a-decidedly-helpful-dataset-blog

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W.I.P

NOTE: As of today (16/09/2017) this blog is active. However, it is far from complete.

So far I have

Planned out most the basic content

Picked photos for a background and icon

Written an about section

In the next few days/weeks depending on what time I have I will

Post my starting HelpPosts

Make the first master-post

Figure out some finer details

Probably swear in frustration at some point

Once that is done I will open asks/submissions etc. and take advice to slowly improve content when and if I can. Responses will be slow and I will not be on this blog daily.

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The Post that Masters the MasterPosts

Shopping MasterPost

General Organisation MasterPost

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Shopping MasterPost

Food Shopping

Clothes Shopping 

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General Organisation MasterPost

Running Out of Household Items

Messy Work and Notes Layout

Losing Objects in the Morning  

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Running Out of Household Items

This actually isn’t a method I learnt through need, it’s one my parents always used and I think it’s useful. I’m using toothpaste as an example, it could be deodorant or face wash or fairy liquid or bottles of jiff.

If you have one tube of toothpaste on half right now and no more toothpaste as backup write on your list to buy a back-up next time you shop. When your current one runs out, write it on your list to buy the next one. That way you always have a back-up.

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Messy Work/ Notes Layout (some revision tips mixed in).

This is entirely personal because it’s how I learn. 

Revising off unstructured notes is not something I’m physically able to do. If work doesn’t flow, I can’t figure out what it’s teaching me. I can’t override the NOPE to make myself do it because literally the sight is overwhelming. Also, organisation helps. Keep work for the same class together cause it is painful trying to sort it later.

TIP: Find an organisation structure/ layout that works for you!

At school I just had a notebook and stuck the name of the subject/ module and teacher on the front and kept it all together that way. In uni sometimes one module will have one lecturer teach us once. So I stick it in a poly pocket (plastic wallet thing) and tape a post-it with the module name and lecturer’s name on it and keep it in a binder.

For my notes themselves I put the module and lecturers name (again) on the top of the page. Title of lecture. I do it all in a coloured pen. I’m not too fussy about how perfect and pristine my notes are but if I feel there’s a suitable sub-topic e.g. disease signs and symptoms, disease cause, treatment etc. I write the sub-title in colour too- this way I can find the information I need faster when I revise. It just breaks up the horrid sea of one colour ink and it isn’t that hard to do. It takes two pens.

I take as many notes as I can as I go along, normally fail epically because daydreaming is better, so however you do it- try and catch up sooner rather than later. I plan in time to re-do notes normally within a week of the lecture (I’m an undergrad). At school it was a bit less of an issue, but I’d still recommend it.

Bonus tip: I use flashcards to revise to condense paragraphs of pointless into a handful of sentences of something. Each sub-topic is normally 1-2 cards for me (e.g. an hour lecture on diabetes will split into types, demographics of type 1, cause of type 1, diagnosis of type 1, treatment for type 1, then the same for type 2). And I write the sub-title on the front in the same colour.

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Losing Objects in the Morning

Keys, phone, wallet/purse. The three essential items you’re probably always losing, right? Does it make you late in the morning? I have the dumbest recommendation but it’s the best I’ve had so far.

Okay, some of you may have heard of the ‘launch pad’ method to tackle morning hunts. I’ll explain that and then I’ll explain what I do, so you can see both and pick your favourite.

LAUNCH PAD: Have a space near the front door where you leave your packed bag and everything you need ready for the morning. That way there’s no hunting, you just grab and go. Pros- fast, efficient! Cons- remembering to sort it the night before, losing stuff (in your bag) once you’ve left the house.

BAG-BAG: This is the solution my mother developed for me, except it’s never had a name until now. Buy a reasonably small bag, one that fits inside your other bag (best if you use a rucksack but any large handbag or satchel if fine). Put your three essentials in there, if a work lanyard etc. and/or headphones fit too that’s awesome! Put the small big in your bigger bag. Then, come morning, grab the bag and go. Pros- fast, efficient, it’s easier to find stuff throughout the day, by always returning stuff to your that bag after using it you’ll form a stronger habit then rushing at night. Cons- you still might forget your phone.  

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Clothes Shopping

This is a bit more tricky because it depends on if you’re shopping for fun or for need. If you need jeans try and limit yourself to only going into stores that will sell jeans somehow. E.g. I live closer to a retail park and a slightly run-down town that basically has one good clothing store than I do to the city with the large number of nice shops. If all I need is a new winter coat I can get that at the retail park. Also there’s only like 5 clothes shops, a video game store, a shoe shop and a camping supply store there. So I can’t “accidentally” wander into a book shop or art supply store and spend my food budget. If I go to my local town it’s mainly bargain stores and charity shops, so actually that’s not so bad. I might accidentally buy too much but the price isn’t quite as cry-worthy.

If this is not an option I have two suggestions:

1) Go after work/school when you literally have like an hour to get in and get out. Then you have to head straight for the places where you like to buy your jeans/coats and by the time you’ve got what you want you won’t have long left to manage to blow more money (in theory).

2) Online shopping. Hit and miss. I normally choose too much, see the price and cut it down to like one item because I ain’t paying that. But it’s easy to go OTT online.

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Food Shopping

Okay so the one tip I see everywhere which honestly works better than anything for me is this: -Stick to the outer aisles.

That’s it. Bread, milk, fruit, veg. It all tends to go along the outer walls etc. of the shops. You might need to go into more central aisles for rice or pasta and for sauces and snack it’s normally not that far in (see diagram below based on one of my local supermarkets, it’s similar in most shops in most areas I’ve lived). The middle middle bits tends to be what you don’t need. The more expensive snacks, toiletries and cleaning products. Only go there if you know what you’re getting.

For the actual ‘what do I buy’ thing, make a list of meals you want this week. Check what food you have, figure out what you need. Write it down, go buy. Put household items on the list as you think of them throughout the week (notes on phones are great for this but a specific pad of paper somewhere in your home for lists is fine too).

[a-decidedly-helpful-dataset-blog]

W.I.P

NOTE: As of today (16/09/2017) this blog is active. However, it is far from complete.

So far I have

Planned out most the basic content

Picked photos for a background and icon

Written an about section

In the next few days/weeks depending on what time I have I will

Post my starting HelpPosts

Make the first master-post

Figure out some finer details

Probably swear in frustration at some point

Once that is done I will open asks/submissions etc. and take advice to slowly improve content when and if I can. Responses will be slow and I will not be on this blog daily.

[a-decidedly-helpful-dataset-blog]

About this Adventurous Attempt at Blogging

Ah, hello there! I see you clicked to read more.

Well, let’s get down to business to defeat the hun..ger for more information. I shall endeavour to keep this brief but, well. I am a rambler through and through. Also, if you don’t understand something it’s probably my version of ‘being hilarious’. I think I’m a comic genius.

HOW ON EARTH DOES THIS BLOG WORK? WHY IS IT DIFFERENT TO OTHERS? To describe it simply there is a master-post (here) listing each topic or category, as compared to scrolling through tags for the category or going into a generic area for the topic and having no helpful links to guide you afterwards. That post will gives some detail on each topic, splitting it into different aspects and include further links to the relevant HelpPost.

WHAT IS A HelpPost? The best name I could think of. A topic (e.g. sleep) in the master-post will be split into sub-topics (e.g. difficulty falling asleep, difficulty getting to bed on time). Each sub-topic has a HelpPost noting a few tactics to overcome the issue and any helpful links. If you have a suggestion to help or know a good resource, feel free to message the blog in some way but there may be a delay before I add it due to Life.

WHAT ARE THESE SURVEY LINKS? They’re kinda for fun? Let me explain, basically I wanted to try and merge this blog and the surveys seamlessly but guess who has no idea how to do that? It’s me. The point of the surveys, if they work, is to give a visual show that you aren’t the only who struggling with that particular thing. So your participation will be greatly appreciated but is not required. I’m afraid I couldn’t manage to do the whole thing as one survey and then link to individual topics without you guys then needing to complete the whole survey (I didn’t try that hard to be fair, I got bored). Note: The data collected is completely anonymous, it doesn’t even ask for an age or gender identity etc. I will not be using the data in anyway other than to the reason stated above (visual form of weird support).