nayanireads - Tumblr blog

[nayanireads]

ok so apparently not a lot of ppl know to do this when ‘reviewing notes’ but

look at section of notes

look away from section of notes

explain section of notes

check if explanation was correct

identify mistakes/gaps

recite correction for each mistake/gap

repeat until no mistakes

gotta practice recalling the info instead of just acknowledging its correctness

[nayanireads]

(14/9/21)

Day 8/100 days of productivity

Hello everybody!! I've studied and did my revisions earlier today. I'll be on 5 days vacation with my parents from tomorrow so I'll be on my way tonight. But ofc Im not quitting studying I am gonna studying there too. And I am planning to take aesthetic pictures there... don't Skip resting your body and brain needs this🤍

[nayanireads]

Learning never stops, so we better keep on taking chances.

[nayanireads]

Making the final improvements on the penultimate essay of my degree.

ig: rhiharper

[nayanireads]

Got a lot of work today. My laptop has come back fixed but missing her beautiful Van Gogh Almond Blossoms laptop skin 😞.

[nayanireads]

[nayanireads]

Top Study Tips from NASA

Study smarter this school year! We asked scientists, engineers, astronauts, and experts from across NASA about their favorite study tips – and they delivered. Here are a few of our favorites:

Study with friends

Find friends that are like-minded and work together to understand the material better. Trading ideas with a friend on how to tackle a problem can help you both strengthen your understanding.

Create a study environment

Find a quiet space or put on headphones so you can focus. You might not be able to get to the International Space Station yet, but a library, a study room, or a spot outside can be a good place to study. If it’s noisy around you, try using headphones to block out distractions.

Take breaks

Don’t burn yourself out! Take a break, go for a walk, get some water, and come back to it.

Looking for more study tips? Check out this video for all ten tips to start your school year off on the right foot!

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space!

[nayanireads]

40 Tips For Becoming More Disciplined 📌💡🚀📝

Know what you want to achieve soon and in the future. This helps you know where to go and stay motivated.

Do the most important things first to save time and energy.

Have a daily plan that includes work, rest, exercise, and learning.

Make big tasks smaller so they're not scary, and you can see progress.

Use methods like the Pomodoro Technique (working for a while, then resting) or blocking time to get more done.

Notice when you're avoiding work and make yourself start.

Control yourself from getting distracted or doing things just for fun.

Say no politely when you can't do more things without getting stressed.

Stay healthy by eating well, exercising, and sleeping enough.

Keep learning by reading, taking classes, or trying new things.

Check how you're doing with your goals and change plans if needed.

Tell a friend or mentor your goals so they can help you stay on track.

Keep your spaces tidy to help you focus better.

Learning discipline takes time, and it's okay if things don't go perfectly.

Think good thoughts about yourself instead of bad ones.

Imagine doing well to get motivated.

Mistakes are chances to learn, not reasons to give up.

Be happy about even small successes to stay positive.

Listen to advice from others to get better.

Be ready to change your plans but keep your main goals.

Try mindfulness to concentrate, be calm, and know yourself better.

Write about your progress and plans in a journal.

Turn off things like social media when you work or study.

Think about things you're thankful for to stay happy.

Do quick tasks right away instead of waiting.

Spend time with people who help you and make you want to be better.

Let others do tasks that you don't need to do, so you can focus.

Get better at handling problems without giving up.

Picture doing well to stay motivated.

Drink water to think clearly and stay healthy.

Have a special place to work or study to help you focus.

Wait for bigger rewards instead of quick ones.

Keep things simple, both around you and in your mind, so you can concentrate.

Listen to advice without feeling bad about yourself.

Use apps and tools to manage your tasks and time.

Reading helps you learn and think better.

Decide what's good enough for you and stick to it.

Believe you can get smarter and better with practice.

Do creative things to stay imaginative and interested.

Listen carefully to others to be better at talking and understanding.

[nayanireads]

cozy studies

[nayanireads]

to all y’all graduating, finishing a semester, thinking about starting school, leaving school, looking for a job, working, resting, improving, or trying every day to do whatever you can to be the person you want to be… I’m so proud of you, and I hope you are proud of yourself. it hasn’t been easy, but here you are, and you’re doing so good. I love you, keep it up, I know you can do this

[nayanireads]

Study tips for people who’ve never had to study before

It recently came to my attention that there are a whole load of ~highly achieving~ students out there who’ve never had to learn to study, but suddenly being naturally gifted just doesn’t work anymore. I’ve been in this exact position & came out of it ok, so here are some important things I picked up along the way/wish I knew back then.

Habits. If you build good study habits early, before things start getting intense, you’ll be well set for when the stress comes. Maybe always finish your homework before tea, or come home and study for an hour before you change into sweats. Association is helpful - if you have an established routine for something else, like getting a coffee or sports training or practicing an instrument, say you’ll always study directly  before or after that. Make it work for you.

Little and often. People say this about languages but it’s the same for anything. Half an hour every day is so much more effective than 3 hours in a day, once a week, and you won’t feel wiped out afterwards either. This works for long term projects as well - breaking things down into manageable chunks and doing one little bit per day is much less overwhelming than sitting down and telling yourself you’re writing your whole essay today.

Time management. Parkinson’s law is real. Set yourself a limit, say you’re going to write this essay before tea, or you’re going to do this maths for no more than 2 hours. Things will drag on and fill as much time as you allow them to, especially bigger projects, so stick to a schedule. If at all possible, aim to have bigger assignments complete at least a week before they’re due, so you have time for printer problems, formatting disasters, etc etc. This ties in with organisation, which is equally important. I don’t mean perfectly drawn schedules and bullet journals (even if thats what studyblr wants us to believe) but get a diary, I use a page per day diary but you can use a notebook, wall planner, whatever. Put deadlines and classes and exams and everything in there asap, and then day to day you can make a to-do list of smaller tasks. These should be flexible, so if something comes up or a task is unexpectedly complicated, you can adapt and just add it to the next day. Don’t set your expectations too high - its better to set out to work for 4 hours and achieve that than to say you’ll do 8, only manage 4 and feel like a failure.

Your environment is important! Your desk does not have to be all white minimalism and pastel highlighters to be a good study space, but try make it as clear as possible, well lit, and free from distractions. The bigger the better. Make sure you have everything you need within reach, including a plug for a charger, if you use a laptop. Quiet is ideal but not always possible, so make yourself a playlist of background music (or try one of mine, here.) Libraries are great, because they’re literally designed for reading in and having people working around you can be really motivating. Avoid procrastination at all costs. Leave your phone somewhere far away, turn it off, or use the forest app. And try not to work where you sleep, because that won’t help with your work or your sleep (bedroom is fine, in bed is not.)

Test yourself. Repeated retrieval is the best form of learning, so if you have past papers or quizzes thats great, use them! If not, writing your own questions or getting some study buddies and writing questions for each other is a good way of studying, because it forces you to think about the material in a different way.

Teach others. It’s great if you have a friend or two to revise with, but if not, try writing presentations, talking to yourself, a pet, a plant… anyone who’ll listen. Break down concepts into simpler language, as if you were explaining it to someone younger. Use flow charts and clear diagrams, and be concise. This will not only consolidate your understanding, but you’ll get some great notes out of it (and presentation practice.)

Your notes do not have to be beautiful! I love looking at these aesthetic studyblr notes as much as the next person but realistically that takes hours and calligraphy is not an efficient use of your precious time. Try to keep them as concise as possible - bullet points are good - and use no more than 3 colours per page or they’ll lose meaning. Don’t go too hard with the highlighters. Arrows and annotations and post it note additions are all excellent - don’t rewrite what you’ve already got! That is not good revision. I’m sorry. Try using a whiteboard.  For short answer questions, calculations, quick diagrams - anything you’d use scrap paper for - a mini white board is great. I mean something like this which is cheap and also better for the rainforests than using a whole bunch of paper that you’re just going to throw out. I *borrowed* mine from school which I do not condone but may be an option.

Take regular breaks. A good rule of thumb is that your break should be around 25% of your study time, so if you study for an hour - 15 minutes off. Study for 8 hours - 2 hours off. And take your breaks properly - get up, leave the room if you can. Get some fresh air, even if thats just opening a window, drink some coffee water, have a snack if you need it. Try not to fuel yourself on junk food - biscuits are essential but have some fruit or nuts or something as well - they actually help your brain work and you’ll feel better for it.

Don’t compare. I know this is easier said than done, but study for yourself. Find your own method, whether that’s what everyone around you does or not. Try not to compare grades, either. A little bit of competition can be healthy, but (especially around exams) don’t listen to the people who “only did 12 hours last night.” Equally, ignore the people who say they haven’t studied at all and don’t let either of them get to you. You know how hard you’re working, and who know how efficient they are?

It’s never too late. This is maybe the most important thing to take away from this. You may have weeks, even days until your final/assessment/essay, but it is not too late to start studying. I’ll make a post about how to cram later, but even though its not ideal, it can definitely be the difference between a pass and a fail or an A and an A*. So if you think you’ve left it too late - you haven’t.

Good luck, and feel free to message me if you want more tips/details/a sympathetic shoulder to cry on about how hard all this is <3

[nayanireads]

Actual good first-time college student advice:

Wear jeans/pants that “breathe” and bring a sweater, even if it’s scorching hot out, until you know which building blasts the AC to 60 degrees F and which feels like a sauna

Backpacks with thick straps are your friend!  Messenger bags are cool and all but if you’re commuting with a lot of stuff, symmetrically styled backpacks are better for your back

You are your own person and you can walk out whenever you need to or want to, so long as you’re not disrupting the class.  Meaning you can go to the bathroom without permission, take a breather if you’re anxious, answer an important phone call, etc.

If you don’t like the class on the first day, if you can- DROP THAT CLASS AND TAKE ANOTHER ONE!  It’ll only get worse from there!

If you can, take a class outside your major; it’s a good break from your expected studies.

You are in charge of your schedule.  Your adviser and guidance counselor is there to ‘advise and guide’ but if you don’t like certain classes and you can substitute for others, that’s your choice.

Consequently, if you are changing anything drastic in your plan, talk with your adviser and instructors.

Pay attention to your credit hours and grades.  Never leave this to the last week of school, you will be sorry and stressed beyond belief!

Unless it’s a lab book or otherwise specified, go to the class for a week or so before buying an expensive textbook.  Some classes, while having it on their required list, do not actually use the textbook a whole lot and you might find some of it scanned online.  Rent if you can or buy used online (schools actually don’t give discounts).  Use your best judgement on what you think you need.

Tell the people who go up to you selling or advertising things you are not interested in that you are in a rush to class and don’t have time to listen to them.  It’s less rude and they’ll leave you alone.

The smaller the class, the better it is to have some sort of acquaintanceship with a couple classmates.  They might save your ass if you are absent one day or need to study.  And talking with them makes the time go by faster without it being so insufferable.

You don’t need to join a club or sport, but internships are cool and useful!

If you can afford it, take a day off once or twice each semester if you’re too exhausted.  Just be aware of what you missed and if it was worth missing!

Your health is the most important, this goes for mental health too!!  Note: College-age/upper teens is when mental disorders like depression and anxiety are most commonly diagnosed.  Most schools have therapy services, especially during exam time.  Look into it if you need to!

Communicate with your professor if you are having trouble with something.  Anything.

Eat and stay hydrated.  Bring a water bottle and snack to class.

All-nighters will happen but never go over 36 hours without sleep.

It’s going to be hard and there will be times you might think about giving up.  This WILL happen.  You just have to make sure what you’re doing isn’t making you absolutely miserable and/or there is something rewarding and positive to look forward to at the end!

[nayanireads]

if you're a student at all, please take care of yourself. you don't need to compete with your classmates for who slept the least or who drank the most coffee. eat breakfast and go to sleep a little earlier. lay off studying for a night and do something nice for yourself. your body and brain will thank you.

[nayanireads]

a soft reminder: even though you might be disappointed in how you did this year, you still made a lot of progress. you tried and tried again, so many times. every little thing you achieved. every breakdown you got up from. every moment of happiness you encountered. every little act of self care and kindness you did. it all matters. they all helped you grow. they are all small victories to be proud of. it's not always clear to see, because day to day everything feels the same, but I promise you've come a long way since the beginning of the year. so please be extra gentle with yourself when looking back. be proud of yourself too, if you can. you did well.

[nayanireads]

almost all studying tips I see are not adhd friendly so here's a couple I personally use that may or may not work for yall depending on situations:

listen to music with headphones/earbuds at whatever tempo you know is easy for you to tune out. I prefer fast music with heavy bass

instead of remove distractions I sit in the living room with the tv on low volume as background motion so other activity wont randomly grab my attention

keep a drink and snack on hand so you wont have to get up to get one later

have someone in the room who you ask to only talk to you if you talk to them about your study topic first. have them direct you back to it if you stray away

GET COMFORTABLE. you dont have to be at a desk ffs the discomfort will distract you more

keep a notebook and pen on hand. physically writing my notes instead of typing helps me remember better

if you take meds make sure to do so well over an hour beforehand

if you have pets make sure theyre well entertained beforehand as I know my dogs seeking attention is a big distraction for me

if youre at home make sure to let everyone know that this time period is only for studying and that you will not be available for anything else. do so a couple days in advance and verbally remind them every day until

[nayanireads]

31-03-22

the forgetting curve + why spaced repetition is super important

although cramming before exams seems tempting, it doesn't actually help you learn. here's some information about the forgetting curve, and how you can use it to your advantage. check out my blog for the full article!

[nayanireads]

my tips for students that struggle with consistency