angelsaretheonly-blog

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9.16 basically this week’s productivity ; I put way more effort into this picture than I’m willing to admit of but hey, I put in the work so I can be as proud of it as I want :) also I don’t think I showed my new study space bc college so here it is!!

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07.04.2019 Sitting in my sunlit appartement, eating breakfast and listening to Beirut. My friends and I were at their concert last night - it was so lovely! I’m still a bit hungover but I’ve got a lot on my to do list. Let’s get this bread!

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when professors read ur essays and are like “what did you mean by this *underlines completely unintelligible sentence*” im like smh idk arent you the one with a phd? figure it out -_-

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rain means moving back to my usual study spot (the dining table) and blasting jazz as i read constitutional law notes 🌧

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Online classes are working for me, I’m starting to catch up on all the classes I missed earlier this semester and it’s getting easier for me. Spring has begun and the sun really energizes me! My plants also love it and my monstera is giving me a new leaf.

Please stay home if you can and be safe everyone!

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ive slowly been working back to academic things as professors have finally been assigning (modified) requirements for the fulfillment of the semester. it really isnt easy in this hot weather, during a worldwide pandemic, but that also makes me realize that its necessary to balance self-care and things that really do need to get done. because getting things done is ALSO a form of self-care in the long run. for now, im working on obligations and contracts and studying constitutional law! professors send us recorded lectures and we have to do our own independent study.

in other news, ive been working out regularly (thanks chloe ting and billy blanks) and im in better shape than i have been in a year! i feel really strong and it helps me stay awake in the daytime.

hope everyone is staying healthy and safe.

— sam

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i post my study space every year because it changes drastically but for now this is my basic 2020 setup: a window near my desk, some semblance of organization, and always, always some coffee.

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Slow sundays 🌻

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17|11|2019

Some stuff from an English essay I did a few days ago. It wasn’t the best essay I have ever done but I’m pretty pleased with what I got considering my teachers are marking as if I was doing this in my a level exam in two years time.

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what does your life look like as a uni student?

Most days I wake up at 7 and get ready to go to uni, then I get coffee and read a little before classes start. I get home at about 3pm and have lunch, then do some reading for classes or work on assignments if I have any, then I relax with more coffee and youtube/netflix or a book until nightfall. I try to be in bed by 12am. Not the most exciting daily life but right now it feels so comforting 🖤

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Normalize bare faces in ALL settings. Makeup should not be a requirement for beauty, professionalism or hygiene. Normalize the idea that if applying makeup isn’t enjoyable there’s no reason to be wearing it. Then destroy the elitism within makeup culture and destroy the idea that makeup as a hobby requires spending a lot of money.

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currently laying in bed, listening to a podcast and scrolling through social media while getting ready to study for my exam tomorrow

went to sleep late last night so quite tired but excited to have all my exams completed by the beginning of next week!

heres to a couple hours of cosy studying with tea, hot chocolate and breakfast before heading into work later in the afternoon

happy wednesday!!

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i failed a class. i’m not saying this to be sad, because i’ve mourned for an evening (by sitting up in bed and drawing and maybe just a little bit of crying), but because i did say that i would be completely transparent about my failures on this blog. the truth is, sometimes hard work doesn’t lead to immediate success. for me this comes as a relatively new thing; in undergrad i’d been used to mildly minimal effort (except during hell week where i would cease to be a human being and turn into a paper-writing ghost) and maximum output and good grades. i learned that in the real world, this does not happen, and even the best effort can only bring you so much. am i saying this to be depressing? no. i think i learned many lessons about how to study and how not to study, and i’m proud of myself for making it this far.  today, i decided to push aside a lot of the grief i was still feeling (yes, i’m dramatic, i have a leo moon) to work at a cafe with my sister; i have another exam next week. moving forward helps. i realized that feeling sorry for yourself usually leads to downward spirals and being stuck in a sad, sad hole. so i studied for 7 hours and finished half the syllabus (aka the exam coverage). i sketched my sister, laughed, had light fluffy pancakes, and played with my cat. there is so much more to learn, and maybe some of it comes from being to laugh at myself and my failures. we’ll all make it someday. just gotta keep trying.  - sam

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winter study moods

peppermint: cold fingers, neat flash cards, early morning studying, puffs of warm breath in frozen air, smudged black ink

mittens: nervously looking over notes before a test, warming hands on cups of coffee, illegible in class notes, the first snow fall of the season

gingerbread: been excited for winter break since November, red ears from the cold, protests any and all holiday homework

snow angle: actually sticking to a holiday study plan, baking with loved ones, obsessive mildliner use

hot chocolate: doodles in the margins, huge winter coats, walking quickly between classes to escape the cold, best gift giver

scarves: over full binders, driving around to look at Christmas lights, dying pens, constantly adjusting glasses, fuzzy socks

presents: mind wandering during lectures, seeking refuge in warm cafes, the same abandoned to do list written in three different places

mulled wine: hair tied up with scrunchies, living out of the library, chipped nail polish, Christmas markets, organized chaos

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Just a few of my spreads from this year 🐇

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how I manage my time at uni

hi! when it comes to managing my time at uni, I’ve been experimenting a lot to find what feels best. no worries, it is a process. this is how I manage my time, feeling better about both study time and breaks!

you know when teachers plan a field trip? they most often plan it pretty precisely, so that the kids know exactly what to do at what time. the kids also know that if they follow the plan, they’ll get free time. 

that’s how I think about planning my weeks. I tell myself exactly what to do in advance. that way, I don’t stress about what needs to be done while doing something else. it allows me to be more present and to enjoy what I do a little more. I know that if I respect my pretty flexible schedule, I’ll have nothing to worry about. being conscious (not only in my head, but seeing it in front of me) really is what helps me. 

I use google calendar, but you can use whatever calendar you like — just keep in mind that a screen allows more flexibility than paper in this situation ;) the idea is to be able to visualise your week and to be conscious of what is coming up. there are 3 main steps:

step 1 | what doesn’t change during the week when planning a semester, I start with setting my classes (mine are red colour blocks). after that, I set commuting time (it took me some time to figure out which transportation functioned the best for me, but once I found it, I quickly got used to it). any other events can be set too (extra-curriculars, work…). I also plan a time at which it would be healthy for me to eat + go to bed. this is what doesn’t change during my week and that I can’t miss.

step 2 | what can vary during the week now, I can visualise how much time is left. I can realistically choose when to revise, work, take breaks, work out, see friends and family, play my instrument and work on my personal projects. I’m lucky to have an at-home job, letting me choose when to work, as long as i respect deadlines.

step 3 | planning study sessions sitting down to study and looking at a super long to-do list feels so overwhelming. that is why (knowing how much time each task takes to accomplish) I plan exactly what I will be doing during each study session, depending on the time tasks take. that way, when I come to the library for example, I can just look at what this study session’s program is and follow it (thinking that if my teacher has planned this, it must be a good and sensible step forward in my schedule — only here the teacher is past me, planning my week, thinking about the healthiest way of organising it).

it is so reassuring to now what’s coming up

say it’s monday and that when you get home, you’re already tired. if you’ve planned to work at a specifically focused time on tuesday, you don’t need to worry and can enjoy relaxing and resting instead. this isn’t procrastination, as things are planned. if you take a break, on tuesday you’ll feel better to work / more energised and might enjoy that as well, or maybe just not hate it.

knowing at what times you concentrate the easiest is good here. for me, it is either early in the morning or in the evening. anytime I don’t have class or anything else planned, I can plan a little study session at one of the times I mentioned above.

warnings / reminders

be realistic | how much time does it take to do this? add some minutes (just more time) to your plan if you aren’t sure. also, your body isn’t always ready to do what you’ve planned. that is why you need to plan possibilities to allow flexibility. do not be too strict. the aim is not to overwork yourself!! this needs to be enjoyable. being conscious and visualising your week is supposed to reassure you and help you worry less about everything that needs to be done <3