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10 Things to Do Before School Starts

Get your sleep schedule back on track  The easiest way to do this is gradually, by waking yourself up earlier and earlier each day until you’re back at where you need to be. If you’re finding it difficult to go to bed at a reasonable time so you get enough sleep, try exercising during the day so you sleep better, or take an all-natural melatonin supplement just before you go to bed. Be self-disciplined with when you wake up, especially if you have a bad night’s sleep, as it will be easier for you to fall asleep at the right time if you don’t oversleep in the morning

Figure out what your goals are for the year and how you will achieve them  This isn’t necessary per se, but I always find it useful to set a couple of goals for the academic year. Obviously, there is one academic goal (what kinds of grades are you aiming for/where do you want to end up?), but remember to think about how you want to develop as a person, and which skills and personality traits you think should be worked on over the year. Figuring out how you will achieve this is more difficult, but even if it’s through practising a daily habit for ten minutes or being self-aware when it comes to a certain aspect of your personality, there are always ways to grow academically and emotionally as a person

Organise your supplies and buy what you need  I really like bulk-buying for the school year, mostly because I know what my go-tos are, and if I can buy 100 pens for £16 (16p per pen), then I sure as hell will because firstly it saves money and secondly I don’t have to worry so much about running out of pens if I have 100 of them (same goes for notebooks, snacks, etc.). The best way to figure out what you need is to think about what kinds of activities/studying you will be doing, and what kind of stuff is absolutely essential for you to be able to study efficiently. I like having notebooks, refill pads, black biros, and coloured felt tip markers at the very least (as well as other essentials like pencils and rulers), and after than I can build up what I like, but it’s imperative to have your essentials down before the school year starts. (Also I’m gonna be doing some stuff on here next week to do with this, so watch this space)

Get your dates and timetable together as much as you can  Often, you’re not going to know your exact timetable until you get there. However, your school may provide you with dates and events, even if this is just term time, that will help you get your life together a little more if you know when these are and can start thinking about what you can do with your time. Even if you don’t know the exact timings, but know how many hours a day/week you spend doing certain things, for example, you can at least plan what kind of spare time you might have and how you might be able to spend it. The more you organise yourself before the year starts, the more put-together you’re going to feel during the year itself.

Start new habits now  If you’ve promised yourself that you’re going to drink more water when you’re studying, or that you’re going to get up early or make your bed every morning, then it’s easier to start doing those things as soon as possible rather than making an excuse and putting it off until later to start, even if those habits are going to be primarily associated with the academic year. There’s no real reason you should wait until you start building yourself towards who you want to be.

Plan outfits  If you’re in a situation where you need to plan outfits, then start thinking about it now, especially if you’re heading off to live away from home and study, and you have limited space to transport clothes. Start with the essentials, and build a coordinated wardrobe that is functional and suits your own style. If you plan whilst you’re buying the actual outifts, you can build up a colour-coordinated wardrobe which means that you can throw almost anything together when you’re in a rush and it will still look like you have it all under control. As someone who’s been through a very long wardrobe-based trial and error process with living away from home and studying, just trust me on this one.

Plan meals  Again, if you’re in a situation where this applies to you, start thinking about it now. To study effectively, you need to think about your nutrition, and thus which staple foods you need to rely on. The more thought you give this, the easier it will be when you go food shopping and when you make the meals themselves.

Figure out the locations of things if you’re starting somewhere new  Of course, sometimes this isn’t a possibility until you get there simply as a result of the setup, but if it is at all possible, even using google maps, figure out where things are on campus, as there’s nothing worse than starting the year off on a bad note by showing up late for lectures/seminars/supervisions. Obviously, it will still take some time to get your bearings when you arrive, but at least having a vague idea of which direction you are heading in (and how long it will take) is a massive help.

Find out if you already know anyone in your courses  In the internet age, it’s easier to connect with people and figure out if you already know someone taking the course, or if you can link up with someone before. Not only does this help because you aren’t going into the unknown completely alone, but also if you miss any classes, you already have someone who can help you and give you the materials you need to allow you to catch up, which is invaluable.

Get excited!  Every new year is full of new beginnings, and this year is no exception. Whether you’re in the same place as before, or you’re starting somewhere completely new, you should never forget that there are so many open doors that are just waiting for you to walk through. This year’s going to be fantastic, and you will make it so!

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“Public libraries are such important, lovely places!” Yes but do you GO there. Do you STUDY there. Do you meet friends and get coffee there. Do you borrow the FREE, ZERO SUBSCRIPTION, ZERO TRACKING books, audiobooks, ebooks, and films. Have you checked out their events and schemes. Do you sign up for the low cost courses in ASL or knitting or programming or writing your CV that they probably run. Do you know they probably have myriad of schemes to help low income families. Do you hire their low cost rooms if you need them. Have you joined their social groups. Do you use the FREE COMPUTERS. Do you even know what your library is trying to offer you. Listen, the library shouldn’t just exist for you as a nice idea. That’s why more libraries shut every year

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How To Really Get A*s (No Joke)

As a former gifted kid, it never occurred to me that I needed to work hard or that I needed to take exams. I simply enjoyed school, not even really processing that I would be externally tested on my general skill. That is, until my four-week study leave for my IGCSEs in 2019. Through a trial of smoke and flame, I discovered the most efficient way to study for me, and as study leave season approaches yet again, I hope to share my luck with you all! And who knows? Maybe someone out there who never needed to study until now won’t have to go through the frantic process I did, and their results will be all the better for it. 

Enough talk. Onto the tips!

Keep reading

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school tips because it's that time of year again:

• fourth years and above especially, read your textbook ahead of the lesson. make some notes and try to understand the content. this helps because you'll be able to answer questions confidentially and if there was something you didn't understand the first time reading, you get to learn it again in class.

• don't spend hours rewriting notes. instead, rewrite or highlight key points and summarise this into mind maps. they're easier to visualise and you can really focus on the parts you need to learn.

• i like to use class notes for making quizlets, and it really helps to keep on top of making these. (quizlet is a flashcard app and you can test yourself many ways on there). by exams you'll have everything ready, you just have to go through it.

• in sixth form bring a day folder and keep all your relevant topic work in it. transfer this to a subject folder once you're done with that topic.

• you can focus better once you've done some exercise (and you're grateful of the chance to sit down and pour over books for a few hours). try to get up and move every hour, it'll help concentration.

• use the time before the school day to study. this is typically when i make mind maps and go through pre reading before everyone else arrives. getting up early has its benefits but don't overwork yourself by 8am!

• if you got a good mark on an essay and have a similar assignment coming up, note down your structure to reuse, or anything that might be transferable between the pieces.

other tips:

• vaseline then perfume makes the scent last all day

• try not to wear makeup everyday

• if your hair is greasy and you haven't time to fix it, wash the front sections and it'll do for a few hours.

• compliment other people's outfits, and if someone gets a good mark on a piece of work, congratulate them

• don't be afraid of asking questions in class, or talking to teachers. it's their job to help, they want to!

• try and be consistently on top of work all year, it just saves time and you won't have to rush anything catching up

• have a Spotify playlist for school to get you in the mood for revision

if anyone has more tips add them! good luck this year, and i hope you enjoy it :)

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How To: Avoid Burnout ⚠️

It’s exam season again!! Stress is the new black and tensions are on the rise so here are a few reminders on keeping a healthy studying routine to avoiding burnout!

1. GET SOME SLEEP!! 💤

You hear this SO MUCH but please aim for 6+ hours of sleep every day!!

Sometimes it’s tempting to pull an all-nighter for the vibes but it’s trashing your metabolism and your skin!!!

Please try not to go on your phone at least 30 mins before you go to sleep and I promise you will fall asleep so fast!

2. Declutter and organise 🪴

A clear desk is a clear mind! Clear your desk, open a window, file away your old assignments and notes. Arrange your books by colour if you’re bored. Channel your inner Marie Kondo.

File study materials in distinct folders and arrange them by topic. Keeping a nice folder throughout the year means you won’t have to do it later and makes revising so much more efficient.

Organise a good timetable! Everyone studies differently so find what method works for you and stick to it. Don’t feel pressured to use ‘trending’ methods and remember to take breaks in between.

3. Set realistic goals

Ambition can be destructive when abused. Set achievable short-term goals and aim for a moderate tending to the minimum rather than to the maximum.

Give yourself a generous leeway in your daily schedule. You can always do more and feel better about yourself, but doing less endangers your entire study plan and creates unnecessary stress.

However!! It is very important to still have ambitious long-term goals (such as universities or a dream job). These supersede your short-term goals and are a good source of motivation.

In essence, as corny as it sounds, aim for the moon and at least you’ll be among the stars, whilst the unambitious lot are still sat on the ground.

4. Ask for help 🙋🏻‍♀️

Your teachers/tutors/advisors are there to help!! It’s literally what you pay them to do!! They’re there to help you get the best learning experience possible and no question is too dumb if it helps you to improve.

Similarly, most institutions have confidential pastoral and mental health teams who are literally there to listen to you talk about your problems. If you’re struggling with stress or anxiety or anything else, they’re the perfect people to talk to.

No one will judge you for asking questions!! If they do then fuck them and ask someone else. We’ve all been there before and most people are more than happy to help. Creating a study group with other students can also boost motivation and make studying more enjoyable.

⚠️⚠️⚠️ If none of this worked and you’re already burnt to a crisp:

5. Take a break 🧸

Just relax, man. Working whilst burnt out is pointless, almost impossible and is insanely counterproductive to your mental health and working efficiency. Take a couple of days off and you’ll be good as new.

However!! Relaxing is very different to distracting yourself. Relaxing is almost always something you do ‘within yourself’: think meditating, yoga, going for a walk, taking a bath whilst listening to your favourite artist.

Burnout is very much a mental state, so by relaxing, you can identify mental causes of burnout and fix them by reconnecting with yourself and feeling good in the process.

Distracting yourself is finding temporary relief in procrastinating dealing with your burnout. This is mostly in the form of mindless scrolling on apps such as tiktok, instagram and (since you’re here already) tumblr. This will not fix your burnout and will only amplify your stress and anxiety.

To avoid this, considering taking a social media detox and limiting screen time on certain apps.

I’ve been burning out a lot lately mainly because I was overworking aimlessly and unproductively since I thought I wasn’t ‘good enough’ for my parents/teachers/whatever. So this final note is more to myself than anyone else:

Stop caring about what other people think about you. Stop caring about what you think other people think about you. This is your life, your textbooks, and you will always be good enough for yourself.

Pain is temporary but success is permanent. Take a break and get back to work.

Best of luck and shoot for your wildest dreams!

xoxo

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How to survive finals

I just finished my first college finals and let me tell you I didn’t have a good time. I did learn a few valuable lessons in my suffering and so here I come sharing them with you so you don’t need to learn stuff the hard way.

Passing your finals isn’t worth sacrificing your health -You may get carried away with anxiety and just go down the wrong path. You stop taking care of yourself, you promise yourself that the next study session will have breaks and you will take better care of youself next time. NO! You will take care of yourself now! You need to make your health a priority. Always. Bad health will ruin your life and might make your studies so much more difficult in the future. Keep yourself healthy and sane

Breaks aren’t negotiable -It might seem like you’ll get more done without breaks but you’re wrong (and you know it too). Your brain will not accept the information you give to it and all the time invested will not be worth it. With breaks you spend less time studying while learning more!

Start early -This one is more difficult than it seems and for some people it might be impossible. But if you can, it’ll really help to get a head start. You might simply start a week early or study through the semester. Not seeing the materials for the first time before the exams helps significantly!

Keep your notes and materials somewhat organised -By the end of the finals month, I was drowning in disorganised papers, not being able to figure out where all my materials are. All my notes were useless because I just didn’t know where they are. It sounds funny now but it wasn’t funny then… Try to keep all your materials in folders at least.

Don’t add too much to your to do list -Try to figure out how much you can actually get done in a day and then stick to that amount no matter how much work you have overall. You won’t be able to do insane amounts of work in a day and long ass to do list will only stress you out.

Reward yourself at the end of every intense study session -Working with no rewards will get way more exhausting way quicker. I recommend some fun activity as the best reward. I like to make time to play video games or watch something after every intense day

Move your body -I don’t know how to make you understand that this one is one of the most important tips I can give you. PLEASE DO NOT NEGLECT YOUR BODY! Exam time at my college is over a month long and that really took a toll on my body. Make sure to walk, work out and stretch at least multiple times a week.

You need to sleep enough -If the importance of resting isn’t enough for you as a reason on its own, then I have another: sleep is when your memory saves the information. If you don’t sleep well, you won’t remember what you learnt as well and you’ll need to study longer

Stay social -Loneliness is a bitch and it’ll make you feel more stressed than you need to be. Also seeing others struggle in the same way you do can be quite calming and bonding experince. You’re not alone in this and you have to remind yourself.

Get as much help as you can -You don’t have to do things alone. I’m someone who’s afraid to ask for help and I pay for this flaw every damn time. Help people out and ask for help back. They won’t mind helping.

Keep your space clean -Cluttered or dirty space will add to your stress. Take the time to keep your surroundings pleasant to be in.

You can’t learn it all and it’s normal -Make conscious choices when it comes to the work you’re doing. You can’t learn and remember everything so choose what you study carefully. You’ll end up learning better the important stuff instead of memorising meaningless details.

I wish you all the best in the upcoming exam time and have a nice day! If you have any extra tips I didn’t mention, feel free to add on and help others out.

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some study/homework tips for y'all :)

keep a clock in front of you. to keep track of time. I like to use an app on my phone so that I’m not tempted to scroll on tumblr instead of studying. it’s also for aesthetic purposes. here’s the one I use.

do the most difficult projects first. this might seem like a daunting task, but getting the hardest things out of the way will clear up your mind for the rest of your work. unless of course something else is more time sensitive, then do those things first.

take purposeful breaks. when you’re studying or working on homework, it can be easy to want to do something more enjoyable; but doing those things can often lead our minds astray. when you take a break, try to do something healthy (i.e. read a chapter of a book, take a walk, make a cup of tea, etc.) of course, it’s ok to take a few minutes to scroll on your phone, but try not to let it take up the majority of your break

some ADHD/ADD specific study tips:

motivate your brain. before I start working on a big project or a lot of studying, I get a bag of skittles/m&m’s/some small candy or treat. whenever I finish a small task (reading one page, answering three questions, finishing one problem) I eat one piece of candy >don’t ask me for logic behind this one because I have no clue but it works I promise<

use a calendar or study tracker journal to stay on schedule. especially with ADHD, it can be really easy to procrastinate. using a calendar or journal helps you to stay focused on your goals and organize your study time.

some depression specific tips:

(disclaimer: depression is a serious mental illness that effects so many other people out there. if you’re struggling and need help or just someone to talk to, please feel free to message me)

don’t set timers. I know in the first paragraph I talked about using a clock, but setting timers makes me feel like the tasks I have to complete are insurmountable and I’ll never finish them. instead I try to chunk my studying/homework by category; it makes the whole thing so much more bearable.

reward yourself. try to come up with some good thing to motivate yourself; but set it for after you finish. [when I get done with my math assignments, I’ll make tea. when I finish studying, I’ll go to the bookstore.]

get out of bed. even if it’s not for studying, even if it’s just for depression. go get a whole glass of water and drink it. go put on new clothes and drive to McDonald’s. please just take care of yourselves <3

my most valuable tip:

you know what motivates you; use that as a tool. for me, it’s aesthetic*. I like organized laptop desktops and put-together outfits and beautiful paintings (probably why I spend so much time on studyblr). so some things that motivate me are organizing my desk before I work, or changing my laptop wallpaper to my favorite painting.

no matter how you study, you are all doing great my gals and pals. keep up the hard work and go drink water (that was a threat).

For more studyblr, follow my blog! //beauty is terror//

*a morbid longing for the picturesque??? richard papen WHO

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Study tips that actually helped me

1. study LESS but study BETTER- probably heard this 1000 times but I kid you not I used to feel guilty for not studying 25 hours a day like my classmates but turns out I was studying more effectively

2. Flame meditation- just stare at a candle flame for 5 mins and watch your focus going sky high

3. Handwrite your notes and make them pretty

4. Binaural/adhd beats help if you struggle with concentration

5. Study to prove to your enemies that you are better than them - this might be controversial but it works for me, please don't attack me

6. BINDER- this shit legit changed my life like you can bind every single thing in this. I personally don't like keeping 1000 different notebooks, I just write everything on a piece of paper and bind them all together

7. Getting rid of that toxic friend that lies to you "I haven't studied anything" get's 95

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for chinese new year they get all these famous actors and comedians together and they do a lil show and one of the comedians was like “i was in a hotel in america once and there was a mouse in my room so i called reception except i forgot the english word for mouse so instead i said ‘you know tom and jerry? jerry is here’

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Small things to do during your study break

Get a snack or make a new cup of coffee (remember to also drink plenty of water!)

Go outside to get some fresh air and sunlight (or maybe just stare a bit out the window if you can’t)

Stretch! Expecially if you have been sitting down all day, your body will need it

Draw small doodles on your notes or maybe add some colour

Go chat a bit with your family or housemates sometimes it’s nice to leave the study bubble a little bit (or if you have a pet!)

Water your plants

Tidy up your desk or desk area

Listen to some fun songs and have a little dance

Fold origami (maybe a little paper crane!)

Organise some of your clothes or do a little bit of laundry

Read a short poem or an article you are interested in

Pick up an instrumemt and practice if only for a few minutes

This is just a short list to remind myself to stay off social media during my study breaks!

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study smarter, not harder

- you don’t need to write out all your notes on paper if you don’t need to / if it doesn’t help you

- making flashcards is quicker and easier if you use quizlet

- don’t study late at night if you can’t focus properly

- study multiple subjects a day, not just one - this reduces the likelihood of you confusing similar information of one subject

- review your exam material periodically before the exam instead cramming beforehand

- d o n o t m u l t i t a s k . seriously. don’t convince yourself you can. don’t.

- compress your info as much as possible when making notes to review

- test yourself frequently. study by taking past papers of the subject/exam you’re doing.

- reading your notes is not studying. reading info is not studying. create your own study guide, quizzes for yourself, pretend you’re teaching someone else. use the information you’re learning.

- and remember to schedule!

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how to prepare for a lecture/seminar

here’s a useful little trick i just thought of to make preparing for an upcoming lecture more fun.

1. open up the slides, and pretend you’re an assistant lecturer who has just been given them with the task of *holding* the lecture.

2. now go through each slide and try to make sense of it out loud, explaining the principles you see to an imaginary class. not only is this lots of fun, it also forces you to summarize and internalize the material before you’ve even heard the lecture itself. making everything much easier in the long run!

3. now, when listening to the actual lecture, you can focus on details you missed or on making flash cards out of the most useful information.

happy studying!! 💕

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These are the things I do when I’m utilising my time to the max. I’ll be 100% honest and say that I haven’t been doing these all the time recently, and as a result I’ve been having terrible time management. But at least that proves these tips work for me. I really do think that some of these will work for you too.

Keep reading

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Bohemian Rhapsody. We Will Rock You. Somebody To Love. All hit singles, and all the direct product of a band that was formed when an astrophysicist and a dentistry major found a new friend in an art college, who then went on to recruit a fourth member from the electronics school. Based on this alliance I propose the rift in society between Arts and STEM students was fabricated to keep us separated so as to dilute our true power - and fabricated by who, you may ask? The business major, the only member of society who reaps no reward from art and science and thus must weaken us so as to stay ahead. In this essay I will

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okay, so here in california precautionary measures against COVID-19 have become increasingly intense. most schools have closed and are preparing to make the transition to “distance learning” aka online classes. this is a big change for many of us – but don’t panic!

welcome to surviving online classes 101!

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✐ self discipline

this is more of a warning than a tip. working from home means you will have to exercise a lot more self discipline. it can be a little bit boring or lonely at times. you cannot count on motivation from others (professors, classmates, friends, etc.), so you will have to learn some self discipline. 

✐ create your own classroom

a good way to make the transition is to try and mimic the classroom setting as closely as possible. something that might be helpful is to set up a space designated for work. try to avoid the temptation to work in your bed or on the couch. that trains your brain to be alert in those places and makes it harder to relax/fall asleep. at least during online lectures, try and eliminate distractions that wouldn’t be present in a regular classroom (like tv or netflix playing in the background, or having your phone out)

✐ dress for success!

dress in the way that makes you feel most productive. if you’re one of those people who usually rolls into class wearing sweats and still kills it, good for you! if you’re one of those people who needs to put on a full face of makeup to feel alive and ready for the day, do that! even at home!! i personally never wear makeup but if i try to be productive in pjs… disaster. i’ve also found that cute workout gear makes me feel badass while still being comfy.

✐ create a schedule

now more than ever you need to figure out how to manage your time. you can use a planner, bujo, google calendar, the forest app, whatever. just make sure you keep track of things like

due dates and TIMES

exam dates

lecture times

hours spent studying

meals (pls eat 3 if possible)

water intake

sleep schedule

✐ pack your bag like you usually would

i know this probably sounds so dumb, but when you’re done working clean up after yourself. pack everything up like you would at school, to sort of signal to your brain that academic time is over for now. and then unpack and set up when you’re ready to get to work again. this is just another way to trick your brain into that school mindset while you’re stuck at home.

✐ don’t overwork yourself

break up your studying into chunks. being cooped up all day can make us feel like we’re wasting time, but be sure to schedule breaks and reward yourself after a solid study session. i’m a big fan of the pomodoro method, and it can be customized really easily to allow for more or less study/rest time. 

✐ maintain a healthy sleep schedule

now is the time to develop that healthy sleep schedule we all dream about. staring at a computer all day is exhausting and hard on the eyes and brain, so make sure to give them enough rest and time to recover each night. also, consider investing in glasses that block blue light, even if you don’t usually use glasses. this will keep our eyes young lol. 

✐ communicate with your teachers and classmates

most of us are making this transition to online learning together. any time you have questions, email your professor. reach out to your classmates at the beginning and exchange emails/phone numbers/social media so you can build a support system. if something goes wrong, screenshot it immediately and reach out to your professor. technology isn’t perfect, and mistakes can happen, just communicate them.

✐ turn things in early

this is my biggest tip. when you are relying on online submissions for assignments and digital lectures, you always want to allow extra time to fix any errors you might encounter. your professor will also be much more willing to help you fix a problem two days before a deadline rather than two minutes before a deadline. eliminate that uncertainty by playing it safe with online submissions. 

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GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!! YOU GOT THIS!! WE GOT THIS!!