janenguyenstudies

[janenguyenstudies]

What I think Biotech freshmen should learn during your first year at IU

So my first year has finally ended. The curriculum for freshman year is pre-determined by the Office of Academics so I did not have a chance to change the schedule. I took about 7 subjects each semester, with a total of 2 semesters. If you do not have to take IE1 and IE2 classes, you can “jump” directly into the main curriculum. So in my first year I took: Calculus 1&2, Physics 1&2, General Biology and Chemistry plus 2 Bio and Chem labs, Organic Chemistry, Academic English 1&2 (Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening), Critical Thinking, Introduction to Biotechnology, P.E. It’s a relief that I could work through the courses although I was not excelling at STEM subjects in highschool. But college taught me all the amazing skills to study on my own and discover knowledge for my self-growth. Apart from schoolwork, I think any Biotech freshmen should also keep an eye on learning other extra skills of a scientist/professional, which I will list below. Do not worry because a year ago I entered this school while being a completely blank state, having seen so many of my friends succeeded in getting scholarships, leading extracurricular activities,... I felt hopeless sometimes but I believe in grinding one step at a time until I could accomplish the job. So my general experience boils down to being humble and let others teach you the skills, then practice slowly but firmly. You will be able to grow so much faster. And do not compare yourself with others’ success stories because everyone has their strengths and their own clock.

These are the lists of skills I have learnt and will continue to improve in the future. I will be expanding and giving more details about each point. This is in no chronological order:

 - Learn to make a positive affirmations/ orienting articles book: 

            During your whole college career, you will have a lot of moments of self-doubt, for example when your grades are not good, you've failed some classes, your part-time job application got turned down too many times (trust me I am so familiar with such rejections), some experiments got messy and returned no results, you wonder what your future in the field would look like. These are all scenarios that have happened to me in freshman year. 

Therefore, I have found a way to cope with self-doubt and boost my confidence, which is to make a collection of positive affirmations and orienting articles. I would form an imagined overview of my own career path reading all these writings and finally came to recording my own path . I use all forms of note-jotting tools to record them. I tend to record 1) Experience snippets from influencing scientists in my field, whom I happen to follow on Facebook 2) Lists of “What college kids need to practice before they graduate” (Dr.Le Tham Duong 's Facebook) 3) Ybox 's Shared tips for career orientation column (Link) 4) Short paragraphs from the books that I have read. The paragraphs often contain insights into what successful people (in Biotech or in Finance) have thought, have planned, and have acted on. For digital copy of the books, I save the snippets into a file called "Clippings" and later export them through the website called clippings.io

- Have an online note-taking tools for jotting down important thinking (recommend Keep or Evernote for quick jot, while Onenote is more suitable for recording lectures thanks to its structure that resembles a binder)

A snippet of my Evernote, where I store career advice:

- Learn to do research properly (what is a journal, what is a citation management software, what is the structure of a paper[abstract, introduction, methods, data analysis, discussion, conclusion], poster, conferences). You can begin to search for academic papers using Google Scholar scholar.google.com. However, there are countless of other websites for published journals that serve different sience fields. You need to dig into Google further to find them.

- Learn to write essays (basic tasks are covered in Writing AE courses including brainstorming, reading, citings, argumentative essay, process essay, preparing thesis statement)

- Join a lab: learn the safety guidelines, learn who is in control of the lab, what researches/projects are being carried there). As for this, you need to make contact with professors from our department. Most professors here are friendly and willing to help if you just come up and ask a question after class. To be eligible to join their labs,  - Learn to write a proper email to a professor: to ask for what will be on the next test, whether you can be a volunteer in their lab (usually by cold-email, and the professor will likely ask for your background: your highschool grades, your motivation,...); write email to an employer asking for a temporary position. - Learn to write a meeting minute: a sum-up of your meeting with other team members - Learn to answer basic questions for a volunteer opportunity: what is your strength, what is your past experience, what do you know about us, what is your free-time - Learn to write a CV: using topcv,... or downloading free templates on the Internet and write a motivation letter: What you are currently doing, what problems have you solved for your employers, and what can you do to help your new employers solve their problems.

- Learn to create an attractive presentation by using Canvas and learn to deliver ideas effectively (recommended book Think on your feet [Lib 1]).

I have discovered Canvas only for a year, but its graphics are so attractive and appealing to my taste, so here is my presentation for Finals using Canvas:

- Learn a programming language or a second language: recommend Python or R, and any foreign language that you feel interested in, but your ultimate goal would be to comfortably use that language in academic reading and exchanging ideas through writing and speaking (which is a long journey of 4+ years learning), so choose wisely. - Learn to create an online presence through a blog (Tumblr, Wordpress, Github, StackExchange,...), stalk your favorite experts on Quora and Reddit, make a habit to have a journal article delivered to your inbox every morning (me being Medium, Pocket, Nature); then Instagram or YouTube - Recommended books for incomming freshmen: How to be a straight-A student, Do not eat alone (socializing skills) - Recommended Medium sites: - Recommended Newspapers: The Economist, The Guardian, The New York Times Opinions Columns, Nature’s columns, The Scientific American. - Recommended Youtube Channels:  - Recommended Podcasts: listen passively on the bus, but try to paraphrase in your own words what you have understood about their conversation: - Recommended study spots: Den Da Coffeeshop, The Coffeehouse, Library of [...] in District 1, Central Library (Thu Duc District), IU Library.

- Learn the Pomodoro technique and Forest app: - Important websites for study resources: libgen, khanacademy, Coursehero (post only a short paragraph to get 1 free upload), scripd organic chemistry tutor, for jobs: ybox.vn - If your laptop is capable (with decent hardware), learn Adobe Tools (Video editing, Photoshop,...). My laptop can only run Linux Mint, so I chose to learn the skill of citation management and research (using less resource). Basically do not become computer-illiterate. - To reduce eye-strain, buy an e-reader to read scientific papers, do not print out all of them. - One exception to IU: you can bring one two-sided A4 paper into certain exams: this is my note for Calculus class:

- Learn to write a grand summary of formulas for Physics 2, meta-sum of all exercise questions - Prepare for IELTS (if you haven't taken IELTS already): you'll need it to pass IE classes, or apply for an exchange program. Ultimately, you need at least 6.0 in IELTS to graduate. I stumbled upon this careful list of tips from a senior student in our BT department who got an 8.0 => Link

Basically, follow Ngoc Bach’s page on Facebook to receive fully-solved exam materials, add ielts-simon.com into the mix, learn 560 academic word list, listen to Ted Talk and podcasts, do tests on ieltsonlinetests.com, do Cambridge IELTS book 9-14 and you’re good to go. - Have your eyes on competitions that spark your interest (innovative competition, writing contests, speaking and debating contests,...)

- Develop your fitness routine to protect your sanity when academic coursework overwhelm you and make you gain 15 pounds.

I do home HIIT exercises on Fitness Blender’s Youtube channel, Emi Wong, Chloe Ting home workouts in the beginning. 

Later I went to the gym and do split routines with weights, then threw in squats, deadlifts, lunges and HIIT on treadmill. This is how my current routine look like: (I work out only 4 times/week)

- Learn to use flashcards. (Quizlet has premade flashcards for biology class)

- Learn to manage personal finance: what is budget, expenses, income,... - Learn some google tweaks to pirate stuff. (especially textbook files and solutions files) - Learn to make handwritten A4 notes. I will post my own handwritten notes for Critical Thinking Mid (final is taken), Calculus II Mid and Final. - Learn to create meta sets for formulas and problems. I will post my formula set for Physics II and Problem/Skill set for Organic Chemistry. For Physics II, I learned my hard lesson is that it is better to do past exams than to solve advance textbook problems, so I stuck with past exams posted by TA and learnt by heart all the formulas, SI units. For Organic Chemistry you need a skillset checklist (like in the Wade textbook). Also there are questions from the slides such as the connection of amylopectin,... But they won't challenge you to think much. Only the amount of information to be memorized is deemed challenging here. - Intro to Biotech was quite easy and you could prepare in advance. 3 faculty members (from 3 fields: plant, animal, pharma) will take turn giving you an overview lecture. The exam will ask “Write what you know about those fields and their applications”, openbook-style. So hear me out and search for Overview powerpoints of that field, then write your own essay, print it out and bring it with you into the exam. Your power should be spent on Calculus and Physics, not on memorizing the essay.

[janenguyenstudies]

Midterm papers for April 2019 Calculus 2 and Physics (including slides)

Mid calculus 2:

 https://drive.google.com/open?id=1-aB_Rn5i_7gA9JlF8JVq0McnpAM4vHW4

Mid Physics 2:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=12z-uXUJw8iTvgMqSV7FJuxRz5C6VwCmH

You can also access other documents under this folder:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Z3DPJQ2z8cZUuZJlnD9Eoppw-z7ZdL3W

For the slides of Calculus II, access this folder: 

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1iG8-NILTVcmVssGkxFpitmTZLw9UNktx

And this folder for the slides of Physics II: 

https://drive.google.com/open?id=11FAJjxpj4QLdMoopurcPPSCAtmMlO8CR

[janenguyenstudies]

Semester I Finals Recap

Writing

Task 1: Make a list of important points (note down) in the paragraph

Space exploration benefits

Then write a summary passage (150 words)

Task 2: Choose one:

1: Should English be a second language in Vietnam? Agree or Disagree? (list opposing arguments, then rebuttals, then your supporting evidence)

2: Copyright topic

Listening

Given 3 recordings:

1st: recording about Gifted children and their learning strategies

2nd: fill in the blanks, manuscript is the same as in https://www.theguardian.com/science/grrlscientist/2014/may/21/wild-mice-exercise-wheels-behaviour-stereotypy-neurosis

3rd: Fill in the blanks

https://www.ted.com/talks/julian_treasure_how_to_speak_so_that_people_want_to_listen

Chemistry

This test will not be too difficult. I suppose I would have scored higher if I had memorized the slides from the lecturer (Mr.Phong) instead of finding online resources to study. Some difficult questions include details in the slides that can be easily overlooked.

Examples: compare atmospheric pressure on rainy days vs sunny days, compare real gas vs ideal gas (P and T), calculate Gibbs free energy, enthalpy H, entropy S, elementary reactions (power the coefficient) , calculate Kc, decide the net ionic equation for given reaction, compare acid strength (HCN, HF, HClO), change Gibbs to Kc values, whether reaction is spontaneous (depends on G, S) . The written section had me scratching my head: decide the direction of equilibrium after changing volume, pressure, temperature...

Contents include Chapter 8-15 (in syllabus)

- > Gases and their properties, solutions, solids types, chemical reactions, rates of reactions, equilibrium, acid-base, thermodynamics.

I did a lot of exercises in section Acid-base equilibria, which include: calculate pH, Ka, Kc and in Solutions (calculate molarity, molality, vapor pressure,..) and even calculate the atom radius in crystalline structures. Turned out they were not tested as closely as Rate law, Equilibrium and Reaction order.

Calculus I

I only did half the exam correctly literally (sigh). Integrals are definitely not my strength. However, I have never scored higher than 60% on any math test ever. The integrals are strange to my untrained mind. I saved my miserable grades with assignments and watching basic integral technique videos (there is a whole youtube list). I suggest anyone not excelling in math not to be disheartened by the news. In fact, if you go over all the taught materials, write your notes neatly (a 2 sided A4 note is permitted), you will be able to answer 50% of the quiz, then ¾ of the written section (a cost optimization question, find the revenue function f(x), then differentiate f(x) to f’(x), let f’(x)=0 , find the highest value; a Simpson rule question; an area of a line and a parabola question).

My assignments

https://drive.google.com/file/d/17_VXU1D6VKuCT-JxfeYEJy9G8BIZ3ymb/view?usp=sharing https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BkFCo8FO4kJZyg0ZE3uSnsux4eAAjx_C/view?usp=sharing https://drive.google.com/file/d/10P6nCXdFsG2tv-Gnl5OO39bxYbrB2_IA/view?usp=sharing

My Video list  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNLRwiQSPlAn_hiEM2yWIwg

Biology

My Intro Bio teacher was very nice, so I went out of my way to prepare for this exam. I even spent a whole week prior to the exam to do my last research assignment (4-page-paper about causes and effects of increasing temperatures). As usual, I missed a lot of questions that could have been answered by learning the slides by heart. (I will not make the same mistake the next semester).

Examples: what is annelid (segmented worm), what is dorsal (opposite of upper), name all the parts of a flower (anther, stigma, filament, node, internode), lichen is mutualistic relationship, explain why antibody makes bacteria resistant is wrong, compare primary and secondary succession, does coelom form digestive tract?, poly-para- monophyletic branch, the largest unit of gene flow (species), define cryptic coloration, does humidity lead to increase in transcription, DNA cutting involve heating DNA strands.

Physics:

I had no trouble doing ⅗ of the test questions. They are actually similar to the sample problems in the textbook Fundamentals of Physics by Hallidays.

Q1: Use conservation of energy. E(mec2) = E(mec1) - E thermal (by friction)

Q2: Potential energy involving a spring force.

Q3: 2-direction inelastic collision (you have to calculate to decide whether it is elastic or not)

Q4: Rolling of a rigid body has kinetic energy of translation and rotation.

Q5: Quite hard though. But it was in the slides and I did not study it.

As for Physics, I advise against missing classes and falling behind, which guarantees failure in the final exam. My foolproof plan (guarantees at least ⅗ questions done) will be: Read textbook explanations of the topic before every class, then the night before lectures, read Mr.Hoi’s problems; after lectures, redo the sample problems, and if you have time, do the problems in the textbook. Before finals and midterms, make sure you have memorized the sample problems in textbook and slides. Then do the past exams posted by your TAs. Mr.Hoi’s extra problems can be done if you have extra time. ⅗ of the test covers the exact same problems every year (only applying the formulas, no extra thinking). So make sure you can identify which formulas to use.

[janenguyenstudies]

Midterm for Biology I, Chemistry I, Calculus I and Physics I

The midterm week is over and I have barely recovered. For this midterm, we didn’t have to go to lectures and had 2 weeks to prepare and take exams. As for the materials, I tried my best to read lecture slides and redo the exercises. However, I suppose my score ranges will be between 60s and 80s. I was never that science student though. But still the workload for midterm is manageable. We’ll wait until finals  (which takes place in the first week of January) to see. Learning from the experience of this midterm, I will start studying now for the finals. Some thoughts regarding learning techniques for each subject:

Writing and Listening AE1:

Writing prompt is basically the same as the essays we did in class:

a) Write topic sentences and restatement of thesis for the topic of “positive attitude helps relationships, health and overcoming hardships”.

b) Write full essay (3 body paragraphs and conclusion) for “Factors to succeed in college”

Listening:

A True/False section, then fill in the blanks with words you’ve heard. There were about 15% that I couldn’t make out so beware if you want to get maximum scores.

Biology:

I printed out the first 3 chapters of Campbell Biology Concepts and Connections textbook. This textbook presents the matters much more succinctly than the full Campbell textbook. I recommend printing it out along with the slides of professors for easier references.

The next step is doing quizzes. Seriously, I cannot stress this enough, but doing hundreds of quizz questions saved my life from embarrassing failures (I still got about 15/50 questions wrong). However, I recognized many questions from the test bank. SO DO THE TEST BANK CAREFULLY AND END OF CHAPTER QUESTIONS:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B4XhIr8wRQVJVF91QUQzMkhMRXc

Details that were covered: electron flow of photosynthesis vs respiration, the organelle in plant but not in animal cells, the head and tail of phospholipid is hydro-?, number of water molecules to hydrolyze a polymer with ... monomers, the secondary structure of protein is due to..., in chlorophyll (alpha or beta), position of p700 and p680, pinocytosis is?, where to find lysosomes, which process does not require net influx of energy from other process (ATP synthesis, photo, respiration,) , which process does require energy (proton pump, facilitated diffusion, ..)

For short answer, fill the name for all the components of the membrane, explain why mitochondria and chloroplast were free organelle, write the process of translation of proteins.

[janenguyenstudies]

Studyblr Culture: How the Internet Changes Students’ Perception on Studying

Hello everyone! My name is Sarabel and I’m a student in BA Creative Writing. In one of my GE subjects (English 13: Writing as Thinking), we’re asked to write a paper about how technology changes people, their way of life, methods, etc. Afterwards, we have to write a summarized version of it to submit to the Digital Disruption Asia-Pacific Writing Competition 2018 hosted by The New York Times.

For my paper, I’ll be writing about Studyblr. But since there hasn’t been much research about it, I will be conducting a survey to gather the data I need. It will be a tremendous help to me if you can spare a few minutes of your time to answer it. You only need to be a current student (high school, college, or graduate) and have an active studyblr to be qualified to participate in the survey.

The survey will ask about your study habits and methods before and after studyblr, your post-making process, the people you’ve interacted with in the community, your general views on Studyblr, and some basic socio-demographic questions.

Answer Survey

If you don’t have the time to answer, please at least reblog this post to help me gather more respondents. Thank you!

If you have any questions, feel free to dm me or send me an e-mail @ svvelez@up.edu.ph

[janenguyenstudies]

Calculus update!

Well, I cannot escape general subjects anyway. I truly feel that we barely scratched the surface of Maths in highschool.

Dành cho bạn nào học Cal 1, để lại cho hậu bối xài, notes để thi học kì😆😆😆

I'm finding myself eating more than necessary, or am I not? This is college -15 you guys, but if I don't provide my body with enough calories I'm afraid it will shut down, specially when I'm trying to limit carbs intake, which usually leads to migrains while riding the bus. I am witnessing some changes to my lifestyle and way of thinking by the way. So I need to record every moment for looking back in the future.

[janenguyenstudies]

Laboratory class

According to the curriculum, we will have 9 experiments over the school year. Each experiment will take place every week. As I have learned so far, the materials are taken from this textbook called "Experiments in General Chemistry".

As for the first week, we went over the safety rules applied for the lab, learnt about lab equipment (beaker, pipette, flask, cylinder,test tubes,...) and conducted some chemical reaction experiments to understand synthesis, decomposition, single and double replacement, combustion. We got a chance to work with acid sulfuric and basic solutions with a fume hood, and I was pretty scared while handling the chemicals. Observations and phenomenons were recorded into a Data Sheet to be checked by the lab monitor.

In the future, we will cover pH and buffers, redox reactions, chemical equilibrium and reaction rate.

Overall, it was meant to help us get familiar with lab work, since our highschools could not afford such facilities.

No food and water is allowed in lab, and I was pretty dehydrated after 4 hours. Unused chemicals must be dumped into the waste can at the end of the week, and our class happens to take place on Saturday so it is our job to dispose of the chemicals and wash the equipment clean.

This is my face after the class had ended. Overall it wasn't too challenging and fortunately I was able to catch up with the lecturer.

[janenguyenstudies]

[My school] IU AE1 Class

Freshmen need to take an English Assessment test which is similar to TOEFL iBT (done on computers) to get into an Academic English class.

There are 3 class levels for entering students:

🍒IE1

🍒IE2

🍒AE1 (must submit an IELTS score equivalent to 6.0 or TOEFL score of >= 80) to be exempt from the Assessment Test and get straight to AE1)

So I got a 93 on the test and was placed in AE1. From this point, I'll need to finish AE1 and AE2 to be considered capable of understanding college academic materials.

But just look at the price of the textbooks.

This is such a rip-off!!!

It reminds me of the Solutions textbook series we studied in secondary school.

So I'll look for another option : gen.lib.rus

We'll be introduced to essay writing, paragraph constructing, tones, coherence and cohesion,...

This website never disappoints me, though.

[janenguyenstudies]

1. Khan Academy

First thing first, I need to grasp the basics of high school maths and Calculus, Khan Acadeny is my life-savior. There are explanations and exercises, quizzes. The level is basic ans straigh-to-the point. After doing Khan I'll be ready to tackle textbook materials.

2. Intro courses' exams

Thanks to site:edu Calculus Exam I have found exams for important concepts and aptitude tests.

3. Online Interactive Lectures

4. IU uses this Calculus textbook for 1st and 2nd year-students

Tips: gen.lib.rus has them all (solution manuals included)

[janenguyenstudies]

IU Biotech timetable and new journal libraries

1. Cơ sở dữ liệu

College student life means researching and reading advanced materials. Sources of online academic data are compiled here, with Vietnamese and English journals, mostly for open access

2. International University (VNU) timetable

New timetable is released this week. Seems like there is more free time available. But considering my commuting 3 hours (+) everyday to school and staying in Thủ Đức all day, the rest of the week totally makes sense. I'm considering arranging review sessions on weekends and part-time jobs during the evenings

[janenguyenstudies]

Saturday, July 22nd, 2017 

Here are some of the very best apps for students; either in highschool or in college. I have used many of the following apps, but not all of them. Some, I have just asked friends about and they suggested those ones. 

Please enjoy the apps below, tell me how you like them, and feel free to add onto this list :)

Focus: SelfControl, Forest, MindNode, FocusBooster, FocusWriter, Think, StayFocused, Freedom, Cold Turkey, Anti-Social, Time Out, SmartBreak, Balanced

Productivity: Evernote, Any.do, MyScript Nebo, Outlook, Trello, Droptask, Basecamp, Pocket, Gyst, Doodle, Pen and Paper, Wunderlist, Toggl, Asana, Wolfram Alpha

Sounds: Tide, WhiteNoise, Chroma Doze, Coffitivity, Noisli, Brain.fm, NatureSpace, Noizio, Rainy Mood, SimplyNoise, Spotify, Slacker Radio 

Language Learning: Duolingo, Memrise, Busuu, Babbel, Livemocha, Living Language, Tandem, MindSnacks

Games: Lumosity, Sudoku, TanZen, GeoMaster Plus HD, Speed Anatomy, Star Walk, LeafSnap, Splice: Tree of Life, Vismory, Pigments, Viridi, Sunshine, Nota

Revision: Gojimo, Revision App, iMindMap, Exam Countdown, Penultimate, Clippet

Test Prep: Khan Academy, Magoosh ACT Flashcards, The Grading Game, Math Brain Booster, ACCUPLACER Study App, CK-12, NRICH, StudySync, Quizlet, StudyAce, That Quiz, Brilliant, Synap

Planner: Timeful, Remember the Milk, Listastic, Finish, 2Do, iStudiez Pro, MyHomework Student Planner, My Study Life, ClassManager, MyLifeOrganized, Daily Agenda, Schedule Planner, Todoist

Writing: EasyBib, ProWritingAid, Bubbl.us, WiseMapping, yWriter5, Storybook, Q10, Write 2 Lite, Writer, Diaro, Note Everything, OmmWriter, Draft

Health: MyFitnessPal, Lose It, Endomondo, FitNet, Sworkit, Daily Yoga, Yonder, Fooducate, SideChef, Rise, LifeSum, Meditation Studio, Happify, 7 Cups, Clue, Start, Power Nap App, Fit Radio, Calm

Courses: Corsera, PhotoMath, Udemy, HowCast, SimpleMind+, Open Culture, Canvas, Schoology, Alison, CourseBuffet, Degreed, Instructables, InstaNerd, Big Think, Yousician, Pianu 

Books & Reading: CampusBooks, Scribd, Pocket, Wattpad, GoodReads, Readmill, Audible, Prizmo, Blio, Kindle, Overdrive, BlueFire Reader, Nook, Kobo, Aldiko, Cool Reader

Note Taking: SuperNotes, StudyBlue, Bento, QuickOffice, Google Keep, Zoho Notebook, Simplenote, Bear, OneNote, Box Notes, Dynalist.io, Squid, Notability 

Inspiration: TED, Lift, Believe It: You Will Achieve, BrainCourage, Get Inspired, iFundamentals, Reinventing Yourself, iWish, Pozify, Positive Thinking - The Key to Happiness, The Gratitude Journal 

Other: WiFi Finder, Mint, Zwoor, Brain Pump, Curiosity, Ready4 SAT, GradeProof, edX, Mendeley, Due, CamScanner, IFTTT, Square Cash

[janenguyenstudies]

site:edu [name of subject] exams

Use this for Google search to find many free sources for exams and prep tests

[janenguyenstudies]

🎒Backpacks 101🌻

Essentials for Class

Your laptop/spirals/tablet/your preferred note-taking medium. For professors that speak quickly and cover a lot of information in a short amount of time before moving on to the next slide, I always like to use my laptop. Some professors prohibit the use of laptops (even for note-taking). So, I like to use a cheap spiral for class in which I will write information/graphics with the knowledge that they don’t have to be perfect. This is just to ensure that I get the information down. When I get home I transfer all of the notes into a nicer spiral to look over later. This also works to help me retain the information! 

My all-time favorite spiral notebooks are the Exceed Five Subject Notebooks. I love these because in the front they have a world map, a punctuation chart, a metric unit conversion chart, spelling rules, a ruler, and a glossary of general reference and research sites.

Loose-leaf paper. This is especially helpful for me because many of my professors will give pop-quizzes/pop-writing assignments. Also great for when a classmate needs to borrow some paper. You can whip it out and make a friend for all semester. 

Personally, I like to use Five Star Reinforced Filler Paper by Mead.

Pencil Bag. Naturally, not having to frantically dig around your backpack for a pen/pencil/highlighter makes your day go so much smoother.

I prefer the Mead Five Star Organizer Pencil Pouch.

My pencil bag comes complete with an assortment of pens, pencils, highlighters, two flash drives, a pencil sharpener, and an entire 50 pack of Crayola Super Tips. Yes, my pencil bag fits that much. 

Laptop charger & phone charger. I recommend purchasing a powerblock as well to ensure that you don’t have to compete over the use of limited outlets. Thousands of college students across the nation fail to charge their electronics nightly, don’t get caught in the crossfires of that feeding frenzy.

Headphones. Something about not having my music while I’m on the bus or walking across campus really kills my mood for the day. 

My planner! Stop writing stuff on your hand or on random pieces of paper. Get yourself a cheap planner. Even if you are not a planner user right now, just forcing yourself to use one for 30 days will forge an unbreakable and life-changing habit! Take it from me. 

To Make Your Day Easier

A small umbrella for those days when the weather goes from 75′ and sunny to raining cats and dogs in 3 seconds. 

A wallet with your IDs and change. I always kick myself when I didn’t have enough change for the vending machines on campus. I kick myself even harder when I have to ask random strangers for 50 cents to buy a scantron/blue book. Also just a good idea to always have some form of ID on you. 

Water bottle. Invest in a super cool, trendy, refillable water bottle to keep yourself hydrated throughout the day. Or just keep refilling the same plastic one. 

Deodorant. This is so silly but I am always forgetting to put on deodorant before I walk out the door and I’m 22. When I get to class I realize I’ve forgotten and panic as the Texas heat encompasses me. Travel-sized deodorants are so beneficial. 

An emergency tampon/pad. Or two!!! Goes without saying. Surprises are always fun until it’s your period. I keep emergency tampons in my truck, in my apron for work, in my backpack, in my horse trailer. I do not play around. 

Ibuprofen/Aspirin 

Light snacks. We’re talking a granola bar or seven to keep your stomach from gurgling when you’re taking that exam and of course everyone showed up to class. 

A flashdrive.

Chapstick, sunscreen, or lotion can also make you more comfortable sitting in class. 

Quick Tips About Backpacks

While, yes, those little fashionable ones are cute, they don’t hold the essentials and can be damaging to your back, causing soreness and discomfort. Buying a Jansport absolutely saved my back and stopped my chronic pain from progressing! 

Obviously there are hundreds of amazing brands of backpacks out there, but I strongly urge you to purchase a bag with:

a sleeve inside for your laptop

at least three pockets - so everything has a place

those little mesh side pockets

adjustable (preferably PADDED) shoulder straps! 

Another thing! I always place my heavier items (laptop & textbooks) CLOSEST to my back. That way the weight doesn’t drag you down backwards and cause back pain (my doctor literally told me this). This is where having multiple pockets is so helpful. 

Adjust your shoulder straps so that you can also maintain good posture while walking. The weight of your backpack + where it sits on your back should not cause you to lean forward or sway backwards in order to compensate. Also fun fact - when I was in middle school I thought it was cool to have a backpack that hung really low (?) and it created a pinched nerve in my neck! Awesome! Don’t be like me! 

Remember that backpacks -while they can absolutely be super cute and trendy- are meant to possess functionality. Your backpack should carry the essentials you need to have a successful and comfortable day at class.

Lastly, 10/10 would recommend cleaning out your backpack frequently! Make sure it stays organized and free of clutter. I also like to make sure I take all of my spirals and planner out of my backpack each day after class so that after I rest for a bit - I know I have things I need to get to. 

Organizing Your Backpack - By Pockets

-Largest pocket (closest to your back): 

Heavier items such as your laptop, binders, textbooks, loose leaf paper and planner. Laptop should go inside the sleeve (if applicable). 

-Second largest pocket

Items such as your pencil bag, chargers, and umbrella.

-Smallest pocket

Items that you won’t be pulling in and out too frequently, such as headphones, deodorant, chapstick, a flashdrive, snacks, wallet, keys, painkillers, and your emergency tampons (if applicable). 

-Side pockets

Here I obviously like to keep my water bottle or coffee thermos. If you have more than one pocket this is also a great place to keep your little umbrella.

Happy studying, realistic students!

[janenguyenstudies]

Study mashup: When you're uncertain about whether to jump onto the bandwagon and pursue a STEM major or continue to read classic literature to cultivate intellectual growth.

By the way, you suddenly have a doubt that going to college is a smart choice so you need some motivating readings.

School is about to start in 2 weeks so I'm just taking some time to learn what I enjoy most. This is the materials I'm consuming today. The novel titled "The Count of Monte Cristo" is my favorite book about striving beyond misery and hopelessness, the excerpt is from "Excellent Sheep - The Miseducation of the American Elite and the Way to a Meaningful Life ", written by William Deresiewicz

[janenguyenstudies]

Tumblr Resources to Get You Through the School Year!

Hi guys!! Thank you all so much for your support!!! Happy 250 (EDIT: I SPENT A DAY ON THIS AND NOW IM PAST 300) and hope you all have a great start to the month! The community is more welcoming with all of you - I haven’t faced negativity from anyone at all. None of these are my posts - but they’ve helped me out a lot. With that said - let’s get started:

For bujos/planners:

This is one of my side blogs, and has tons of inspiration for weekly and monthly spreads, as well as a few aesthetic ideas and how to start one. I update this constantly.

How to start a studyblr - Studyblrs with creative fields

Lighting (for photos)

Study spreads

Planning your month

Printables (the same as some used down there but in a different category):

Weekly printable

To - do printable

Cornell Notes printable

Back to school printables

Daily Planner  @theorganisedstudent

Weekly Planner II @theorganisedstudent

Essay Planner @theorganisedstudent

Assignment Planner @theorganisedstudent

Assignment Tracker

Novel Notes

Plot Diagrams

Correction Sheets

Grid & lined paper

Weekly schedule for studying

Printables masterpost

Exam printable & how to use it

2018 Calender set (by my QUEEN @emmastudies)

For students:

Exams & Studying:

Exam revision guide

How to beat different types of procrastination

How to deal with a crappy teacher (this has to do with studying ig)

Study tips!! (its a masterpost)

Exam Printable & How to Use it

Exam & Homework tips

Coping with hell i mean exams i mean hell

A cool studying outline to try

This is my favorite thing and it’s when to use certain remembering techniques

Correction Sheets

Memorization tips for different learners

Weekly study schedule

More sites to use in normal studying routines

How to study smarter and not harder

Study smarter II

Exam printable & how to use it

Self discipline 

Study methods

Hoe tips for school and studying

Studying masterpoint

Tips and tricks to studying

Study tip - so easy

How to stay organized to study

Note - Taking:

Lecture notes

How i set up flash cards (these are nice to study from but be determined to finish setting them up)

Nifty highlighting idea (this post is so old)

Highlighting idea that i actually use

How to take Cornell Notes

Cornell style notes printable (gridded)

Notebook paper (grid & lined)

Tips for pretty notes!!

How to take notes

Notes for different classes

Life, man & general school stuff:

Back - to -school guide

Things I learned as a college freshman

Get ORGANIZED

Textbooks are expensive so here’s some free ones…

Tips for working students that sound extra but may work for u ily don’t overwork urselves

Masterpost for motivation and stuff

Get ur life together again bc haha i stay organized for like a day anyway

School supplies that u should have just to stay minimal

Grad school tips

Organization masterpost

Productive afterschool routine

30 websites to kill boredom

Back to school masterpost

Get confident in presentations

Overcome procrastination

Succeeding in school masterpost

For bad days 

For bad days II

A GOOD MASTERPOST for getting ur life together 

General school tips 

Free online courses

GOOD POWERPOINT TIPS

Sites to learns stuff

More learning stuff sites

Dealing with a trashy class

Study resources masterpost

Summer Productivity

Summer life tips

PLEASE READ THIS THIS IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT MASTERPOST 

Honest guide to college 

University tips

SCHOOL MINDSET

What to do on Sundays

Back to school masterpost

Useful things for going back to school

How to clean your house

Cute self care tips!

More self care tips

Plant care tips!

English:

A handy list of words to fit into ur essays

How to write an article like a journalist

Words to replace over-used words

ESSAY STRUCTURE IDEA this is in bold so u losers don’t miss this bc it’s not just for English u nerds

Get gucci while reading and be an active reader

Get gud reading them academic articles amigo

Words to replace “the author or whatever shows…” bc that is baby writing and i accidentally used that on an essay and i failed so

Novel notes

Plot Diagrams

Reading Lists

Literary techniques (what themes, personifications, metaphors are etc)

Discussing in English

How to top a literature class

Literature class masterpost

Strong/weak verbs

More essay tips!!

MLA format - a how to

ESSAY GRADER.

How to avoid essay cliches

Chemistry (I’m taking chem so i have a few resources aha)

Da terms on exam papers

Chemistry resources masterpost

Cute periodic tables

Study chapters

History/Social Studies

How to write a history paper

AP world history powerpoints masterpost

Math 

General tips

Resources

Understanding math masterpost

Test Prep

PSAT I

PSAT II

ACT tips!

100 words for the SATs (start studying early!!)

Thank you so much for the support! I couldn’t have done it without all of you. A simple reblog or like will help others see these tips, and will be very appreciated. I hope these links work - feel free to message me with questions and other links!! A possible part 2 might come out at the end of august, and one for languages!!!

[janenguyenstudies]

How to Never Fall Behind in Classes

Alternatively titled: How to Use Your Planner or How Organization and Discipline Will Get You Better Grades

This is my full guide on how to use your planner effectively and make sure that you are never missing deadlines or falling behind in classwork and homework. This is definitely more about the university level and works best with a dated planner, rather than a bullet journal. Let’s get started! 

Get all of your syllabi together and write down dates. Go through one class at a time and mark down all of your major tests and assignment due dates. I recommend putting these dates into the monthly and weekly views, and perhaps coming up with a symbol or other indicator that tells you they are of utmost importance. 

Make a weekly schedule of when to complete readings and do a weekly review of notes. Instead of trying to randomly decide when to do these things, assign a date for each task for each class. If you have a tutorial on Tuesday, do the assigned readings for it every Wednesday. I recommend scheduling one to two weekly tasks per day, and to leave a few days open, whether it be weekends or days when you have a lot of classes.

Make a master list of assignments. I find that sometimes, even having due dates in the calendar view isn’t enough, and they can still sneak up on you. The master list will be a good place to double check if you have any deadlines approaching easily. 

In the week or so before a due date, create a checklist of smaller tasks needed to complete the assignment. Set individual due dates for each smaller task by working backwards from the due date. Smaller tasks may include finding sources, making an outline, writing a rough draft, and editing and adding references to create a final copy. Write the smaller tasks into your daily to-do list. 

You can also do this with studying for tests, but the checklist would look slightly different. You could either sort by study method (first do flashcards, then do essay outlines, etc.) or sort by the topics you need to study. 

Stick to the schedule you have made. Obviously, if something comes up and you need to move your to-do list around, do so! But if you aren’t doing anything and you see readings on your list of daily tasks.. do them. Having the plan set out like this makes it easier for you to remain disciplined. 

Why use this method? 

By creating a schedule for repeated weekly tasks like completing readings, you make sure that you can’t repeatedly push off smaller tasks until you are weeks behind. I don’t think it is very reliable to just will yourself to do readings, or to keep up with them without tracking it. 

By writing down all of your due dates, you will never be shocked to find out something is due the night before. You will know and you will be prepared. 

By creating smaller checklists of tasks to complete before a major test or assignment, you will never find yourself in a situation where you have an essay due in a few days and haven’t even started. You will be following a timeline and making sure you don’t have to rush.

I know this system may seem rigorous, but planning is the only way you can keep on top of your workload in university! Falling behind is a lot harder if you are organized and disciplined, and being on top of your workload will help you a lot when it comes to exam times… no cramming and all-nighters if you have been consistent all semester! 

[janenguyenstudies]

My Anki deck set up for Japanese cramming

(Tiếng Việt)

When I first discovered Anki, I thought I would test out to see if the app can help me memorise and retain information more effectively. Well, it did wonders to my fleeting memory. I could learn 2000 words for the JLPT test in 6 months. These are the decks that I used for studying. I think more Vietnamese students should make use of this system to boost their study results.

Đây là những deck mình sử dụng để học tiếng nhật cho anki. Đối với bạn nào đang học phiên dịch, và đang học 2 ngoại ngữ Anh-Nhật, thì những deck này sẽ là bổ trợ rất tốt cho quá trình học. Yêu cầu biết cách set up và sử dụng app anki.

1. All in one Kanji - Remembering the Kanji Order

Được làm dựa trên cuốn Remembering the Kanji, deck này chứa đầy đủ thông tin về chữ hán, cấu tạo và tần suất của chữ. Để nhớ được, tác giả dùng những mẫu chuyện nhỏ, nhằm giúp ta mường tượng cách viết, ví dụ chữ 棚 tủ sách, gồm 木cây và bạn hữu 朋. Câu chuyện để nhớ (mnemonic) tác giả đưa ra là : Tủ sách là bạn đồng hành bằng gỗ tốt nhất của sách. Thay vì học thuộc lòng một cách khô khan thì mình nhớ một mnemonic như vậy gắn với một chữ, sẽ kích thích trí tượng tượng và nhớ lâu hơn.

Link tải : ankiweb.net gõ tên deck

2. Core 2k/6k optimized

Theo truyền thuyết, học thuộc 3000 từ trong bộ này là đủ N3, hết 6000 từ là đủ thi N2. Mỗi một từ vựng có kèm câu ví dụ. Một bộ deck ~300mb có file âm thanh của từ vựng và câu. Link tải:

http://www.mediafire.com/file/ya4p7y9a3152h8e/

Mọi người tải về back up kẻo link die.

3. Hán tự thường dùng

Phiên bản việt của RTK, có hán tự và cực kì nhiều từ vựng liên quan (Nhấn mạnh là cực nhiều). Không kèm mnemonic, và khoảng hơn 3000 card trong deck.

Mọi người có thể tải về, vì trong anki có chức năng search rất tiện, nên có thể sử dụng như một từ điển.

Link ankiweb.net tìm tên deck

4. Deck Japanese là từ vựng của Minna I và Deck Minna II mình đều kiếm trên ankiweb.net, nhưng không học nhiều mà chuyển qua Core 2k/6k học luôn, từ vựng đều trùng nhau.

Deck Immersion là những từ lặt vặt mình lụm lặt trên mạng. Học quá nhiều deck sẽ dẫn tới một buổi sáng đẹp trời tỉnh dậy và có hơn 500 card cần review. Mình đang tính reset lại tất cả và chỉ chú tâm vào một deck mà thôi😅