do on sundays to recharge and make the upcoming week awesome

• clean ya room (just do it). also, check those pinterest boards you save for “one day” and actually go through them and draw some inspiration, even if you just end up rearranging the books on your bookshelf or putting some flowers from your garden in a mason jar on your desk. this is your home, make it feel like it is.

• do your laundry (also, don’t forget your bed sheets). if you’re in the mood, look at next week’s weather forecast and think about what you’re going to wear. go through your drawers, check the back of your closet. that hat you bought some time ago and forgot about because you didn’t dare to wear it? well… new week, new you, right? 

• call a friend/family member you haven’t talked to in a while, tell them you miss them. tell them you love them. remember and appreciate that they are a part of your life even if it doesn’t feel like it all the time.

• draw, paint, journal, write or make some music. something you know you love doing but “never find the time”. sunday is “finding-the-time day”. if you’re not feeling creative, read a book or watch your favorite show. or watch a new show. a scary show. a funny show. laugh as loud as you want. listen to music. listen to your favorite songs, or listen to new songs. even a new genre if you dare. turn the volume all the way up. take a second to consciously feel the music. you can always get up and dance. or sing. or both.

• the great, but still really effective classic: take a bath or a really long shower. if you have this special face or hair mask you’re saving up for a special occasion: congrats, you’re the special occasion today. use it. also, body lotion. we all know you’re going to be running late during the week and skip it one too many times. make yourself feel like the goddess you are. 

• sit in silence for a few moments. listen to your breath. listen to your heartbeat. for the love of god PLEASE listen to your thoughts for once in your life. don’t make them feel like they are wrong. or bothersome. they too just want to be heard once in a while. what are they trying to tell you? what could be soothing for them? be compassionate to yourself. it’s okay. you are okay. you are okay.

• think about things you can be grateful for next week. even if you feel like your life sucks atm, think about the small things you take for granted in a different way. for example: “next week, i will have access to clean water. CLEAN. WATER. 844 million people don’t have that.” or “next week, my legs will take me wherever i want to go. not everybody has two fully functioning legs, so i’m lucky in that way.” you’re allowed to feel bad about your life, but you’re also allowed to feel good about things. 

• if you’ve stayed home most of the week, go out. go for a walk. go swimming. go to a party or dinner with friends. even if you feel like you don’t need to see the outside world, chances are you’ll feel great after you do. if you feel like you’ve been running around all week, maybe you’d like to stay home today. put on your ugliest sweater, comfiest leggings, and fluffiest socks and curl up under a thousand blankets. you a sloth today and it’s okay. 

• eat. i mean honestly: eat THE THING. i don’t care if you’re on a diet. if there’s something you’ve been craving all week that has turned you into the veiny-neck-dude meme just trying to resist it: EAT IT. you deserve it. not because you worked out or ate salads or did well in school, but just because you’re a human and you love to eat and life is short and you should be allowed to eat yummy things. it’s okay. you won’t gain 5 pounds or lose your brain cells no matter how unhealthy it is, i promise.

• plan plan plan yo week. it doesn’t matter if you use a planner, bullet journal, the calendar on your phone or the notes app: write everything down you have going on next week. appointments. events. coffee-dates. when are you going to the gym? what are you going to eat? (meal prep if necessary) also, create reminders on your phone for everything. “i won’t forget it!” is a sweet thought, but oh honey you will. schedule reminders for every event. let your phone remind you that you need to buy toilet paper when the store is nearby. schedule daily reminders for your medications. (once you’ve done this it honestly feels like you just cleaned out 38GB of your brain, you simply don’t have to worry about that anymore, space for more important info, like your new favorite pun to annoy everyone with)

• most importantly: listen to what your mind and your body need today and next week. daily life is so full of “should-do”s that it’s important to find a healthy balance between the “should”s and the “need”s. you will be much more productive, healthy and happy that way. nobody knows you better than you do, take advantage of that and plan accordingly.

[lonerlearns]

study less study smart

I decided to share my notes taken from this amazing 1 hour Youtube lecture by Marty Lobdell. i really liked him and his tips, i think they are super effective and cover a lot of situations! i highly recommend it!!!!! wow

but here are the tips and examples Marty mentions, so if you don’t have the time to go through the full hour, you can just scroll down. hope this helps somebody!

Break your study time in chunks with breaks

most students lose focus at 25 minutes

it’s a mistake to keep going once you do, since you won’t actually learn anything and you’ll hate every minute of it

so when you start losing focus take a 5 minute break

do something nice like talking to someone or listening to music

it’s something you practice so with time you’ll be able to work for more time without losing focus

in the end of the study session have a big reward you look forward to

Create a study area

environment highly affects the way you act. Bedrooms are for sleeping, kitchens for eating: you’ll feel sleepy in your bedroom and hungry in the kitchen. So if you have a study area, it’ll be easier to start studying and staying focused.

study in a specific room like an office or school library if you can

if you have to study in your bedroom use a specific object you only use for studying: a lamp/desk. Make it a no-distraction, away from your bed, blank walls area.

 The more active the learning, the better

80% active learning 20% passive

ask yourself: is it a concept or a fact?

learning a concept: understand/grasp/know it

put it into your own words

really think about the meaning of it

relate it with something you already know

teach somebody else. Recapitulate what you’ve learned. Talk out loud even if you don’t have anyone to teach - talk alone. Or at anyone that listens.

learning a fact: memorize it

use mnemonics

Acronyms (e.g. colours of the rainbow RoyGBiv – red orange yellow green blue indigo violet)

 Coined sayings - anything popular or sayings you’ve heard since you were a child.

Interacting images – work even better if they’re weird. Creative associations make you never forget specific details. (e.g. 1 gram of fat has 9 calories: picture a fat cat – each cat has 9 lives)

any time 2 things are highly similar but not the same you will get maximal interference!! USE mnemonics!! (e.g. afferent vs efferent neurons: SAME - Sensory Afferent Motor Efferent)

Be a part of  study groups

others can help you in ways you never thought before

Recognizing VS remembering

never confuse the two

while reviewing a chapter you may recognize concepts but not actually know them

and when you get to the test you won’t be able to remember any of it

so quiz yourself without looking at it

or stop in a page of your notes/textbook and ask yourself what is the concept immediately after and before it

Get your REM Sleep 

get ~8 hours so you don’t undo your studying

this is how your brain stores permanent memories

without it you’re ability to remember seriously decreases

most people don’t even begin to take the advice but it’s simple: sleep better. Do better.

There’s 162 hours in a week. There is time.

reflect on what you are doing with your time and what activities you have to prioritize to succed as a student

Taking notes is vital.

right after the class take 5 minutes to expand everything you’ve jotted down, give it depth.

NOT hours later. You won’t remember half the things you wrote down.

Ask your questions to class mates and teachers.

teachers want you to succeed and it’s more than ok to ask your question in the teacher’s office or in the next class

How to use a textbook: SQ3R technique

Survey Question Read Recite Review

Survey: skim through the entire chapter in a couple of minutes.

Raise questions: e.g. what is osmosis? What is this graphic about? What is a prototype?

it causes you to look for answers and you’ll find the information better once you actually study it after. If you intend to find something you learn it better.

Start studying for tests early.

don’t undo yourself. You should only be reviewing the days before the test. don’t leave it till the last minute!

(don’t just scroll through this!!!! really think about these methods and how you can actually implement them so you can benefit from them!!! these actually work but only if you put them into practice boo good luck!)

[lonerlearns]

Bullet Journal Ideas ♡

These are all ideas that I use and/or plan to use in my BuJo. Hope this inspires many. I know I love stumbling upon new things to put in my journal!  ♡bulletjournaluniverse 

List Making

Past home addresses

101 things in 1001 days

Disney movies to own checklist

Master packing checklist

Wishlist

Movies we own

TV shows we own

Things to sale in a yard sale/online/get rid of

Dream log

Baby names

Movies to watch

Key page

Favorite stores to shop at

Favorite places to eat

Black Friday game plan

Your significant others favorite things

Table of contents

To do list

Level 10 Life

Things that make you happy

Creative Layouts

Family birthdays tracker, names and dates in balloons for each month

Books to read, books drawn on a bookshelf

Map of U.S. or other country, color in visited states/areas, add hearts to where you have lived

Quotes you like

Quotes from your favorite show, movie or book

Travel pages: State or city per page, what to do in that city

Movies to see in drawings of popcorn

Keeping Track

Websites with passwords

Year of bills to pay checklist

Christmas gifts to get, to who, where from, price

Monthly calender spread

Weekly spread

Daily spread

Habbit tracker

Family addresses

Weekly gym schedule/tracker

Countdowns to special dates

TV series tracker, with days they air

Bills tracker

Weight loss tracker

Cleaning scedule

Starbucks star rewards tracker

Meal planner

Period tracker

Mood tracker

Online purchases, item, date purchased, shipped, recieved

Fun

Log of knitting patterns

Things to go in rooms of your dream home

Monthly memories with doodles

Blog post ideas

Tattoo ideas

Pokemon Go, caught, evolved

Create a mandala

[lonerlearns]

what to use a notebook for

planning and organising

dream house plan

recipe collection 

trip / vacation planner

bucket lists 

a bullet journal

pet book (dates of vet visits, photos as they grow up, etc)

baby journal (similar to pet one)

plan with me challenge 

idea dump

budget book

school

class / lecture notes

textbook notes

school planner or bullet journal

university research / application planner

reviews

cafe / restaurant 

books

movies

music

tv series

artsy craftsy

poetry 

writers notebook

sketchbook

sticker collection

gardening journal

photo journal

inspiration / moodpboard scrapbook

fun n cute

happiness journal (write one thing each day that made you happy)

gratitude journal

quote collection 

travel journal

dream journal 

sentence-a-day journal (write a sentence about every day)

journaling challenges (you can find a bunch of prompts online)

astronomy journal

[lonerlearns]

A big bang of “how to” stuff

There I was again tonight forcing laughter faking smiles so I made up this long ass post for y'all!

So you a potato. Me a potato. World conquered by we potatoes. But potato need survival tips. So your brotato (get it? Bro potato?) help you out. Yay potato. Go go potato.

Study related stuff :

1. Get good grades

Catch concepts, not chapters. Your portion is most likely gonna be super vast, so it’s helpful to know a little something from every chapter rather than knowing just 50% of your syllabus.

Figure out which concepts are important and master them.

Keep all assignments completed at least 1 day before submission date. This isn’t always possible but trust me if you do this you’re guaranteeing marks for proper submission. Job done early? Proof check and add touches to enhance that essay!

Let the teachers know that you’re working hard. I actually passed math because my math teacher knew I was working super hard on my math skills. Participate in the class, gather a bunch of doubts and then dump them on your teacher when the chapter ends.

Try not to miss lectures because chances are you’ll remember that silly mnemonic your friend made up in class and get the answer correct.

Analysis of your exam type is super important. Want me to make a long ass post about it?

2. Be more productive

Having a stuydjo/bujo by your side helps hella lot.

Plan plan plan. Lists, organise lists and colour code them. Basically become Monica Geller Bing and you’re set for life.

Motivational quotes from pinterest almost make me guilty for not being productive and force me to do something.

Before starting your study session, dance around to upbeat music for like 5 minutes. You’ll see the difference I promise.

Seek out inspiration from your smart friends /tumblr friends /people you look up to by constantly reminding yourself about them. I always think of hermione granger because even randomly picturing her with books in my mind ignites that badass boss feeling complying me to study tf up.

3. Manage your time

Studyjo/bujo saves your life.

Wear a watch all the damn time, it will remind you of how much time you’re spending doing nothing. You’ll end up saving several extra minutes!

List out what you’re gonna do every hour of the day on a sticky note and refer to it when you feel lazy.

Get a super nice friend /parent /sibling who will constantly remind you to utilise your time.

Think of time as currency and pretend that it’s all a game where you need to save up as much money as you can to become a billionaire. Save up your time and become rich af.

4. Avoid procrastinating

Stduyjo/bujo again. You know the drill now.

A little bit of exercise before starting work generally works you up and sets the correct mood.

Knowing how ahead your friends are from you often makes you wanna catch up so try getting that motivation.

Set goals + rewards that actually matter to you. Maybe a face care spa day isn’t your thing but munching on a snickers bar is. Treat yo self.

Tell someone a detailed plan of what you are going to accomplish the next day. Now whenever you see that person you’ll want to prove to them that you’re doing what you promised. Or the guilt may drive you too.

Appearance related stuff :

1. Look more put together

Try the lipstick trick. There are days when you do not have the time /want to put on makeup, so just put on a lipstick that matches your outfit and you’ll automatically create an illusion of being more put together, boss af and fabulous.

Try out cheap (potato can’t afford sorry) but elegant accessories. If it’s a necklace try tucking it under the collar of your shirt and see the magic. Stick to one staple accessory that’s gonna be your trademark.

Tame that mane potato. Your hair isn’t gonna detangle itself. You gotta do it. I mean, don’t you love your hair?

Minimalistic colours rock. Some outfits never go old like flannels or white shirts or black dresses.

2. Feel beautiful

The lipstick does the trick for me.

Putting my hair in a sky high ponytail makes me feel like I’m a queen or something.

Save little compliments for yourself as reminders and when you get them you’ll feel 10x more beautiful than before.

Mind related stuff :

1. Deal with burnout/slump

Try to accomplish super tiny stuff. Break down every task into micromolecular basics.

Give yourself a ted talk. It works.

Sometimes the best way of dealing with burnout is by detoxing from the thing that caused burnout. Stay away form books and after some time you’ll actually want to study.

2. Study with slumps/mental illness

Step one is to finish homework /assignments. If you can concentrate on them, you’re good to go.

Do not take up a lot of load, just skimming through textbooks, reviewing notes, going over flashcards should do the trick.

If you desperately need to get shit done, just ignore the fact that you do not want to do it. It’s harsh on your mind but desperate times require desperate measures.

Avoid forcing yourself to study because you’ll not retain info like that.

Take it easy. But consistently. Maybe just one topic a day. But do not miss a day. A steady everyday practice goes long way in the future.

3. Strengthen self control

There are several apps that can help you with this, like forest. My top pick is the Tide app which has a gorgeous interface and super aesthetic timers with new pictures everyday. I shit you not every time I quit my pomodoro I feel the guilt of having killed 1000 puppies its worse and I avoid doing that at all costs.

If you study in your room, keep your phone in the kitchen for some time. Your lazy ass is less likely to get up and use the phone.

Switching the phone off before starting a study session works because I care for my phone like a baby and it feels horrible to switch it on and off and on and off.

Practice 30 minutes of digital detox everyday. You don’t have to study at that time, just stay away from everything that is technology. Read and book, eat a fruit, make a sandwich, paint, sing, dance, exercise. Study if you want. Just no gadgets.

4. Deal with stress

Yoga works. Potato body ain’t that flexible so just breathing exercises for a start is also enough.

Highly recommended : brain dump every night before sleeping can ensure that you’ll not stay up too late pondering over the meaning of your existence and world politics.

Having a hearty talk with someone you trust will also lift weight off your chest.

Pin point the cause of your stress and annihilate the problem. Slay it.

Life related stuff :

1. Drink more water

Carry a cool ass bottle of water with you every frigging where.

Make it a rule to have a drink everytime you go to the loo or you take a bath /shower.

Replace one of your daily caffeines /sugars with water. You don’t have to get rid of coffee because that’s just non potato ish, but maybe that third cup could be replaced with water.

Try a game thingy. Maybe everytime the word ‘procrastination’ pops in your mind take a drink. Wow, I’m so creative *sighs for eternities*.

2. Be more healthy

5 minute stretches right after getting up works you up.

Try one of those YouTube videos of 15 minute workouts. You can have 3 such workouts through the day and call yourself a fit potato.

Replacing one packet of junk food with nuts/fruits also works.

Everytime you hear someone say something related to money, have a banana. Random much? Nope, bananas are known to increase hormones that make you happy in your body, meaning you’ll feel full and happy. Maybe offer the person a banana too.

3. Be more happy

Eat bananas!

Take pictures of things you love, not things your followers love.

Puppies are a source of eternal joy.

Reading goofy/cheesy/romance books make you giggle and feel good in general.

Watching cheesy films or good ass romcoms works just well.

Friends was created for a reason.

Writing down what you accomplished today gives a sense of pride and satisfaction. Take that shit.

Tumblr has shitposts made basically to make you happy.

4. Find your true calling /figuring tf out what you wanna do with your life

Lists lists lists. Subjects you love, you hate, you’re good at, you suck at.

Consulting your teachers, family etc and find out what they think you’re good at. Sometimes other people can see traits of yours better than you.

Career tests rock.

You’ll figure it out in the end somehow.

And that’s about it for now folks, hope this helps. See y'all laterz~

Etudaire ♥

[lonerlearns]

Why Japanese is EASY

A lot of people want to study Japanese but think it’s too hard and that they will never succeed. That is really a myth, though. Here is why Japanese is actually easy.

1. All verbs are regular, there are only 2 exceptions 

If you know French, this must sound like a dream to you. In other languages [like French] there seem to be more irregular verbs than regular ones. Not in Japanese, though. There are 3 groups of verbs, the first 2 being regular and very easy to conjugate. The third group consists of only 2 irregular verbs!

2. Easy pronunciation 

Japanese doesn’t have any exceptionally hard to pronounce letters. Unlike Arabic, German or Finnish, Japanese should be quite easy to pronounce for English speakers. Also, Japanese isn’t a tonal language like Thai or Chinese. 

3. No genders, plural or articles

Anyone who studies a romance language [and many other languages that have that] knows how frustrating it can be when you use the wrong article or verb ending. In Japanese, it doesn’t even exist, so nothing to worry!

4. Grammar is easy!

That’s true. It’s just completely different from English, but that doesn’t make it hard. After a while, it will feel completely normal. The best part about the grammar is that you can build a whole sentence with just one word. For example, if you wanted to ask somebody in English if they did their homework, you’d say ‘did you do your homework?’ Kind of long, isn’t it? In Japanese, you can ask by using only the verb ‘to do, can, be able to’ - like this: ‘done?’ Also, spoken, you can drop many words if you don’t really need them, especially particles! So if you’re not sure what particle to use, chances are you can just easily leave it altogether without the sentence losing its meaning. It’s easy to build sentences that seem to end in ‘…’, but that’s completely normal in Japanese and everyone will understand.

5. Tons of resources

Sadly, there are some languages people don’t really care about or not a lot of people want to study/ are interested in. Japanese is not one of those languages. There are hundreds of books about Kanji alone! And so many courses for every level. Also, it doesn’t matter what you’re interested in - anime, manga, books, movies, game show, video games, dramas, music - it’s all out there and super easy to find, so you definitely will find something you can listen to or read to practice your skills.

6. Kanji/the writing systems are hard?

No. They aren’t. It’s just a huge workload, it takes time and effort, but they are not hard.

At first, having to learn 3 writing systems will seem exhausting. But believe me, later, when you start reading, you will be so glad! You can detect if a text has a lot of foreign words at one glance if it has a lot of Katakana, for example, and you could say a lot more on twitter because of the syllabaries!

So actually, the 3 systems put together makes everything easier to read!

So please, just start studying and go at your own pace, and have fun studying every day ⭐︎

[lonerlearns]

some pictures from my internship as studying is suspended for the summer ✌️

should i write a longer post about internship search & other useful tips?

[lonerlearns]

I bought a new desk! (And an Amazon Alexa Dot which is really fun!)

Also… I graduated recently! I’m so excited to go to college soon! Do you guys have any tips for college?

I’m also thinking about creating a youtube channel! Would you guys be interested in a desk tour? Feel free to message me!

xo

[lonerlearns]

Flashcards, all day every day 📚

[lonerlearns]

Raindrops, Flashcards, summaries, knitting and ginger tea.

[lonerlearns]

Wednesday 8•05•19 // 10:08 pm

Hi guys! So this happens every semester butttt I was so busy with uni that I didn’t post anything on here for like 2 months… which is very paradoxal since the reason I started this blog was to motivate myself by sharing study updates so I could look back on my process and also by seeing all your inspiring pictures and reading your motivating messages. But here I am, it’s the end of the semester (only 1,5 week left, help!) so I need that little bit of extra motivation.