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[ponderandstudy]

I’m very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very tired.

[ponderandstudy]

how to win at college

this also applies to high school in a lot of ways, esp in organization and involvement

I read this book by cal newport called “how to win at college” in prep for my freshman year & u should definitely read it yourself because there are lots of important points i don’t cover in this post, but if you don’t want to, this is my summary of what I think were the most important points he made. 

STUDY HARD, BUT YOUR GRADES DON’T MEAN AS MUCH AS WHAT YOU LEARN OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM. he prioritizes getting vital experiences such as

- joining a club and eventually taking responsibility in it and becoming a leader

- apply for scholarships every year (he said 10 a year) 

- volunteer, but not for your resume. do it to learn and become a better person. 

- get involved in research, and get involved in your major department (like go to the events and lectures, even if they aren’t mandatory)

- write outside of class regularly because writing is super important (example- submit to your school newspaper) 

STAY ORGANIZED AND ON TOP OF YOUR SHIT

- he really really REALLY emphasizes not procrastinating and studying / starting papers well in advance of deadlines. his rules are to 

- - >start long term projects immediately after they are assigned and continue to work on them by following a reasonable schedule (he says to finish early, revise, then finish again), 

- - > take 3 days to write shorter papers (aka you have abt 2 weeks to work on them and they range from 2-15ish pages) (aka make preparations pre writing, then write a rough draft on the first day, revise and focus your writing on the second day (make sure your arguments are very clear!), and polish your paper on the third day), and

- - >take 2 weeks to study for an exam. study in shorter blocks during the first week, like maybe an hour or so each day. over the weekend, add more hours. the few days before the test, study in 2-3 hour chunks to really cement the already familiar information. 

- get a filing cabinet for your papers instead of just piling them on your desk and having to search for them later. 

- have a HIGH QUALITY notebook and a folder for each class (or whatever stationery keeps you organized) and keep all your folders/notebooks/binders neat and organized. 

- empty your inbox and organize your emails 

- schedule your free time- aka have specific times that you choose to relax and spend with friends rather than unintentionally relaxing during work time, or worrying about work during relaxation time. 

TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF

- you NEED sleep, you NEED healthy food, and you NEED exercise. you really shouldn’t put anything ahead of these things. 

- NEVER pull an all nighter. if you’re studying ahead of time, this should be easy. all nighters aren’t glamorous, they’re unproductive, really stressful, and unhealthy

- keep in touch with old friends, and remember to call your mom

- make sure to spend time with new friends and take care of them. be there for your friends. 

- keep your room neat and make your bed!! 

like i said, there is a lot of important stuff that I didn’t cover so i recommend reading the book how to win at college by cal newport, and take what you need to from it. good luck!!!

[ponderandstudy]

3/7/18 Doing some catching up on my literature text with friends today 😄 great to get back into the grind even after exams. I’ve also uploaded a study tips post on my blog, so it would be great if you guys could check it out at heysoi.wordpress.com 

Have a great day ahead!

[ponderandstudy]

quite sad I didn’t get much done today

“accomplishments”: - 3 hour lit lesson - 3 pages of econs notes. THREE.

ok but I spent a bit of time with friends so I guess that does good things for my quality of life lol

Aims for tmr: - actually finish preparing econs notes so that I can start on PRACTICES and reviewing tutorials - start on chemistry bc that’s my worst subject (haA) –> review all my J1 chapters bc my foundations are NON-EXISTENT O GOD - jog 3.5km

CT2s in 24 days!!!! I’m TERRIFIED

2/25 days of productivity

[ponderandstudy]

hey guys, I’m back :) and this time, I’ll use studyblr in a much more productive way (where I’ll post my daily goals and follow up with whether I’ve done them)

I’m studying for my next common test (CT2s) and this year’s my A-level year so that’s pretty stressful.

For today, I aim to annotate scene 6 + epilogue of st Joan to prepare for tomorrow’s makeup lit class and recap some economics.

With every post, I’ll countdown to my next exam. There are 25 days left for me to study (though I have attend a workshop for 2 days, making it 23 days)

so here’s to (almost) 25 days of productivity!

[1/25]

[ponderandstudy]

how to achieve your goals

start

[ponderandstudy]

another neutral theme!!! ft. jeans, soft fabrics, and rustic vibes — pic creds from left to right, top to bottom: @/brunchatthebookstore and @/polyvore on ig and @leondore

ig: kairojo

[ponderandstudy]

you are limitless :))

[ponderandstudy]

a quick flatlay of blue things (tbh i’m probably the only one who uses their ap card in a flatlay lmaooooooo)

stickers / washi tape from stickykit!

[ponderandstudy]

My July spread! Also, my mid years are finally over but promos are coming in approximately 70 days so I still need to study hard :") I've been inactive for quite a while but I'll make sure to post more of my notes because I've made a lot during the exam season! Have a great week ahead everyone (￣^￣)ゞ

[ponderandstudy]

My newest set of handwritten astrophysics notes ✨💕 It’s only been 2 months but thank you to all 5k of you who have followed me & supported me ✨☄😭

[ponderandstudy]

my masterlist of 'how to life’ tips

Cleaning & Tidying

Make your bed in the morning. It takes seconds, and it’s worth it.

Reset to zero each morning. 

Use the UFYH 20/10 system for clearing your shit. 

Get a reed diffuser and stick it on your windowsill. 

Have a ‘drop-zone’ box where you dump anything and everything. At the beginning/end of the day, clear it out and put that shit away.

Roll your clothes, don’t fold them - or fold them vertically.

Automate your chores. Have a cleaning schedule and assign 15mins daily to do whatever cleaning tasks are set for that day. Set a timer and do it - once the timer is up, finish the task you’re on and leave it for the day. 

Fold your clothes straight out of the tumble dryer (if you use one), whilst they’re still warm. This minimises creases and eliminates the need for ironing. 

Clean your footwear regularly and you’ll feel like a champ. 

Organisation & Productivity

Learn from Eisenhower’s Importance/Urgency matrix. 

Try out the two-minute rule and the Pomodoro technique.

Use. A. Planner. (Or Google Calendar, if that’s more your thing.)

Try bullet journalling.

Keep a notebook/journal/commonplace book to dump your brain contents in on the regular. 

Set morning alarms at two-minute intervals rather than five, and stick your alarm on the other side of the room. It’s brutal, but it works. 

Set three main goals each day, with one of them being your #1 priority. Don’t overload your to-do list or you’ll hit overload paralysis and procrastinate. 

If you’re in a slump, however, don’t be afraid to put things like “shower” on your to do list - that may be a big enough goal in itself, and that’s okay. 

Have a physical inbox - a tray, a folder, whatever. If you get a piece of paper, stick it in there and sort through it at the end of the week.

Consider utilising the GTD System, or a variation of it.

Try timeboxing. 

Have a morning routine, and guard that quiet time ferociously. 

Save interesting-looking shit to instapaper. Have a set time where you read through the stuff you saved to instapaper and save the shit that you like from instapaper to evernote (or bookmark it properly). 

During your working hours, put on your footwear, even if you’re sat on your bed. (Why?)

Have a folder for all your important documents and letters, organised by topic (e.g. medical, bank, university, work, identification). At the front of this folder, have a sheet of paper with all the key information written on it, such as your GP’s details, your passport details, driving licence details, bank account number, insurance number(s), and so on. 

Try using StayFocusd and RescueTime (or similar apps/extensions). (I promise, you’ll find that you’re not as busy as you think you are.)

Schedule working time and down time alike, in the balance that works for you. 

Money

Have. A. God. Damn. Budget. 

Use a money tracker like toshl, mint, or splitwise. Enter all expenses asap! (You will forget, otherwise.)

Have a ‘money date’ each week, where you sort through your finances from the past seven days and then add it to a spreadsheet. This will help you identify your spending patterns and whether your budget is actually working or not. 

Pack your own frickin’ lunch like a grown-up and stop buying so many takeaway coffees. Keep snacks in your bag. 

Go to your bank and take out £100 in £1 coins (or w/e your currency is). That shit will come in useful for all kinds of things and you’ll never be short on change for the bus or the laundry. 

Food & Cooking

Know how to cook the basics: a starch, a protein, a vegetable, and a sauce.

Simple, one-pot meals (“a grain, a green, and a bean”) are a godsend. 

Dried porcini mushrooms make a fantastic stock to cook with. 

Batch cook and freeze. Make your own ‘microwave meals’. 

Buy dried goods to save money - rice and beans are a pittance. (Remember to soak dried beans first, though!) 

Consider Meatless Mondays; it’s healthier, cheaper, and more environmentally friendly.

Learn which fruits and vegetables are cheapest at your store, and build a standard weekly menu around those. (Also remember that frozen vegetables are cheap and healthy.) 

Learn seasoning combinations. Different seasoning, even with the exact same ingredients, can make a dish seem completely new. 

Don’t buy shit for a one-off recipe, especially if you won’t use it all. If you really want to try out a recipe, see if a friend would be interested in making it with you, then pool for the expenses. 

Make your own goddamned pasta sauce. Jamie Oliver has a decent recipe here, but the beauty of tomato sauce is that you can totally wing it and adapt the fuck out of it. 

Misc

Have a stock email-writing format. 

Want to start running, but find it boring? Try Zombies, Run!. 

Keep a goddamn first aid kit and learn how to use it. 

Know your OTC pain relief. 

Update your CV regularly. 

Keep a selection of stamps and standard envelopes for unexpected posting needs. (It happens more regularly than you would think!) 

Some final words of advice:

Organisation is not a goal in itself, it is a tool. Don’t get caught up in the illusion of productivity and get distracted from the actual task at hand. 

Routines and habits will help you. Trust in them.

You have the potential to be an organised and productive person, just as much as anybody else. It just takes practice. 

[ponderandstudy]

I admire disciplined people so much. I admire people who can do what they need to do with a focused mind and unwavering commitment, not letting themselves get distracted and refusing to make excuses for themselves. I admire the kind of people whose eyes are on the prize, even if it’s far away, and who are determined, diligent and adaptive. I look up to the kind of people who refuse to succumb to any obstacle or challenge and transcend above the millions of things that stood against them and their goals. I admire those kind of people so much and I aspire to be like that so much more.

[ponderandstudy]

How about textbooks & chill :)

[ponderandstudy]

D I S T R A C T I O N S

I can’t imagine myself being so concerned about other people’s opinions, that I would rather self sabotage and allow opportunities to slip through my fingers, just to avoid the negative things people might say.

If you’re blessed with a opportunity, grab it with both hands! The same people who dislike you would embrace the same blessings that they’re ridiculing you for having.

Don’t get distracted by those who have nothing going for them. Wish them peace and guidance and keep it moving my g. People are always going to talk.

[ponderandstudy]

no offense to ppl who like to stay the same and stagnate but, like, if you dont adapt you’ll die

[ponderandstudy]

i’ll color me blue// anything it takes to make you stay// 🌊