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The ABCDE Method: Accomplish Tasks more Efficiently

I recently came across the ABCDE method that’s similar to what I do to stay productive each day: instead of lumping up all your tasks, sort them into categories and tackle each of them differently. Here’s an outline of the method. Hope it helps :)

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i’m in college!

i’m in college, i’m here! i made it!

it’s also been about 2 years since i’ve posted on here.

i don’t know how active i’ll be on here, but i plan on posting at least somewhat frequently!

i’m back!

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I'm sort of freaking out right now. I move into my college dorm in 7 days and I have no idea what to pack! I'm moving into an annual dorm near my home, but it still takes a lot of gas to he going back and forth. No one seems to have college packing lists for apartment style year round dorms! I have no meal plan, a kitchen, living room, bathroom, and my own bedroom. It's nothing like a normal dorm and not even my family has any advice for me.

What to Pack for a Year Round Dorm Living Situation

Clothes for all seasons

A couple pairs of tennis shoes/walking shoes

A pair of fancy dress shoes for interviews, presentations, etc.

A pair of going out on the town shoes

A pair of flats

A pair of sandals

Umbrella

Warm winter coat

Light jacket for cold classrooms

One or two fancy presentation/interview outfits (slacks, solid colored blouse, blazer or sweater)

If you’re going to cook, spatula, a couple of solid cooking spoons, four each of plates, bowls, cups, spoons, forks, knives

Dish towels and cleaning supplies such as broom, mop, vacuum if you have carpet, disinfectant spray, dish soap, dust pan

Laundry basket (I like to have two, one for clean and one for dirty)

Clothes hangers if you have a closet in your bedroom

Towels and face cloths

Not sure how much storage is inside your shower but a shower shelf might help if you have very little storage

Two trash cans (kitchen, bathroom, I like one in my bedroom too)

Desk and chair if your room doesn’t come with one

Bedding set and a pillow, if it gets cold in your area, a couple extra blankets or a thick quilt

Again, not sure how much storage your room comes with but I like to have a small shelf beside my desk for textbooks, binders, important papers, etc.

Whatever decorations you wish to hang (a cork board collage is super easy and can be changed out easily for seasons, also Christmas/fairy lights are fun, fake plants, check with your RA about policy on putting holes in the wall)

Heater/fan in case you can’t control temp in your room/building

Small tool kit

First aid supplies and any medicine you may take

Flashlight

If you’re taking your vehicle, a vehicle emergency kit with jumper cables, spare tire, jack, tire pressure gauge all useful to have, as well as a charge bank, extra non-perishable foods, and a change of clothes

That’s all I can think of off the top of my head. Any followers wish to add?

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It’s that time of the year where school is starting back up. I wrote these with college in mind but can be used with any level of schooling :)

Organize your supplies – This always helps me feel excited for the upcoming school year. I love stationery and knowing that I will have a purpose to use it soon always makes me look forward to going back to school. This also helps you see what supplies you currently have

buy only the supplies you know you need – There is no point to go out and buy like 20 notebooks and 3 new packs of pens. Wait until classes to get binders/notebooks and buy only the pens you know you will use. Just because some studyblrs use color coding and fancy pens, doesn’t mean you have to. Use what you like and what you’re comfortable with. 

Start reading your textbooks – Going to classes with no idea about what the lectures will be about makes me extremely nervous. So, I start reading my textbooks and taking textbook notes for lectures a few weeks before. This helps me feel prepared for lectures. 

Figure out what planning system you want to use – In order to stay organized, it’s a good idea to have a planner system you are comfortable with. I personally use a bullet journal, but there are lots of planners and other options out there. You can use digital or paper planner. Find what you enjoy and what you are most comfortable with. 

Fix your sleeping schedule – Going to lectures exhausted is not a good idea. I personally start fixing mine a few weeks so that I can get into the swing of things. I have to get up earlier for band camp so I try to get up around a time that is close to what I would have to get up to for rehearsals. 

Clean your living space – A clean living space helps me feel fresh and ready for the upcoming school year. Having a clean space to study in can boost productivity and have less distractions. 

Familiarize yourself with your schedule – I always write my schedule in my bullet journal and put it in google calendars so that I have access to it everywhere. I like to know where my classes are going to be and what my days are going to look like. Being familiar takes away a lot of the nerves/stress of not knowing where you are going. 

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Really enjoying my very first library study session so far! 🥰📚 Biology keeps me busy!

xxx Lux

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some things i’ve learned while studying in quarantine

drink more water instead of more coffee.

weekly goals are bullshit. set yourself 3-day goals. you’ll be less laid-back.

don’t just mindlessly stare at words. before you start studying, know your approach to it. have a plan.

summarizing the concept in your own words is the key part of taking notes. don’t just copy things down, convert them into your own way of talking, your own vocabulary, no matter how dumb and unprofessional it sounds.

don’t let the “studyblr aesthetic” fool you. studying doesn’t have to be pretty. summaries and notes can be messy as long as they’re comprehensible. you can always rewrite and reorganize them later. (honestly, you better do. and you better keep them.)

don’t throw away the papers you’ve solved your problems in. staple them to the fucking textbook. you need to see them constantly. cause you’ll need reminders of how far you’ve came, when you’re feeling discouraged.

don’t be an armchair analyst for your issues. if you have an idea then act on it.

remember: the exact point where it becomes difficult, is where your growth begins. take a deep breath, and try to focus on the paragraph in front of you.

get off your high horse and understand that if you’re a zero, you won’t go to 100 in a couple of days. first, you’ll need to reach 30, then from 30 to 60, and then from 60 to 90. nobody is 100 everyday. that happens very rarely.

you need to have fun everyday. you need to have peaceful time every single day. even on exam night. especially on exam night, actually. so make sure you’ve studied enough so you can have some time to yourself.

once you’re on a roll and in need of some challenge to stay on track, start writing down your studying hours. tell yourself you’re not allowed to do less than 80% of what you did yesterday. whatever the hell it was, even just one hour. so if yesterday you really studied for like, say 8 hours, today your goal is to study for at least 6 and a half hours. if you can’t keep up with that, make it 70%, or 60%. 

be forgiving of yourself. be kind to yourself. even if you bounced back and lost your streak. start again. as slowly as you did before. take your time. it’s okay, you were there once you can get there again.

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What to keep in your bag: University edition

Alright, sit down youngin's and let me tell you what to keep in your bag for university (and why). First things first, get a backpack that's going to hold up. Your bag is going to get abused and you don't want to have to replace it in the middle of the semester.

Reusable water bottle/coffee cup: firstly, it's good for the environment. Secondly, you might get discounts for having it.

Pencils, pens, writing utensils: basically, get a pencil case. Fill it. Never trust a single pencil or pen. I once had to write half a calculus exam in bright pink pilot frixon because my mechanical pencil died. Trust nothing.

Mini stapler: put it in the pencil case. You'll need it, or someone else will need it and you don't really want to have to hunt around the library for one.

Washi/normal tape: have you ever tried making a poster without tape? Keep spare tape with you, the library might charge for it.

Notebook: listen, maybe you're going to take notes on your laptop. That's great unless you forget to plug it in the night before and it dies in the middle of your lecture. Have a back up.

Laptop: you only need to bring this if you're actually going to use it. Don't bring it just in case, we both know whatever you want to do can probably be done on your phone. That thing takes up precious backpack space, and this isn't highschool where you get to put things in a locker.

Wireless mouse: Excel on a laptop scroll pad. Not the worst, but it's not fun either. Bring a mouse. (Only if you're bringing your laptop though)

Earbuds: the bus sucks without them. Mine only break on midterm days

Lab coat/manual/safety glasses: if you're in science, you have labs. You don't want to be the kid who can't get into their lab because they forgot their coat/glasses. You also don't want to be the kid who doesn't know what they're doing because they don't have a manual.

Planner: listen, I don't care how you do this. I have an ongoing to-do list with dates for every course on Google docs, as well as a physical planner. Do whatever works for you, but keep track somehow.

Hand sanitizer: Germs. Germs everywhere. Everyone is sick. You don't want to be sick (writing a physics midterm with strep throat isn't fun guys). Sanitize yourself.

A small hand moisturizer: so you've sanitized your hands 5 times a day for a week and now your hands are dry. Have a small moisturizer with you. I find LUSH samples are really good for this.

Kleenex: you got sick (s a n i t i z e). It's cold. Your nose is running. It's awful. Have Kleenex.

Tylonel/Ibuprofen/antihistamine: headaches, cramps, sore throat, allergies. We both know you're probably going to that lecture anyway. Have the drugs that will help you.

Tea bags: this may sound funny, but campus coffee shops will probably let you have free hot water and milk. This is cheaper than buying tea everytime you want some.

Lunch/snacks: campus food is expensive, need I say more?

Sweater/hoodie/cardigan/jacket: I know it's a summer course, but you know what's freezing? The lecture hall. The lecture hall is freezing.

Gloves: winter. Snow. Rain. Cold. Gloves. Especially if you're bussing.

Plastic bag: line the inside of your big backpack pocket with a plastic bag. It might look funny, but it'll protect your stuff from puddles and spills

Tampons/pads: uterus bearing humans make sure you are equipped at all times.

Those are the main things. Don't bring textbooks unless you're for sure going to use them because those are heavy. I'm not listing things like your keys and wallet here because I hope you have both of those.

Good luck,

@anothercupofstudying

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Studyblr Tag Yourself

yes ofc i made not one, but two instead of studying, who do you think i am?

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my classes!!

i’m super pumped for this school year! we’re already about two weeks in, and i’m already having a good time!!

i’m excited that i get to take psych again, a-level this year! it’s an independent study course and i am living for it

i’m also taking a photography class, and i’m so happy about that. it’s legit required that you?? take photos? like yesss that is my dream class tbh

my english class is heavy in writing, not as much in reading, and i’m so excited to up my transition-writing skills (bc they need work to say the least)

drama is always lit, like i don’t think i could have a bad time in that class

bio!! bio is so good!!! i love learning about the stuff in bio, it’s easier than chem for me personally, which is a huge relief.

the other two are just good classes, i’m not super looking forward to them but i’m eager to learn.

just remember, the positivity that you put out comes right back to you. enjoy the little things.

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🎒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!

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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!!!

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10 Angry College Tips For Incoming Freshmen

(I finished my freshman year this spring with a 4.0 GPA, an off-campus research internship, and three professors contacting me suggesting that I apply for a fulbright scholarship.  These tips aren’t coming out of my ass.) 

1. LISTEN TO ME WHEN I SAY THIS: YOU DO NOT NEED TO “GET INVOLVED” IN STUPID CLUBS IF YOU DON’T ENJOY THEM.  Hear “get involved! :)” for the 1000th time and just barf in your mouth a little and move on.  If you work hard and get good grades, and socialize with people on campus when you have free time (it comes more naturally than you think) YOU WILL.  BE.  FINE.  Actually better than fine.  You’ll have time to get a real job/internship, which by the way, is what the real world wants to see you prioritizing.  Moral of the story: Only join clubs if they help your personality thrive and feel healthy.  Don’t do them because you feel pressured.  

2. DON’T TAKE SHIT FROM A N Y O N E. I know you’re trying to fit in and take the stance of trying to make everyone happy to make sure you’ll have plenty of friends.  But you have to realize that you literally just met these people, and they just met you.  If they create an uncomfortable environment for you that makes college harder to cope with, get them the fuck out of your life. Ain’t nobody got time for people’s high school-ass drama.  

3. SKIP YOUR CLASSES SOMETIMES.  If you really have your shit together, it won’t matter.  Your school will say the amount of skips you can get away with before it harms your grade.  Use. Them.

4. BECOME THE MASTER OF WRITING ESSAYS IN ONE NIGHT.  You will have to.  I’m telling you right the fuck now.  And you can get an A, if you work your lil ass off. I’ve done it many times.  

5. DON’T CARE FOR EVEN 1 SECOND WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK OF YOU.  If you wanna wear sweats and no makeup, do it.  If you want to dress up and take time to put on makeup, do it.  If you want to stay away from partying, do it.  If you want to party, have a good ass time.  If anyone has enough time to judge you, they need to be studying harder or getting a hobby.  Make yourself comfortable and happy as fuck and enjoy your time in college worry-free. 

6. BE THE ASSHOLE WITH A TABLET OR LAPTOP IN LECTURE.  You won’t have time to copy it all down.  You’ll be miserable.  Just trust me.  I know studies say its more effective to write stuff down for memory, but, write them out later or something.  Learned that one the hard way.

7. DON’T REWRITE YOUR NOTES IF IT DOESN’T HELP YOU STUDY.  If you know doing that doesn’t help you memorize, don’t do it, period.  Or, if you have a collossal asston of notes (like I did) it isn’t even worth rewriting them all in the first place. I’ve fallen down that hole and lost motivation and time.  Just reread them or make flashcards or whatever.  Study for effectiveness, not aesthetic.

8. BE PREPARED FOR LAB TO GO THE “WHOLE TIME.”  Yah, you’re gonna see 3 hours on that brand-shiny-new schedule of yours and be like there’s no way it’ll go that long, right? LOL about that.  Just mentally brace yourself.  Eat and drink beforehand for the love of god we don’t need hangry people handling chemicals.  

9. COMMUTING DOESN’T MAKE YOU A LONER.  Just.  No. If you live close to campus, are comfortable with commuting, and know you’ll save yourself MAJOR debt by doing it, do it and don’t feel a fucking ounce of guilt about it.  It’ll be some early mornings, but your fresh out of college broke ass will thank you, and you’ll use your time more effectively.  (Plus you get a non grimy shower like??)

10. LOVE YOUR NEW FINE ASS SELF.  College is a fresh start.  Put energy into who you have always wanted to be.  And don’t compromise that out of social anxiety and embarrassment.  You’ll be happy and thank yourself if you step out of your comfort zone to be the person you’ve always had in mind.  

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mint green💚

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How I Got Straight A’s in My First Year of University

I was so proud of myself when I received firsts (that’s A’s for those not attending uni in the UK) on all of my assessments in my first year at university. Here are some tips for y’all to try at any point in university. They may be specific at times to my experience—my degree is in the social sciences and humanities, and I’m studying in the UK—but I did try to make them more generally applicable, and hopefully they should be helpful to someone out there.

Part One: Everyday Study Routine

Before the start of the academic year, try to get in a little bit of preparation. See if there are any syllabi or reading lists posted online. You don’t have to pour over them, of course, but do attempt to do something, and have a basic grasp on what will be covered in your classes.

Go to all your lectures and seminars. Unless you absolutely have to miss class because you are ill or have an important obligation to take care of, it’s really important to attend your lectures every day. (Note: if you are struggling with mental or chronic illness or a disability, don’t beat yourself up if you keep missing class. Please take care of yourself.) You may be tempted to just look at the PowerPoint presentation online, but it’s much more effective to be there in person. Often the lecturer may include information or extra explanations which are not included in the presentation. It will also allow you to process the information aurally as well as visually, and you will have the added benefit of taking notes too. You may also be able to ask questions.

Do all the pre-reading for lectures. I know it’s tempting to put it off, but try to work it into your daily routine (because you will have reading to do every day). Inevitably, there will be times where you slip up and don’t have time to finish. If this happens, make sure you catch up on it at some point, because it’s very important to solidifying the concepts you are learning about. Also, the more you read in general, the better you will become at reading (and also writing).

Take diligent notes (for both your lectures and pre-reading), and keep them organized. I prefer to handwrite in a notebook, as it helps me synthesize information rather than just typing it out verbatim—but it is totally up to you. If you do use a notebook, make a table of contents on the first page, where you write the date, topic, class, and page numbers of each set of notes you take. I think it’s a great idea to include your own thoughts and opinions in notes, or linking concepts you are learning to concepts you already know about.

If you have the time, make sure to be reading books/essays/articles and engaging with ideas outside of your regular syllabus. This is one of the most important techniques (in my experience, at least) when it comes to writing essays and answering exam questions. Evidence of wider reading around a topic is a great way to boost the credibility of your argument. It also does wonders to solidify and broaden your conceptualization of certain ideas you may have covered in your classes.

Where possible, try to contribute (as much as you feel comfortable) in seminars. If you are very quiet and reserved, that is totally okay too. I’m with you. But it has helped me tremendously in the past year to push myself to speak up more often in seminars. Talking in seminars allows you to clarify concepts and engage more deeply with the material being discussed (and it might impress your seminar tutor too, though this is secondary to the learning in my opinion).

If you have some nerdy-ass friends, talk with them about your ideas and what you’re both learning in your courses. I can’t tell you the number of essays I’ve written which actually have blossomed out of conversations I’ve had with friends, where they’ve exposed me to topics I’d never heard of before or broadened my view of a concept. Learning from each other in a casual and fun setting is amazing!

Part Two: Assessment Time

When you are given notice about big assignments coming up, such as essays or group projects, try to start working on them ASAP. Trust me, I know how hard it is. This is coming from someone who has dealt for years with chronic procrastination issues and nearly didn’t graduate from high school because of it. But you must start planning as soon as you possibly can, because the due date will come screaming up and before you know it, it’ll be the night before the deadline and you won’t have a clue what you’re writing about. Work it into your daily schedule if you have to. One great tip is to write down the deadline as being earlier (say, a week earlier) than what it actually is. This will prompt you to start earlier than you normally would have.

Do a shitload of reading, widely, from multiple sources. Read everything you can on the topic you are doing your assignment on. For a basic literature review, this means looking through at least 20+ sources. That doesn’t mean carefully perusing each one front to back; it means looking through all the relevant literature to find a few great sources which will really give you a coherent argument and a big picture of the topic at hand.

Keep your sources organized. I use Paperpile, which is a Chrome extension that allows you to save and organize academic sources. I make a folder for each assessment I am working on, and anything I find relevant to my topic, I save it to the folder. This will be a life saver for you when you actually go to plan your paper and also do the referencing.

Content is important, but perhaps even more important is your argument and structure. This mostly applies to essays, but you can apply it to other types of assessments too. Try not to structure your argument in terms of blocks of content—e.g. Paragraph 1 is about Topic A, Paragraph 2 is about Topic B—but rather in terms of how you are laying out your argument. Make sure each part of your essay flows into the next, so that you are, for example, setting up a kind of dialogue or narrative between the different sources you’re using. Also ensure that any point you are making clearly relates back to your main thesis.

If you’re a perfectionist like me: train yourself to remember that there is no such thing as perfect. Try to imagine what the perfect essay would be like. Can you imagine it? It’s probably pretty difficult, right? That’s because there is no such thing as a perfect assignment. Remind yourself of this, constantly. Tell yourself that you will be okay with just doing your very best. If you think about it logically: handing in something that is perhaps not your best ever, but handing it in on time and doing pretty well, is infinitely better than attempting to have a “perfect” essay but handing it in late and failing the assignment.

I hope this helped some of you! Best of luck and happy studying this year—go knock ‘em out! xo

[sapphicvioletstudy]

Hey guys! I’ve hit a bunch of milestones here on tumblr but I never celebrated them but now I’ve decided to do a giveaway to thank you guys for all the love and support! I can’t thank you guys enough ♡ ( ´ ω ｀ ) ♡ 

Items:

bando set

bando 2018-2019 planner

washi tapes

4 stickers

post-it

leuchtturm set

leuchtturm a5 dotted notebook (not brand new since I tried using it but it wasn’t for me so I ripped like 4 pages out but it’s still in a very good condition! I didn’t want it to go to waste c:)

muji 0.5 mm pens

4 stickers

post-it

(I’ll also throw in other cute stationery stuff in each set!)

Rules:

Must be following me since this is a gift to my followers (if you’re following from a side blog please let me know your main in the tags)

Bonus entry for following my studygram and another one for following my main blog @raindyops (please let me know your ig username in the tags!)

Reblog to enter, likes do not count as an entry

No giveaway blogs please

Put in the tags which set you’d like to get (I’ll be choosing one winner for each set)

Ask/chat must be enabled

Must be willing to share your address with me (must have parent permission if under 18)

This giveaway ends on July 28th at 11:59 CST. I’ll choose the winners using a random generator and they’ll have 48 hours to respond. This giveaway is open internationally! Please ask me if you have any questions. Thank you so much once again and good luck everyone! x

[sapphicvioletstudy]

Hey guys! I’ve hit a bunch of milestones here on tumblr but I never celebrated them but now I’ve decided to do a giveaway to thank you guys for all the love and support! I can’t thank you guys enough ♡ ( ´ ω ｀ ) ♡ 

Items:

bando set

bando 2018-2019 planner

washi tapes

4 stickers

post-it

leuchtturm set

leuchtturm a5 dotted notebook (not brand new since I tried using it but it wasn’t for me so I ripped like 4 pages out but it’s still in a very good condition! I didn’t want it to go to waste c:)

muji 0.5 mm pens

4 stickers

post-it

(I’ll also throw in other cute stationery stuff in each set!)

Rules:

Must be following me since this is a gift to my followers (if you’re following from a side blog please let me know your main in the tags)

Bonus entry for following my studygram and another one for following my main blog @raindyops (please let me know your ig username in the tags!)

Reblog to enter, likes do not count as an entry

No giveaway blogs please

Put in the tags which set you’d like to get (I’ll be choosing one winner for each set)

Ask/chat must be enabled

Must be willing to share your address with me (must have parent permission if under 18)

This giveaway ends on July 28th at 11:59 CST. I’ll choose the winners using a random generator and they’ll have 48 hours to respond. This giveaway is open internationally! Please ask me if you have any questions. Thank you so much once again and good luck everyone! x