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Learning Styles: Why You Shouldn’t Rely on Them and What You Should Do Instead

You’ve probably heard before that people take in new knowledge more effectively through different mediums. In other words, people have different learning styles.

The most common classification of ‘learning styles’ is the VARK method, which stands for Visual, Auditory, Reading, and Kinesthetic. It classifies people based on how they prefer to learn new material.

Instructors use these classifications to help their students understand new material. Students rely on them to identify their learning needs and find more efficient ways to study.

I often receive questions along the lines of ‘how can a [insert learning type here] learner study for [insert subject here]?’ or ‘what study methods work best for [insert learning type here]?’ Although I understand where you’re coming from, there are some problems with pegging yourself to a certain learning style.

Why You Shouldn’t Rely on Learning Styles

There’s No Scientific Evidence

Firstly, there’s no scientific evidence supporting the theory of learning styles. Teachers who adapt their lesson material to different learning styles don’t see an improvement in performance from their students. Students who believe they fit a particular learning style don’t do better in tasks associated with that learning style compared to their peers who identify with a different learning style.

Learning Styles are Preferences

They don’t tell you whether you receive information better a certain way. This is one of the flaws of the VARK questionnaire - it uses phrases like you would, you learn best by, you prefer, and you like. This only tells you the things you already do and the habits you’ve already formed, not what’s best for you and yields the best results.

Plus, the fact that these questions are self-reported undermines the reliability of the results of the questionnaire. Even if you think you’re extremely self-aware and can identify a single medium through which you receive information most effectively, adhering to a single medium will result in major drawbacks, which I’ll explain later in this post.

The Theory’s Inconsistent with Neuroscience

The idea of learning styles is also inconsistent with findings in neuroscience: the brain is an interconnected organ, so when you utilize one learning method, other learning methods are activated as well. For example, when you read a certain piece of text, your brain would then find a way to visualize what you read or to sound it out in your head.

What You Should Do Instead

Use All Learning Methods

Because our brain is so interconnected, it would be best to utilize all learning methods so that you can learn the material as comprehensively as possible. This was a method my seventh-grade science teacher taught me, and it’s been more helpful than I was aware of.

For example, when studying a relationship between two variables in a graph, you should

Study the physical attributes of the graph. Remember axes, units, the general shape of the graph, and outliers. This will help you understand the general correlation or relationship between the two factors. (Visual)

Read the explanation of the graph and rewrite it in your own words, either in the form of notes or a paragraph, so long as there is logical consistency. Also, redraw the graph. (Visual, Reading)

Explain (out loud) what’s going on in the graph and the explanation/theory behind it, while only looking at the graph you redrew. Do so by walking around. (Auditory, Kinesthetic)

Focus on the Material

The most important thing when it comes to studying is to focus on the material. The way that information is best processed by your brain depends on the type of information you’re receiving much more than what learning method you prefer to use. So, you should adopt as many of the learning styles as you can, focusing on what best suits the material you’re studying.

For example, you won’t understand geometry as comprehensively if you don’t visualize the shapes. You won’t be able to speak a different language without hearing how the correct accent is supposed to sound. You won’t be able to do math without actually doing the problems - just reading through sample questions and answers isn’t very effective.

In short, it doesn’t help to obsess over learning styles and only base your study habits on what style you’re classified into. Instead, you should utilize all learning styles and focus on study methods that work best for the content of what you’re studying.

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Peaceful place ✨✌️ #sailorMoon #Usagi #room #peace #cat #luna #art #draw #digitalcolor https://www.instagram.com/p/ByRdyJXFbgA/?igshid=1bod6mygaiwpq

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this is true love y’all (x) | follow @the-movemnt

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Ziad Nakad Fall 2019 Bridal Collection

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Sticking to Your Habits

I’m very sure we all have decided to implement new habits into our lives, especially at the start of each new year. But sometimes, sticking to your habits can be really tough. You just lose that motivation to continue keeping the good habits going. That’s why I’d like to write about some tips I’m currently using as well as tips from others!

- Start small. 

Make your target as realistic as possible. Starting too big requires a lot of discipline and you should try to just keep to one or two habits first before adding on some more.

- Focus on creating a routine.

Implement your habits into your everyday life so that it doesn’t seem like a huge bother. Make a list and check it off whenever you’re done with it.

- Celebrate every tiny victory.

It’s alright to feel happy because you’ve stuck to your new habits for a week. Celebrate!

- Keep a Habit Tracker, or Journal.

Many people keep habit trackers to record down how consistent they are on keeping their habits. If you find that too troublesome, just scribble it down in a notebook at the end of each day. Or write Daily Accomplishments on a Post-It and stick them all up on your bedroom wall! 

- Create an Environment.

Want to increase your reading hours? Leave your book at your favourite couch. Always hooked on the phone? Keep it far away from you when you’re on a particular task.

- Surround yourself with Positive Energy.

Be with people who help you keep your habits (It could be your mom, for example).

- Mindset.

You can do it! I believe in you 101%!!! 

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5 Habits You Should Cultivate as a Student

On this series of habits, I’d like to share some habits we as students should cultivate despite our hectic student lives.

Make lists

- Before starting the day off, make a list of things to do for the day ahead. Split your tasks into 3 categories: Academic, Personal, and Work (e.g: replying to comments on Tumblr, etc).

Listen to podcasts

- Waiting for the bus? Stuck in a traffic jam? Grab this opportunity to listen to an educational podcast, be it on Spotify, Audible, etc. I try listening to BBC Learning English’s 6 Minute English daily to improve my vocabulary. Check them out here!

Social media detox

- Try not to use your phone 1 hour after waking up. Instead, listen to podcasts. It’s way more beneficial then scrolling mindlessly through your Instagram, or whatever.

Plan ahead

- Keeping a planner is helpful and useful as it helps you get your life together. As I’ve mentioned, make lists and also monthly overviews. This will give you a clear and focused mind.

Workout

- After a whole day of school, remember to s t r e t c h. Do some simple exercises, like stretching your legs. You’ll feel more refreshed and energised.

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your friends love you, you are not a burden, you don’t weigh them down, they chose you

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Digital Bullet Journal App

Hey guys! Whilst replying to my last message, I came across an application called Elisi - it is a free digital bullet journal app for iPhone/iPad, Andriod and Mac :D

I’ve just downloaded it to see what it can do and it has:

weekly calendars (unfortunately, no monthly or daily specific)

colour-coded lists (with % completion)

habit trackers (each week and tracks your record/streak)

notes - these you can have per week, but if you bookmark them they’ll stay for any week you go too!

check off your tasks or check off and leave a reaction (sad, neutral, happy)

Here is a screenshot of me testing it out so you can have a quick see!

Just thought I’d share it since it’s free and looks quite useful! :-)

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RE-PROGRAMMING YOUR MINDSET FOR SUCCESS

I feel like I have to share my pathway towards success with you because I spent all my life considering success as the very end of the journey when in reality you can have it all along the way. And I think that understanding this is fundamental, not only for your studies but also for your everyday life.

I’ll start by showing you a little example. During my long stay in Cartagena I had the occasion to do a few salsa dance lessons with some of my friends (yeah cliché I know) and as I was listening to the salsa teacher I kept telling myself that I was too rigid and not coordinated at all and that I’d look terrible dancing.

When we had to practice the moves I couldn’t keep up with the rhythm and honestly, I was a mess. The teacher even came to me to tell me that I was thinking too much about the moves!!

In that very moment, I thought: “ok Margot, now think you’re a latina goddess, you’re sexy and you’re a born-to-be a dancer”. As soon as I started telling this to myself, my moves completely improved. They got so much better that I was the only one in the group who was able to perform all the moves correctly on the first try.

What I want to tell you with this story is : you won’t go anywhere as long as you keep a negative mindset. The second you switch your mindset and you turn it into something positive, a little miracle happen. Just as me being able to perform good dance moves (and trust me that this one is really a true miracle :)

Now, I know it’s easy to say but I really want you to understand this because it’ll change your life like it changed mine : whatever you think about, you become.

The minute you start filling your brain with useless thoughts like “I’m not enough of this”, “I wish I had this”, “I wish I looked like that”, “I’m too fat to wear that”, “I have no self-control”, “I’m bad at maths”, etc. well guess what : you’ll still be bad at maths, you’ll stay sad and in months from now you’ll be stuck in the same place.

Here are some bits of advice about what you should be doing instead. Notice that this post is inspired by Gabrielle Bernstein’s book “The Universe has your Back” and also by other inspiring video’s I watched in the past few months :) 

Focus on your goal and imagine how you’re gonna achieve it, how you’re gonna feel and how proud you will be. Make it as clear as possible. Write it down in your journal if you want. Visualize every single detail. If your goal isn’t clear, it’s ok! You can still think about how you can improve your life or how you can work on just loving yourself more. And don’t be afraid to think big.

Practice positive affirmations. This one will be hard in the beginning because we all are used to focus on the things we don’t have, or the habits we want to get rid of, but we never pay attention to what we already have or why we really want success. Instead of thinking “I want to stop biting my nails so I won’t be ashamed of them” think “I’ll be so proud of myself if I stop biting my nails and I’ll feel more confident!”. Trust me, it makes ALL the difference.

Practice gratitude. You have no idea about the positive impact it has. If you struggle with this, try to make a list of at least 5 things you are grateful for every night before going to bed. Write it in a journal or just think about it for a moment. There’s no “wrong” way to practice gratitude. You can be grateful for the pizza you had today, or your cat. It just has to be positive.

Get some inspiration. Read a new book or look for some videos that inspire you. Get closer to people you admire. Inspiration is so important because it allows you to get a better view of what you want to become. I really started changing my mindset the first time I read “You Are a Badass” by Jen Sincero. It has been so eye-opening to me that I started practicing more and more positive actions ! I also found TED Talks to be really helpful for me!! 

Judge less. I know, we’re all humans. We all judge and it’s totally normal to do so. However, we can modify our judgment towards a lot of situations : whenever you notice yourself judging something or someone, take a step back and think why you are doing so, it’ll help you to see clearer and you’ll let more space for love. You don’t know what’s behind the people you’re judging and it doesn’t help you to reach your goal. Use this energy to work on yourself instead.

Stop comparing yourself. Don’t stop because you think you’ll never be enough. You don’t know what the others are going through, you don’t even know what they are thinking. I remember in my first med school year that I was constantly focusing on what the others were doing and comparing it to what I was working on instead. I spent so much energy doing so instead of studying that it made me fail my exams. And you know what the funniest part is? That the people I valued better than me failed their exams too. This definitely changed my vision! The next year I only focused on myself and on my own study methods and I passed all my exams :) 

Start where you are and celebrate small victories : you’ve been feeling like crap and all you did was taking a shower? It’s fine. You took care of yourself. Be happy about it. Be grateful to be able to do so. Don’t wait for the right moment to start something because the truth is that there’s no right moment and that you’ll never really be ready. Success is more about the journey than the destination. Always remember that.

Stay true to yourself. Don’t seek perfection but start loving every part of yourself instead. Don’t apologize for being authentic because it will allow you to understand what truly matters to you in every situation. Being your own self will also help you focus on your goal and not letting distractions around. You’ll gain confidence as you’ll know what works best for you and you’ll be able to let go of negative things in your life.

Also, don’t apologize for your success and your abundance. You are worth it. You’ve always been. 

I hope these tips will help you to reach your goals! You deserve to be happy and successful!

Margot X

STUDYGRAM

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I have found it challenging, even within the langblr community, to find a list of beginner resources for learning German, so I decided to make one!

Note: Resources I use are marked ⭐︎

Textbooks Feuerwerk 1 / 2 / 3 ⭐︎ Katzensprung 1 / 2 Genau! / Ganz Genau! Teach Yourself ⭐︎

Dictionaries English-Deutsch (print) Deutsch-Englisch (print) Duden (print) Via mundo (print) dict.cc (online) ⭐︎ collins (online) pons (online) ⭐︎

Grammar German Verb Drills (print) Grammar you really need to know (print) Grammar in a nutshell (print) Collins easy learning (print) Pons Grammatik (print) Duden (print) Hueber 1 / 2 (print) Hueber (online) german-grammar.de (online) ⭐︎ schubert (online) ⭐︎

Apps mondly mango busuu lang-8 ⭐︎ hinative memrise ⭐︎ beelinguapp duolingo ⭐︎ hellotalk italki

Read News 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 ⭐︎ World Press All You Can Read Readlang ⭐︎

Listen Podcasts 1 / 2 Radio Youtubers 1 Movies (Youtube) Easy German (Youtube) My Playlist (Spotify) ⭐︎ Live-Radio everytongue.com omniglot ⭐︎ globalrecordings.net

Chat hellotalk ⭐︎ hinative wespeke speaky

Other Language Masterposts amazing masterpost - @blogresources language books - @languageoclock​ how to guess german genders - @languageoclock​ german master post - @studycell​ language learning resources - @blackteaandlanguages​ language exchange - @intellectus​ german phonetics - @saru-studies​ german resources masterlist - @deutsian​

Tips ⭐︎ Try to practice every day! It really makes a difference and learning a language isn’t something you can accomplish overnight! ⭐︎ Keep a journal of your notes, grammar rules, and so on! Use sticky notes and flags to stay organized and easily flip back to charts and important rules! ⭐︎ Set a goal! It’s much easier to work toward a defined goal than just the overall hopes of mastering a language! ⭐︎ Film yourself speaking! I know it sounds weird, but it helps with pronunciation, and you can always look back to old videos to see how far you’ve come! ⭐︎ Learn through media! Watch tv shows and movies, read the news, listen to music, and so on in your target language! It’s a fun way to learn and will help with sentence structure, vocabulary, popular culture, and pronunciation! ⭐︎ Know that your studyblr/langblr community is always here for support! Reach out to bloggers who are fluent in your target language, and message them! Casual conversation in your target language can be helpful, but having a native speaker assist you is even more useful!

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Claude Monet’s home in Giverny 

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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 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 ♥

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German Vocab: At the beach

der Strand - beach

der Sand - sand

das Meer - sea

der Ozean - ocean

die Wellen - waves

die Flut - tide

die Ebbe - ebb

die Sonne - sun

die Sonnenbrille - sunglasses

der Sonnenschirm - sun umbrella

das Handtuch - towel 

die Sonnencreme - sunscreen                                                                  

der Sonnenbrand - sunburn 

der Badeanzug - swimsuit

der Bikini - bikini

die Badehose - swim trunks      

die Schwimmbrille - swimming googles          

der Liegestuhl - deckchair                                         

die Muschel - shell

der Seestern - starfish

der Fisch - fish

das Seepferdchen - sea horse

die Alge - seaweed

die Koralle - coral

die Möwe - seagull

die Krabbe - crab

die Palme - palm tree

das Schiff - ship

das Boot - boat

schwimmen - to swim

surfen - to surf

tauchen - to dive

schnorcheln - to snorkel

segeln - to sail

bräunen - to tan

ein Picknick machen - to have a picnic

grillen - to barbeque

in der Sonne liegen - to lay in the sun

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German - materials

der… Beton - concrete Sand - sand Stahl - steel Stein - stone, rock

die… Baumwolle - cotton Pappe - cardboard Wolle - wool

das… Eisen - iron Glas - glass Gold - gold Holz - wood, timber Kupfer - copper Leder - leather Metall - metal Papier - paper Plastik - plastic Silber - silver

Das ist aus… - It is made of…

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Cucculelli Shaheen “Solstice” Fall 2018 Ready-to-Wear Collection

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