studying-forlife

[studying-forlife]

I havent seen anyone talk about this yet so im making a post. 

So lets say you’re researching something for a paper (or just for fun) and the research paper you want to read is behind a paywall, or the site makes you create an account first, or makes you pay to download, or limits you to only 5 free articles, or otherwise makes it difficult for you to read what you want.

do not fear! copy the link to the article

go to sci-hub.se         (the url is always changing so its best to check out whereisscihub.now.sh to find what the current url is)

slap the article link in there

bam! free access! 

[studying-forlife]

Complete College Checklist for Fall 2019.

Fall 2019 Complete College Checklist

College starts in a little over a month, and I decided to edit this compiled list of everything you should consider bringing to college. Feel free to print this out and use it for your college shopping trip! 

Reblog this to help others who are struggling with their college packing/ moving checklist!

Bed:

Bed sheets [usually a Twin XL] (try to get 2 sets)

Bed [Back] Rest Pillow 

Blankets

Body Pillow

Comforter

Lap Desk/Tray

Mattress Foam Topper

Mattress Pad

Mattress Protector

Pillowcases

Pillows (2-3)

Shams

Bathroom:

Cup for toothbrush

Paper towels

Shower curtain

Shower curtain hooks

Shower curtain liner

Shower organizer (or shower caddy)

Trashcan

Toilet Paper

Towels (5-7 recommended)

Towel rack (over the door)

Washcloths

Wet wipes

Room:

Command Hooks

Curtains

Desk lamp

Extension Cord* (optional) 

Microwave* (optional)

Mini-fridge* (optional)

Rug

Storage Ottoman

Surge protector

Toaster* (optional)

Trash can

Medical:

Advil/Aleve/Tylenol/Aspirin 

Allergy medication

Band aids

Cough drops/syrup

Cotton balls/rounds

Hydrogen Peroxide

Neosporin or other ointment

Pepto bismol

Rubbing alcohol

Laundry:

Delicates bag

Dryer Sheets

Hangers (thin hangers)

Laundry hamper

Tide Pods/Laundry Detergent

Toiletries/Personal:

Brush/Comb

Conditioner

Deodorant

Feminine Hygiene products

Floss

Lotion

Makeup

Makeup organizer/storage 

Mouthwash

Razors

Shampoo

Shaving Cream

Sunscreen

Toothbrush

Toothpaste

Tweezers

Q-Tips

Clothing:

Bras

Cardigans

Dresses (for a banquet, sorority rush, and going out)

Jackets

Jeans

Leggings or yoga pants

Pajamas (are a MUST)

Panties

Pants (dress pants)

Purse

Robe (a MUST)

Shirts (20-25)

Shoes (1-5)

Shorts

Slippers

Socks (24 pairs)

Sweaters

Workout clothes

School Supplies:

Backpack

Binder

Crayons

Cup for pencils

Erasers

Folders

Folder/Letter Holder

Glue

Highlighters

Index cards

Index card holder

Markers

Mechanical pencils

Notebooks (8-10, depending on class load)

[College ruled] paper

Pens

Post-it Notes

Post-it Note Holder

Ruler

Scissors

Staples & Stapler

Tape & tape dispenser

Cleaning Supplies:

Air Freshener

Broom & dustpan

Clorox Wipes

Gloves

Mop & bucket

Swiffer Sweeper* (optional)

Tiny Trash Bags (or grocery store bags)

Toilet Bowl Brush

Toilet Bowl Cleaner

Other:

Alarm Clock

Car phone charger

Computer mouse

Flash Drive/USB/External hard drive

Headphones

Laptop

Laptop Charger

Phone

Phone Charger

Portable phone charger

Tablet

Extra items:

Keurig

Plates

Bowls

Silver/plastic ware (Forks, Spoons, Knives)

Cups 

Items marked with (*) are optional and may have rules surrounding them, minifridge, toaster, and microwave policies should be cleared with university housing before deciding to purchase or bring your own. Some universities require them to be under a certain size. Other universities allow only a microwave and a minifridge that are connected (from a rental company) if you want both. Most universities do not allow extension cords due to them being a fire hazard. Again, please check with your university’s housing department. 

If you are going to have a roommate, divide some of the cleaning supplies and bathroom items amongst each other (to avoid having multiple shower curtains/towel racks/mops etc…) This would also be a good time to determine a color scheme or theme for your room if you’re interested in that. 

Please link others to this checklist to help others out!

[studying-forlife]

11.14.17 • oof.

[studying-forlife]

AP Lit Tips!

I just realized I never actually made a post over the summer on how to do well in AP Literature and Composition, so here it is! Some, but not all, of the tips in this post will also apply to regular English classes. #getlit

Expose yourself to as much literature as possible!

I love to read and the summer before my grade 12 year, I read so many books of literary quality (check out this list of works mentioned on the AP Lit exam). While I loved Crime and Punishment, I focused on books that were easier (for me) to understand, analyze, and remember quotes from. I also read some books (like Catcher in the Rye) that I just did not like. Studying is so much easier when you’re studying something you like (so if you only read 2 books before the AP exam, you’re stuck studying those ones whether you like it or not).

Expand your vocabulary.

The best way to expand your vocabulary is to read a lot but since you’re already doing that, I recommend going to vocabtest.com. Click on the section AP Seniors. Each unit is 20 words and it has tons of different vocab games so it doesn’t feel like studying. Do a little bit each week and before long you’ll know so many more words. Having an extensive vocabulary will vastly improve the quality of your writing.

Don’t shy away from what you don’t understand.

Say you struggle with understanding poetry; prose passages are just fine but you can never understand the deeper meaning of poems. Please don’t avoid reading or analyzing poems (or whatever you find most difficult). The more poems you look at, the better you will understand them. This advice goes for any subject, but especially with the AP Lit exam b/c you don’t want to be weaker in any area. You are guaranteed a poem (or two or three) on the multiple choice section and, yes, you will have to write an essay about a poem. Practice, practice, practice, so that when a difficult poem comes up on the AP exam you can smirk and tell yourself, “I got this.”

Don’t rely on resources like Sparknotes or Shmoop (but use them to your advantage).

If you constantly look at Sparknotes to understand the work you are reading, or you read the Sparknote summary rather than the work itself, you won’t be doing yourself any favours. Analyze the work yourself first and then use Sparknotes as a tool to help you understand the deeper meaning. Compare your thoughts on the novel’s main themes to the themes described on Sparknotes. Better yet, talk about a poem with your fellow classmates. You’ll come to see the many views and interpretations of a poem and it will help you analyze passages better when your thoughts are the only ones going down on paper.

On another note, use online resources to add detail and depth to essays you complete in class. Basically, use your brain and use Sparknotes as a tool that may help you. Also, LitCharts is my preferred online resource for novels and plays.

As well, remember that plays are meant to be performed not just read. If you’re having trouble with Shakespeare, try to find a graphic novel for the play in question. If you don’t understand what the characters are saying, you will be able to infer the meaning from their actions. You can also watch plays or films but you will remember the play better if you also read it.

Literary terms and grammar are important.

Start reviewing and learning literary terms from your first day of class. Knowing literary terms by heart will allow you to focus on the finer aspects of literature. (You know that feeling when you catch on to a piece of foreshadowing and its cleverness? If you know your literary terms you’ll experience that all the time.) Also, knowing terms allows you to focus on what the multiple choice question is really asking, rather than you doubting yourself when you don’t know what an apostrophe is and it is one of the options.

Figure out how difficult or easy your teacher marks essays and always finish your essays.

I received a 9 (highest possible mark) on every essay I wrote in my Literature class. However, when my class read through essays from past students I realized that my essays were definitely not a 9. My teacher marked everyone’s essays very easy. To adjust, I made sure to ask him for constructive feedback on my essays. Whether you feel your teacher marks easy or hard, make sure you look back on each essay with an idea of how to do better next time.

In addition, make sure that you write good introductions for your essays. Your introduction will set the tone for your essay which is especially important when your essay is one of many being marked in a short time. As well, be sure to use transition words.

You will inevitably experience a moment of panic during the AP exam when the time is ticking down. Despite what happens, always write a conclusion. If you have one minute left, don’t think just write. One sentence is something, at least. If you have a bit more time than that, restate your introduction in a different way. Write a sentence that sums up the gist of your essay and reiterate the main idea of each paragraph.

Read faster.

Actively try to read faster, time yourself, whatever works to increase your reading speed. There is a lot of reading on the AP exam and the more time you spend reading, the less time you have to answer questions. A big part of this is learning to quickly recognize what it is important or note. Annotating may help, if you usually need to read a passage multiple times, b/c you will notice more with one reading. Just from reading and analyzing so many works in my AP Lit class, I noticed, about halfway through the semester, that I was naturally reading at a faster pace. 

As you get closer to the exam, make short summary cards for each novel or play you are studying.

As mentioned earlier, all of the works I studied were ones that I thoroughly enjoyed reading (As well as Death of a Salesman b/c your teacher is not kidding when they tell you it applies to so many free response prompts). Here are the index cards I made for A Prayer For Owen Meany, The Color Purple, Death of a Salesman, The Importance of Being Earnest, and Pride and Prejudice.

I included a condensed summary of events, character descriptions, themes, symbols, and quotes. This is what worked for me but you might be better off with more or less detail (Don’t write as small as I did though, not a smart idea). Then, carry the index cards around with you everywhere you go and study them whenever you have a few minutes to spare.

Learn the difference between analyzing prose and poetry.

With prose, read over the passage carefully the first time and annotate. Looking at the question(s) for prose before you read the passage also gives you an indication of what to look for, which is very helpful when you are short on time.

With poetry, read the poem twice. On your first read, skim the passage to get the main idea and do an in-depth reading on the second. It also helps to read the poem in sentences (look at punctuation), rather than line by line. This will make the meaning of the poem more clear. Also, mention shift and tone in your essays!!!

Do as many practice exams and questions as possible (and do them in an environment that mimics the AP exam).

Writing an essay in class is a lot different than starting on your third essay after you’ve already completed 2 essays and the multiple choice section. In the week and a half leading up to the exam, I reserved a separate room in my school library and worked through a couple of practice exams, following the guidelines for time (i.e. I gave myself exactly 3 hours of time to complete it).

Be efficient when completing the multiple choice section.

POE is your new best friend. Process Of Elimination! Even if you don’t know the answer, you can at least cross of the options that you know are definitely not the answer.

Read over the questions before you read the passage. I didn’t like this idea when it was first suggested to me but it actually worked well for me. Try this out with practice questions first and decide if it helps you.

And please don’t leave any questions blank. If you have 10 questions left but only 1 minute of time, just fill in circles like mad! The advice I received was to pick one letter and stick to it, so you have a better chance of getting at least one in four right (Your choice of letters is entirely up to you, but this is what was recommended to my class). If you have enough time left, make an educated guess and only quickly bubble in letters as a last resort.

Have confidence in yourself and stop stressing!

When I finally finished the AP Lit exam, I didn’t feel that the exam had gone well (mostly due to the time limit). It’s difficult to feel that you’ve done your best when you have to rush to finish an essay. However, I knew I had studied hard and applied everything I knew and it worked out for me in the end! My attitude, once the exam was done, was that I couldn’t change anything at that point. It is what it is. When the results do come in, don’t be discouraged if you didn’t receive the mark you wanted. Focus on what you’ve learned and the progress you made over the course of your semester. You’ll always be better prepared from now on to write good essays and analyze difficult passages! There is always an upside.

Anyways, I hope this was helpful! AP Lit can be a really fun class and definitely allows you to view works of literature in a different, but better, way (b/c you can actually understand all those classic novels on your reading list!) If you need any more tips just send me an ask! 

My Other Posts:

Biology

Recommended Reads

Tips For Online Classes

What I Learned From High School

[studying-forlife]

Bullet journal essentials ^.^

[studying-forlife]

ap us history is often described as one of the hardest ap classes, and i know i wouldn’t have done as well as i did without online resources, so, to help you out, here they are: 

from the college board (aka the makers of the test): 

practice test

outlines with key themes and ideas for each era 

course and exam description

free practice questions and past tests

helpful online resources: 

map of political parties from 1700′s to 2010 

outlines for every chapter and political period

adam norris’s youtube: he teaches you ap us history

nice study notes with outlines and vocab

study skills specific to ap us history

my stuff: (good to study from + practice with) (i got a 5, u can trust me)

all past frqs

all past dbqs

fun stuff: (so you don’t die) 

historically accurate musical that makes andrew jackson a punk emo

44 hottest presidents in order 

[studying-forlife]

Night-Studying’s APUSH Study Guides

Hello! As I know the school year is starting up for many students, I thought I’d share my study guides and flashcards that I created for AP United States History last year. Without my guides I probably would not have gotten a 5 on the exam or an A in the class. 

These guides define the major people, events, and ideas of each era, and color code them (well, up through Unit 10 at least) based on Geography, Government, Religion, Economy, Art, Science, Education, and Social. They also contain links to the AMSCO book (which is a very helpful resource, I highly suggest reading the corresponding chapters), quiz questions so you can practice, timelines, John Green’s Crash Course US History videos (which are also great), and Quizlet flashcards. 

Access the Entire Folder 

Unit 1: Colonial Era

Unit 2: The Revolution 

Unit 3: The Early Republic

Unit 4: The First Era of Reform

Unit 5: The Age of Jackson

Unit 6: The Civil War

Unit 7: Restoration

Unit 8: Gilded Age

Unit 9: Progressive Era

Unit 10: Imperialism and WWI

Unit 11: 1920′s and the Great Depression

Unit 12: WWII and the Early Cold War

Unit 13: The Eisenhower/Kennedy Years

Unit 14: The Vietnam Era

Unit 15: The Late 20th Century

Quizlet Flashcards: These flashcards contain all of the terms listed in the guide so you can practice and learn them more effectively. 

Please share this so people who need APUSH resources can see it! I’m happy to answer any questions people may have about APUSH, whether it’s about the curriculum or just study tips. 

Good Luck!

[studying-forlife]

updated apush study guide, up to about 1900! I’m finishing up the rest tonight :)

[studying-forlife]

I definitely struggled with AP US History this year because of the change in the format (definitely missed the old format when I took AP European History). So I thought I would share some of the resources I used to help me succeed!

general knowledge about the exam

collegeboard - understanding the exam

collegeboard - practice exams (new format)

textbook notes

AP study notes 

course notes

helpful refreshers

sparknotes - super helful for last minute review!

helpful videos with fill-in-the-blank study guides

other amazing resources

teacher website

scribd study guide - some topics are missing, but still pretty useful!

another scribd study guide 

my own notes from periods 1 to 9 

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B8q0xuGsLHKWSHI0WmRLdi1mZGc

my notes are not complete, but i thought i would share it with you guys for anybody who may find it helpful in some way. if you guys do decide to use it or find it useful, message me or something so i know that i have helped others out! 

please reblog/like this so that more people who are studying for AP US History can see this! thank you! <3 

[studying-forlife]

ACT Tips, Tricks and Strategies

GENERAL TIPS:

ANSWER EVERYTHING. ACT doesn’t penalize you for wrong answers. I repeat, THERE IS NO PENALTY FOR WRONG ANSWERS. You’ve got nothing to lose, so guess if you don’t know it! 

If the proctor gives the 5 minute warning and you’re not finished, go through and mark an answer for all of the remaining questions. Then go back and figure out all of the questions you have time for and change the answer if needed. This way, you aren’t stuck with blank questions when time is up. 

Watch the clock! Time is key. 

Write in the test booklet. Mark what you are trying to find, underline stuff, mark on the graphs, etc. 

Science

You have roughly 5 mins for each passage

The last question for each passage is always the hardest 

If you don’t know it, don’t spend too much time on it. Move on. 

There are 3 types of passages:

Data Representation (there are roughly 3-4 per test)

questions based on a diagram, table, picture, etc.

Research Summary (2-4 per test)

presents the results of experiments and asks you to compare the results

questions over results/method of research

Conflicting viewpoints

different viewpoints on the same issue

compare/contrast the viewpoints

Don’t read the passages first. Look at the questions and graphs. Most of the passages are designed to slow you down, and you can answer the questions without them. If you feel like you need to read the passage after looking at the questions, go for it. 

Exception: Passages with no graphs/tables where they ask you to examine different views (conflicting viewpoint passages)

Ignore fancy science words

Math: 

60 questions, 60 minutes

There are different ways to approach questions-

you can use multiple choice strategies like estimation, use the answers provided and work the question backwards or guess and check

If you don’t know it, guess and move on. You have one minute for each problem, and if a problem is taking up too much time mark an answer and circle the question to come back to if you have time. 

The math test covers: 

pre-algebra 

elementary algebra (Algebra 1 stuff)

intermediate algebra/coordinate geometry (algebra 2)

plane geometry

trigonometry 

Review the topics before the test and do practice problems. There are tons of resources online, just search the topic you struggle with. 

English

1/5 of answers are “no change”

This is English, NOT reading. Don’t waste your time reading the passages, go to the underlined portions and read the sentences around them if you need context. 

Exception: questions that ask about paragraph order, order of sentences, main idea, etc. 

When all answers mean the same thing, choose the shortest one. (Omit needless words, Strunk and White #17)

If you have an “omit” question (where they underline a phrase and ask you if it should be deleted) read it without the underlined portion first and see if it makes sense. 

It helps if you know the Strunk and White rules

REMEMBER: 

For sentence boundaries, use . : ; 

To set off clauses inside sentences, use , - or ( )

If you see theses words, ACT is asking for a specific example from the test

example

illustrate

demonstrate

describe

show

If you read the words LEAST, NOT, or EXCEPT in a question circle it so you don’t miss it!

If you see a YES or NO question look at the NO options first

If you see a KEEP or DELETE question look at the KEEP options first

When you have three answer choices that mean the same thing, always choose the old man out.

The most common correct answer concerning punctuation is the one with no punctuation (ACT irony) If in doubt, leave it out.

READING

4 passages

Literature

Social Sciences

Humanities

Natural Sciences

You have 35 minutes to read 4 passages and answer 40 questions, so you get roughly 8.5 minutes per passage.

Depending on your target score, preview the test and pick the hardest passage to leave out. (Not recommended if you’re going for high twenties or anywhere in the 30s… you have to do them all) If you’re going for a higher score, leave the most difficult passage until last. 

Skim the questions and circle key words before you read, take note of questions that reference specific lines in the text (I put the number of the question by that line)

This is helpful, but make sure you’re doing this quickly! It is meant to save time but it’s not worth it if it takes you too long. I would do this on a practice ACT first to make sure it will work for you. 

Most correct answers are paraphrases of the text. 

Be careful if a question uses exact words from the text because in most cases the meaning has been changed and they are trying to trap you.

Questions containing always, all, never and other absolutes are usually a trap because they mean that there can be no exceptions.

Circle contrast words. (However, but, despite, yet, therefore, nonetheless)

ACT doesn’t care about your opinion– if you disagree with the passage, you just have to move past it! 

WRITING

30 minute essay

You are provided with a prompt that presents an issue and two points of view. You are supposed to write on your position. 

ACT graders look for 

how you articulate your opinion

how well you maintain focus on the topic

how you organize your essay

your use of standard english

In your intro, make sure you

take a clear position

paraphrase the argument

give the argument broader context

have your thesis as the last sentence

Body paragraphs 

Have good transitions and topic sentences

develop your ideas logically and fully

make sure you stay focused on the issue

use specific examples

Explain the weaknesses/limitations of these positions

Counter argument

Good topic sentence

Give a specific example, relate it to your argument.

How is the view you picked better than this one? (”The other view says this, however, …”) 

Conclusion

Clear transition (”In conclusion…”)

summarize the ideas clearly

Overall, make sure you have varied sentence structure, strong word choice, and as little spelling/mechanical errors as possible. 

[studying-forlife]

How to use a bullet journal, student’s edition

I’ve been using a bujo for a year now, and as a high school student, I was struggling to incorporate my bujo into my studies, aka organising my homework and stuff. Before starting a bullet journal I was using a day to day diary where I wrote down all my homework and exams. As I switched to the bujo, I was so happy to have this productivity-boosting tool, yet I couldn’t figure out how I could write down my school-related dates and assignments on my bujo, since it is not designed for long-term planning. So here are the tips I figured out through time (and a lot of studyblr scrolling hehe) on how to use a bujo as a student! Enjoy ^^

1. Have a Semester/trimester/year overview of your school/uni year

This is so far the best tip for long-term planning in your studies. With an overview of your school/uni weeks, it is very easy to jot down exam dates, deadlines, conferences and stuff. 

It’s very useful when you are given, at the beginning of your school year, the planning of exams. You can easily jot down the dates and subjects of each exam in this calendar.

You can also add vacations, public holidays and weekends. I also like to highlight the days already gone so that at the end of the school year, I’ll feel the joy of highlighting the last day of school ^^

2. Weekly spreads and assignments columns

This is essential if you want to incorporate your bullet journal with study planning. 

It consists of having one column of your page, the weekly assignments overview, dedicated to only writing homework, assignments and upcoming tests. The other part of your weekly spread consists of your usual daily logs. Here are some of my weekly spreads as an example (shoutout to @studypunked for the inspo)

As you can see in the pics, the left column is used solely for writing down my homework and tests.

I also like to add some decorations and pictures to give a bit of life to those weekly spreads.

I also added a month overview and a sleep log each week, but this is personal: you can become creative about how you want your weekly spreads to be.

I usually pre-do these weekly spreads for school weeks after a vacation so that if the teachers give an assignment due in a week or two, I already have the homework column of the due week prepared in advance. When I don’t have school (aka during vacations), I don’t make a weekly spread. I just do my dailies linearly.

3. Useful collections for school

I also like to have some pages of my bullet journal dedicated to other elements related to school:

Homework to do during the holidays:

My grade averages:

A spread dedicated to the list of things I had to do for UK uni application and school during last summer:

And so on… you can get creative and it also depends on your needs for school. 

So here it is! This setup worked really well for my senior year and I will definitely continue to use it for university. 

I hope this post was useful :)

[studying-forlife]

In every studyblr advice, they always tell you to write notes, but most of the time they never tell you how, so here’s how to do, properly.

First things first - you can’t write notes as you go along

It doesn’t work, it might save time because you only have to read through it once. But unfortunately, that’s not how you do it.

You’ll end up copying the textbook word for word and then not know what they mean because it’s simply a bullet-pointed version of sentences from your textbook. Trust me, I’ve been there too. 

Here’s what you do 

1. You read through one paragraph 

Make sure you at least understand what it’s saying, this is very important for the 2nd step. Search up any words and phrases you don’t understand

2. You form ONE sentence that summarises the entire paragraph 

Yes, one sentence, no this is not a mistake, you can summarise a paragraph with a sentence. If you have to, summarise it in two, but it’s good to be strict on this.

Let’s take this paragraph from the 1960s-70s American Feminist Movement Article for example

In 1960, the world of American women was limited in almost every respect, from family life to the workplace. A woman was expected to follow one path: to marry in her early 20s, start a family quickly, and devote her life to homemaking. As one woman at the time put it, “The female doesn’t really expect a lot from life. She’s here as someone’s keeper — her husband’s or her children’s.” As such, wives bore the full load of housekeeping and child care, spending an average of 55 hours a week on domestic chores. They were legally subject to their husbands via “head and master laws,” and they had no legal right to any of their husbands’ earnings or property, aside from a limited right to “proper support”; husbands, however, would control their wives’ property and earnings. If the marriage deteriorated, divorce was difficult to obtain, as “no-fault” divorce was not an option, forcing women to prove wrongdoing on the part of their husbands in order to get divorced.

This entire paragraph can be condensed to

Women were controlled, restricted and dependent on men - their role was predetermined.

3. Then add detail with bullet points under it

Women were controlled, restricted and dependent on men. Their role was predetermined 

1960s America, women were limited in the workplace and family

“The female doesn’t expect a lot from life. She’s here as someone’s keeper — her husband’s or her children's” 

Legally subjected to their husbands via “head and master laws”, no legal right to property

etc.

If you have any questions, ask or message me privately

Happy studying and good luck!

cafe-etudiante

[studying-forlife]

FRIDAY FOLLOW SPREE!!

In honor of home reaching 17,000 followers last week I’m starting to do this promise every Friday!

ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS REBLOG THIS POST! I’ll follow back similar blogs!

[studying-forlife]

you are doing the right things, keep up the good work

[studying-forlife]

Issue 4 is here!!!!!

learn it. live it. breathe it. (bc that’s all we do)

thx fam <3

[studying-forlife]

i hope in november you look cute and get good grades

[studying-forlife]

Start that work now, before it’s too late. Put your phone on “Do Not Disturb”, forget about your crush, close the tabs of YouTube/Twitter/Tumblr/whatever the fuck, and challenge yourself to get work done. You feel so much better when you achieve a goal, even just a small one. Don’t think about everything else going on. You first. Do your work.