sharkstudying-blog

[sharkstudying-blog]

I fUcking?!?? PASSED EVERYTHINg!?!??!??

[sharkstudying-blog]

Congratulations to all the mentally ill kiddos getting their GCSE results today. No matter what grade is on that sheet, you turned up to the exam and took it, despite everything you’re struggling with day in, day out. I’m proud and I think you did amazingly, well done.

[sharkstudying-blog]

Here’s some weapons for your essay writing arsenal!

Hemingway Editor Calmly Writer  The Most Dangerous Writing App Purdue O.W.L. One Look Thesaurus JSTOR Google Scholar

Reply with your favourite or other great websites I didn’t include!

[sharkstudying-blog]

16/8/17- august week 3

this week’s yellow spread ft. my favorite mustard sweater 💛

[sharkstudying-blog]

I have finally decided what I will be doing in honor of hitting 100 followers! 

Friday, August 18th at 7pm EST I will be holding an advice column! 

Rules

Starts at 7pm EST

The ask you send in must be for advice, my thoughts/opinion, me to listen to you rant about your day anything along these lines. 

Nothing else, really! 

 Whether you need a second opinion, advice on something, or someone to rant to, I’m ready to listen/give thoughts! If you have something to send but can’t at 7pm eastern time, feel free to send it in anytime before!

 I really hope you guys will send stuff, so please reblog to spread the word!💕

if this doesn’t get 10 or more notes we’re just going to pretend this never happened okay byee

but seriously, I really want to do this

[sharkstudying-blog]

do you have tips on taking notes?

yes!! i have many, so i tried to make it easier for you to navigate :)

L O N G post ahead of you, covering lecture notes and readings notes, from a college senior :)

lecture notes:

i suggest using a notebook and pen, physically writing down. it’s easier to study, and since it’s using your body, you have a much higher retention rate on your side than if you use a laptop.

i have used my laptop for taking notes before. it’s easier to take more notes, word for word, but that’s not always helpful. maybe that’s your style, especially if you enjoy rewriting your notes all pretty and more successfully when you get home. i am not that girl. 

more notes does not always equal better! it’s good for you to listen actively, selecting what is important and what is not. i take very thorough notes. i take a lot of notes. if you need notes for a missed class, i. am. your. girl. that doesn’t mean i write out everything word for word. selecting details, clauses, and images really helps me to not only keep up, but also to memorize later. plus, when you’re typing, it’s easier to type all the words out without really processing the whole meaning. remember that dense notes are harder to study

finally, when you write by hand, you can get more creative with your style. occasionally, i’ll web notes out from one, rather than a traditional outline, bc it makes more sense for the topic

it also helps my anxiety! so much! if i force myself to take great in depth notes, then my mind has to dedicate more brain space to the task at hand than to my anxieties.

stick to one of these though. it really sucks to get into a test and realize you didn’t study half of your notes bc you forgot half were on your laptop. it’s awful lol.

if you use a laptop, get used to how it works first. do u know how much i resent trying to switch from a bullet that is under other bullets (like this one, not filled in) to a main point bullet (the ones filled in). it can be so confusing. also make sure you use a program you like. you can take directly into documents, but i find that i really love evernote, as i can make notebooks for classes, stacks of notebooks for my college, and that i can tag notes with specific classes and topics.

if you’re on paper, for fuck’s sake, divide your notebook into sections for classes. keep it all together. those notebooks with handy dandy dividers are so helpful, and they keep you from carrying around 5 notebooks at once.

i wouldn’t worry too much about highlighters and such in class. there’s just so much going on then. save highlighting and color coding for later, and count it as studying.

don’t worry about traditional outlining styles, with roman numerals or whatever. i take notes very simply. bullets/dashes, subnotes under a broad note. 

do it how it makes sense to you! maybe that includes different bullet styles, different places for different types of information (on a simple level, i start writing chapter numbers and titles as far to the left as i can go, over the margins, in bold and capital letters. i also usually go over these later in a certain color marker)

in some classes it is helpful for me to write the topic along the top of the page in a highlighter (color coding is lovely) the main idea/topic for each page. the classes this was most obviously helpful in were astronomy (COMETS or BLACKHOLES etc) and shakespeare (MUCH ADO ACT 2 or ROMEO etc)

it’s easiest to just note page numbers of referenced complex diagrams, as they are usually in your reading or accessible online

your style might look different in each class. whatever works.

note everything (everything) your professor writes on the board. if it’s important enough for your professor to write it, it’s probably important enough for you to write it.

note examples only if it’s helpful for your memory. however, make light note of things like famous people and their science/psych experiments. but in math and such, note! the! examples! and! reasons! will help you so much.

examples that have emotion, imagery, or sound are going to be more helpful. applicable examples are most helpful. good professors will lecture you accordingly. lazy ones will not.

star anything that the professor stresses or hints will be tested. anything that they say is a major theme or whatever.

note main ideas/points/themes, definitions, conclusions, 

use your tests to help you figure out what you need to know. ask questions about the tests too. in every class i’ve taken, i’m totally shocked at how willingly people ask about exam format and how willingly the professor will tell us how it will work. they want you to succeed.

people learn differently! i suggest taking notes in class and later adding touches that help you. count it as study time too. a warm up, if you will. 

if you’re visual, this might include highlighting, color coding, drawing diagrams, etc.

 if you’re an auditory learner, reading the notes out loud and organizing them accordingly, as well as making up rhymes, rhythms and such, might help you. some auditory learners actually like to record lectures and listen to them later. 

if you learn best through movement, rewriting or making flashcards will be great for you.

sometimes professors go really. fuckin. fast. why. idk? but

dont be afraid to ask them to go back a slide bc i guarantee, you will be the class hero for asking

develop a little bit of shorthand. sometimes i end up using initials, arrows, abbreviations… this is where i got “bc” and “thru” and “u” and such. lol. also, list things vertically, rather than using commas and “and/&/+) it’ll be more clear later

some professors you literally cannot take notes on. it sucks. you’re going to need to do the readings and pick their brains on how the test will be to figure out how to prepare. take home tests are your best friend. thank god for them. seriously. get your butt to church and do some worshipping.

if your professor puts powerpoints online, save the powerpoints, ya never know.

look at inspiration if you want, but remember that notes on studyblr are usually copied from class notes. if you’re too focused on how pretty your notes are, good luck to you

finally, the day before an exam, i review my notes that i have (hopefully) been studying. i like to make a one page cheat sheet / study guide on everything i didn’t remember, leaving out everything i understand, memorized, or want to disregard. 

reading notes:

ima be real and tell you i hardly ever do reading unless i will be tested on it in class in multiple choice. and im an english student. ye i suck, i know. i dont condone shirking the system but u know what, reading shakespeare or 18th century lit literally makes me want to kill myself. so, im a senior in college, and have barely ever done the reading for a class. the thing is, if you do it right, anything is better than just reading the words on the page and not getting the meaning. dont be a reading zombie. read actively, even if it’s not the actual reading. doing this, i have a 3.9 gpa. so. there’s hope for us yet.

first of all, yall need to do your damn reading. idc how. but due to the fact that a test will be multiple choice, essay answer, a presentation, or a paper, you’re going to not love pulling nothing out of your ass. can be done tho. just be fake deep.

that being said, i’m writing a lot below, but the reality is that if it’s lit, your notes dont have to be longer than a sentence. if it’s a textbook, more.

the same formatting question comes into play here, except it’s should you take notes in your book or in a notebook?

listen i’m always going to be pro notebook, pro physically writing it out as it helps me really get the information into my head, rather than more passively highlighting

i tend to do both, if im willing to mark up a book. i underline and highlight things that stick out to me, and i write them down as well. sometimes when reading literature/essays, if i know the contextual/meaning notes will be interesting to me later, i will copy notes both into my notebook and also less in depth onto post it notes (which also make sweet little flashcards btw), which i will stick into the passage. this is so helpful when a) im reading it again later and b) when we are discussing a passage in class

buy used books. it’s cheaper. until it happens to u, u do NOT UNDERSTAND how EXCITING it is to get a book that has highlights and underlines in it ALREADY. DUDE. my work is basically DONE for me. now take that lightly, bc often different ppl will highlight different pieces of information. however, it is helpful.

look up summaries. do not simply rely on cliffsnotes and sparknotes, esp since professors are very aware of these. google “title of book, summary, chapter notes, whatever youre looking for” and use the blog posts, the book reviews, the papers that come up. does this method probably take a bit longer? maybe? but it’s easier on my tired brain.

if you don’t have time to read your textbook one day and really want to, read the introduction and the conclusion to the chapter, or the first and last sentences to the paragraphs. it’s not great, but it’s something.

like your lectures, note definitions, conclusions, and helpful examples, as well as people and dates. if i’m reading literature and i’m deciding to be a smart student i will keep several logs as well. these logs will make it so. easy. to study for your exam:

updated character lists, including name, relationships, and anything defining and important

scene/chapter summaries, just a sentence summarizing what happened where

any quotes or themes that stand out

i highly highly highly recommend getting your hands on a copy of the well educated mind for note taking on a range of genres. this is what i had to use through high school and while it’s involved, it’s incredibly helpful.

if you’re going to have to cite your notes, note the page number in the margin every time you flip the page

the biggest issue i have with reading is when and where to do it. before or after class? always ask your professor if they do not tell you. where in your notebooks? i always do it on the next blank page bc leaving space stresses me the fuck out. make notes on the top of your pages of corresponding lectures/readings. 

for both lectures and readings i really really really suggest either having something to drink or something to snack on (think fruit, loose nuts, m&ms. small loose things rather than things u bite? idk they just last longer?)

okay i hope this was somewhat helpful even tho it’s an incredibly longwinded post. it seems like a lot, but the reality is that while i take a lot of notes, i don’t make them complicated, i don’t have rules, i just do what feels right in the moment. they’re not at all stressful. just take it easy and do whatever works for you :) 

if anyone has other tips, feel free to reply :)

[sharkstudying-blog]

yay for chemistry tests ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ

+ printable here - stationery all tagged here

from my instagram: @studeying

[sharkstudying-blog]

may 4, 2017 - star wars day!

here’s an old star wars creative spread that i made in my bullet journal after watching rogue one! this layout was inspired by @tbhstudying‘s rainy weather creative spread. to everyone out there taking exams and finishing up the school year, may the force be with you!

currently listening to: “star wars: main title” - john williams

[sharkstudying-blog]

《20042017 • Week 2 of April •  🎧 : There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back - Shawn Mendes》

I’m back with a new spread. I went on a road trip to Sydney last week, so this spread is based on traveling. Was also inspired by Brian’s (@studywithinspo) old bullet journal spreads and mini doodles.

ig: ttstudys

[sharkstudying-blog]

Hi, guys! I recently received an ask from @sunny-bunnies about my handwriting and headers! I thought my headers were more interesting (I’ll probably do a handwriting tag eventually haha), and I have a lot that I use so this post would get way long if I did both :)

Anyway, I’m going to go through all of the headers that I use regularly! they’re pictured above with and without shadows as a tl;dr.

monoline: this style is pretty popular right now and is also my current favorite! basically, it’s cursive, but uneven- whenever a letter ends in a downstroke, I extend it a little below where it would usually be and also vary the line on which the letters “sit.” The most important tip for this style is to keep stroke width and letter size the same, so that the unevenness looks intentional and not sloppy.

lowercase: I like to use this one as a subheading! it looks much better in the shadow version but basically you write in lowercase print as neatly as you can and hope for the best.

uppercase: This one can be used virtually anywhere! It’s pretty much writing in all caps; I prefer to stretch it vertically! (If you do this, make sure your letters are vertically centered in the same place! ex. the middle line on the E can go high, low, or in the middle, but it should also match where the bump of a P ends.)

faux calligraphy: (forgive me running out of space on this one oops) sort of like monoline (you can do the cursive evenly, like above, or unevenly), but after you write, go back in and thicken the downstrokes. This is much easier than regular calligraphy if you a. don’t feel confident with your calligraphy or b. don’t own brush pens!

serif 1: this one’s cute and kinda typewriter-ish! just print your letters and add serifs (little mini dashes) to the ends of lines. boom! you’re done. I like to look up a typewriter font to have a reference for the serif length and placement, but tbh it looks pretty good even if you wing it.

serif 2: serif 1 but adding to vertical strokes (note that these are not the same as the downstrokes used in faux calligraphy!) I based this style off of times new roman if you need a reference. A warning about serifs: shadows are a pain to do so if you choose to do a shadow + serif, make sure your header is 10 or fewer letters (you’ll thank me later.)

two-tone: take your faux calligraphy (this works better if you have thicker strokes), draw an imaginary line down the middle, and use a darker color to color over the top or bottom (I favor the bottom but it’s a matter of personal preference!) Layering colors (as opposed to just making each half the letter one color) has 2 benefits: 1. no guesswork in trying to match up halves, and 2. the colors look more cohesive! You can also try to blend the colors together to make a gradient (lay down more of the darker color and blend it upward with the lighter one!)

big & small: uppercase, but instead of adding shadows, add mini cursive letters to the centers of the colored letters. Make sure to connect it all together!

highlighted caps: A classic and perfect if you’re in a rush or doing subheaders. just write in all caps and highlight over it. voilá!

color shadow: I would definitely recommend doing this in a larger space than the one I left myself (check out this post to see it done less sloppily) but the idea is to do faux calligraphy with the black pen and the shadow with your colored pen or highlighter! (here I would generally recommend a gel pen or felt, fine-tipped marker but obviously I didn’t follow either of my own tips so make of that what you will)

a note on shadows: So I’ve mentioned shadows a couple times. Unless you want to make your life hard, do the shadows after the main body of the letter. There are just 3 basic rules I follow here! 1. pick 2 adjacent directions to do the shadows in (above, I picked down and right but you can also pick down and left or, if you’re feeling creative, up and left or right.) 2. For every line, one side should be in shadow. this isn’t a hard-and-fast rule but it’s pretty good to follow in general. 3. Choose a primary and secondary direction! For example, I picked down and right, correct? But if I have a capital A (see “uppercase”) I need to pick between a down/left shadow and an up/right shadow. Since I picked right as my primary direction, I choose the up/right side! This is basically an extension of rule 2 but it took me a while to figure out so I thought it should be included.

Sorry! this post went a lot longer than I had intended, but hopefully it was informative! P.S. if you like my posts, maybe you’d also like my new studygram!

[sharkstudying-blog]

Aug 11, 2017 - Newspapers and doodles. 

 "Everything you can imagine is real.“ - Picasso

[sharkstudying-blog]

24th march 2016 : [34/100 days of productivity]

taken from my ig: @study.relief // a little more math revision today for IB Math Studies SL ft. me making use of the posters i have around my room as backgrounds + mild red highlighter / black pen ✨✨

[sharkstudying-blog]

《15072017 •  🎧 : Hurricane - Hoshi》

A moodboard of my favourite spreads in my bullet journal for the first half of 2k17. (open up for ‘better’ quality xx)

[sharkstudying-blog]

Alternatives for 25 overused words in writing

1. Interesting- note worthy; thought-provoking; fascinating; attracting; appealing; attention-grabbing; captivating; gripping; invigorating; engrossing; engaging; electrifying.  

2. Beautiful- striking; stunning; magnificent; lovely; charming; gorgeous; radiant; dazzling.

3. Good- acceptable, wonderful, exceptional; positive; brilliant; first-rate; notable; stellar; favorable; superb; marvellous; prime.

4. Bad- awful; lousy; poor; unacceptable; crummy; dreadful; rough; inferior; substandard; atrocious; appalling; dreadful; defective.

5. Look- glance; fixate; observe; stare; gaze; peer; scan; watch; study; browse; eye; glimpse; review; inspect.

6. Nice- lovely; superior; pleasant; satisfying; delightful; likeable; agreeable; correct; adequate; swell; fair; okay; approved.

7. Very- extremely; exceedingly; exceptionally; immensely; tremendously; abundantly; particularly; remarkably.

8. Fine- satisfactory; worthy; respectable; exquisite; suitable; well; imposing; decent; admirable; praise-worthy; decent.

9. Happy- cheerful; delighted; pleased; content; amused; thrilled; elated; thrilled; ecstatic; on cloud 9. 

10. Really- genuinely; truly; honestly; actually; undoubtedly; certainly; remarkably; incredibly; downright; unquestionably; extremely.

11. Sad- miserable; gloomy; devastated; down at heard; distraught; distressed; dispirited; sorrowful; downcast; feeling blue; desolate.

12. Big- massive; huge; giant; gigantic; enormous; large; colossal; immense; bulky; tremendous; hefty; sizable; extensive; great; substantial. 

13. Shocked- taken aback; lost for words; flabbergasted; staggered; outraged; astonished; astounded; stunned; speechless; appalled.

14. Small- tiny; petite; mini; miniature; microscopic; minuscule; compact; pocket-sized; cramped; puny; undersized; limited; meager; modest; minute; pint-sized. 

15. Angry- irate; enraged; touchy; cross; resentful; indignant; infuriated; wound-up; worked-up; seething; raging; heated; bitter; bad-tempered; offended; frustrated. 

16. Know- understand; comprehend; realize; learn; perceive; recognize; grasp; sense.

17. Change- alter; transform; replace; diversify; adjust; adapt; modify; remodel; vary; evolve; transfigure; redesign; refashion; advance; transition; shift; adjustment.

18. Old- aged; ancient; matured; elderly; senior; veteran; decrepit; seasoned; venerable; past one’s prime; doddering; senile.

19. Think- ponder; reflect; conceive; imagine; contemplate; consider; determine; realize; visualize; guess/assume; conclude; envision. 

20. Funny- comical; ludicrous; amusing; droll; entertaining; absurd; hilarious; silly; whimsical; hysterical; joking; witty; facetious; slapstick; side-splitting; knee-slapping.

21. Go- move; proceed; advance; progress; travel; walk; journey; depart; exit; flee; make one’s way; clear out; get underway.

22. Give- grant; donate; hand-out; present; provide; deliver; hand over; offer; award; bestow; supply with; contribute to; send; entrust.

23. Get- acquire; obtain; receive; gain; earn; gather; collect; buy; purchase; attain; score; secure; take possession of; grab.

24. Easy- effortless; simple; clear; smooth; straightforward; uncomplicated; painless; accessible; apparent; basic; plain; child’s play; facile; elementary; cinch. 

25. Fast- agile; brisk; rapid; nimble; swift; accelerated; fleeting; high-speed; active; dashing; winged; hurried; turbo. 

[sharkstudying-blog]

08-13-17 Possibly my last spread because school is back on! (Hoping it’s not) My first week of class was okay, we have to buy alot of requirements for resto and prostho. Thankfully, my mom got my back! 😀

[sharkstudying-blog]

feeling ✧ blue (ig: uyuro)

[sharkstudying-blog]

08.11.17 || Cats, Plants, and Notes! (🐈 +🌿+📝 = 😋)