study-diaries

[study-diaries]

Currently I'm working on a post "Soft skills to develop before college" and I've been researching about it. Taking my own experiences, my sibling's experiences and even my parents'. And I just want to know.

I've included more, of course but I've included like the most common ones that people lack the most? I'll mostly post this around next week so bear with me xD

[study-diaries]

hi i really really like your blog and i love how your studying is not just random motivational drives and adrenaline rushes but consistent throughout the whole time.

i recently joined a ug program. until now, i'm just used to writing down whatever notes the teachers dictated and if not, i'd always underline the important stuff for textbooks and study that way. but now, i'm apparently required to write running notes. could you please give me some tips on that? thank you

Hello !! :)

First of all, I'm really glad you like my blog. You have no idea how much this means to me. Like, seriously, I think whatever you say is going to carry me throughout the next week. I'm happy to hear that my content is helping at least someone. So thank you. I really appreciate it <33

Let's get into the tips now!

How To Take Running Notes

Honestly, I have loads of tips for this because I've been taking running notes my whole life. And I sometimes, I don't even do detailed notes after class because these notes suffice. These have always worked for me, and I hope they work for you too <3

Go Through The Topic Before Class

Skimming through chapter before the class starts is something that has always worked for me. It gives you some clarity and you'd feel a bit more confident in the lecture.

Listen. Write Key Words.

The key for writing running notes is to listen. And note down the important key words alone. Suppose, let's say I'm talking about goodwill here.

The teacher says "Goodwill in business is an intangible asset that's recorded when one company is purchased by another. It's the portion of the purchase price that's higher than the sum of the net fair value of all of the assets purchased in the acquisition and the liabilities assumed in the process."

The key words would be the most relevant to the topic. In this case,

Intangible asset

Company buys another

Extra paid above net assets and liabilities.

You Do Not Have To Write Down Everything Your Teacher Says !!!

Keep It Simple. No Grammar Or Punctuation.

You note down the key words during class and then you expand on the topic later after the class is over. So, don't focus on making perfect notes with impeccable grammar and punctuation.

Simplicity is the best when it comes to this type of note taking.

Use Only Words. Not Sentences.

Drawings Or Visuals

Draw small visuals if you think you can keep up with the teacher easier like that. Sometimes, I don't even write what the keywords are. I just draw out the example that the teacher says and then when I look back at the notes, I immediately understand it.

Visuals stick better than words ever will.

Use Symbols, Abbreviations And Arrows

Use these helps to increase your speed of note taking. Instead of writing "Because", write "bc". Use small symbols like &, @ or %. Then use arrows to connect these ideas. This will help a lot. You'll find yourself keeping up with the teacher.

Relate It To Other Things. [Memory Trick]

This is my personal favorite. You don't just write the keywords. You relate them to something personal. For example, when the topic of company clauses came up in class, the first thing that came to my mind was my family's business. So, I wrote the name of their company and just the name of these clauses because I already had seen them live.

You can relate it to anything. From books to tv shows to movies. And personal experiences too.

Go Through The Notes After Class

The important thing about taking notes is to review them later. Expanding your class notes after class is a must. Running notes won't help you in the long run much.

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Additional Posts That Might Be Helpful:

Questions To Figure Out Your Progress [Academically]

How To Study Using The "Story Method"

How To Study Anything At 10x Speed

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Ebooks And Templates:

How To Self Study [Ultimate Productivity Guide] + Exercises.

Time Management Planner Template [Free]

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Support Me On Ko-fi: study-diaries

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I hope this helps! :)

[study-diaries]

Best Time Management Techniques I've Used. (Academics + Extracurriculars)

Managing your time for energy and extracurricular activities can be challenging, especially when everything you do is overwhelming, requires your attention, and has deadlines that are too close to each other.

These are some of my best time management techniques that I have personally used, the ones that have changed my life and can possibly change yours too.

There's a free template at the end of the post too! Be sure to check it out :)

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Question Your Time

If you take a look at your day, you might think that you're doing too much (or nothing at all). That is because you have no idea what you're actually doing and how you're spending your free time, which leads to precious time being wasted.

How It Works:

Take a look at your normal day. Ask the following questions and more. Ask as many questions as possible on your time spent:

What am I actually doing every day?

What is an activity that I do almost every day for more than an hour that is actually unnecessary? [Likely social media]

Do I study for at least 2 hours?

Am I finishing up on my projects and deadlines?

Does my calendar really reflect my current goals?

Time Grouping & Blocking

Time grouping is basically when you group similar tasks together. If you have Maths and Science homework, each around 40-45 mins, you don't do them together in different sessions.

Many make the mistake of spacing out their study and homework sessions. It takes more time in the long run, and sometimes you can't actually get anything done. So, group your time!

How It Works:

You must assign a time slot for the task, and you don't do anything else during that time. You block everything else and focus on one thing.

Golden Hour = Morning

This is an advice that I ignored for most of my high school life. Why? Because I believed that mornings were meant for sleeping in and that I'd be too tired. That was a negative belief.

How It Works:

You get up in the morning and your brain is active and flowing with creative energy. This only occurs when actually have a full 8 hours of sleep, by the way. If you sleep at 1 am and try to get up at 6? That is not going to be possible. Literally.

No Routine = Just Work

Most people hate mornings because they have this perception that mornings must have a load of steps and routines. Throughout senior year, I had only three tasks in the morning,

Get Up

Drink coffee

Read The Quran

Hit The Books

If you compare my routine with some of my friends? Unnecessary steps that bog you down. I know some people who do a full 10-step skin care in the morning, dress up, eat, and by the time they get to work or sit down to study? They're drained.

It's not exactly wrong to dress up and eat, etc. But my point is, you can at least get 1 hour of work done before doing anything else. Your focus is laser sharp when you get up. So, use it.

Take your four main tasks and don't add anything else. And follow them.

Eat The Frog

“If it’s your job to eat a frog, it’s best to do it first thing in the morning. And if it’s your job to eat two frogs, eat the biggest one first.”

In simple words? Face your hardest, most important task first, before you get distracted with any other thing.

Honestly, I've heard many say that sometimes it gets overwhelming to do a huge task first thing in the morning and complete it. You feel drained the entire day, and I actually agree, it does. So, here's a simpler way.

Divide Your Work Into 4 Stages:

Outline : Draw a basic overview. What should be done? How will I get it done? Basic steps I need to follow? When is the deadline?

Research : Collect basic information to do the task. That includes articles, journals or just notes.

Draft : This is your prototype. You draft your work into the refining stage.

Final : You keep refining it until you are at the final project. This is the stage where you add the small details.

This flow makes you feel less overwhelmed and gives you more clarity to actually sit down and work.

One In Advance Rule

Look, it's really easy. Your assignment is due in two weeks? Complete it by next week. Project due in one month. Complete it a week in advance.

This is necessary because, when you start early, you finish it earlier than others so you can actually focus on some studying rather than wasting your time managing assignments and tests.

You'll actually notice the difference in your stress levels when everything doesn't pile up.

The trick is to complete everything before one week of the deadline.

Hour Sprints: 1-4 Hours Break Sprints = Work Hours ÷ 2

Hour sprints basically refer to doing your day's work in around 1-3 hours. And honestly, I didn't think this would work but it does. You might have to be patient and slowly increase your time to avoid burnout.

There were times when I worked straight for around 5-6 hours after I had increased my work time, pushing little by little every day. The burnout doesn't last long but the fruits of this method are really worth it.

Breaks are really necessary. I advise you to not allot a certain time limit for the break. Rather take a break when you actually feel tired. If you've worked for 2 hours straight, then you deserve an hour of rest. If you worked for just 30 mins and you feel tired, take 15 mins as your break.

Divide your work time by half and that is your break time.

Energy Mapping

Observe your past three days and find out when your energy is high, medium and low. Based on this, align your tasks according to your energy flows.

High Energy = Deep Work Like Intensive Studying And Creative Projects

Medium Energy = Outlining Your Projects, Skimming Notes, Active Recall

Low Energy = Passive Study & Chores

This is based on my own energy mapping.

How It Works:

Track Yourself for 3 Days

Every 2–3 hours, jot down:

What you were doing

Your energy level ( 1–5)

Your mood (😊😐😣)

Now, figure out yours.

Rule Of Three = Daily, Weekly, Monthly

See, the thing about extra curriculars is that you have to handle academics and family commitments at the side too. So, here's the rule of three:

You choose three tasks/goals for the day, week and month. And you focus on that alone. Only that. Nothing else.

How To Figure Out Those Goals?

Monthly:

What is the top three priority goals/tasks this month?

Pick Three And Break It Down Into Weekly Goals.

Weekly:

What is the top three priorities this week to achieve my monthly goals/tasks ?

Pick Three And Break It Down Into Daily Goals.

Daily:

What are the three actionable steps that I must do everyday to achieve my weekly & monthly goals/tasks?

Pick Three And Follow.

Non-Negotiable Rules For Managing Calendar:

Here are some rules that you can not break when you're planning your calendar:

If it's not on your calendar. It does not exist.

Add your class timings first

Study time should be scheduled daily

Enter extracurricular activities/deadlines as soon as you know

At least a 20 min gap between two things is non-negotiable

Every day must have at least 1 hour of "Me Time"

No more than 3 extra curriculars

Plan every Sunday. Tweak it every day

Get Your Free Template

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Additional Posts That Might Help:

How To Self Study

How To Study Concept-Oriented Subjects

How To Study For Longer Hours

An Absolute Guide To Manage Your Time And Energy For School

How To Better Your Overall High School Experience From A Recently Passed Out Student

How To Study Multiple Subjects

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Ebook:

How To Self Study [Ultimate Productivity Guide] + Exercises. => Get It On -- Ko-fi

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I hope this helps!

[study-diaries]

Productive Things To Do Over Senior Year Summer Year [Guide + List]

Here is something that most don't tell you. After high school is over, everyone goes into a break mode. Which is completely fine, but the tricky part comes when they completely spend the days scrolling Instagram and watching YouTube videos.

I'm not against social media, definitely no. But I still feel that there is a way to productively use that time spent on your phone. I also don't believe in blindly hustling, so this is fully going to be customized and focused on what you specifically want. Literally.

So, here's how to have a productive and fun summer break.

Step 1: Figure Out What You Want

You have to honestly answer these questions in order for this to work. No influences.

So, take a pen and let's figure it out together: -

What are you currently interested in? (Could be anything. Literally. Finance, marketing, riding a bike, photography)

What kind of person do I want to be by the end of this summer? (Give every detail. Is it productive with a skill? Or is it just a more peaceful person with a more stable mindset?)

What opportunities might come in the next year that I want to be prepared for? (Again, you have to think about this. All on your own)

What times of day am I most focused?

What responsibilities do I need to work around? (family, chores, part-time jobs etc)

Once you have the answers to these questions, you have a general idea of what you want to do, not what you have to do or whatever your delusional idea of productivity is.

Step 2: Create Your Plan

Based on whatever those answers are, create a plan. Not just any plan, it should be something you like. See, most don't like school because they don't see the point of it, they get restricted access of learning that depends mostly on grades.

This would be something that you chose on your own, so obviously there are more chances of you getting it down and actually being excited for it.

So, Make a list of around 3-4 goals that you have to reach by the end of summer. It could be anything. Learning a skill, language or just habit building.

Step 3: Hack Your Algorithms

I don't think most people highlight this specific thing but it's honestly really easy. Social media is not the problem, literally it's not. Here's an easy way to use it that is actually productive:

Search For Things That You Want To Learn.

Watch Content Only Related To That.

If you look at my YouTube homepage, you'd only find business, marketing, coding and finance related videos. Because that is what I actually watch. My screen time on YouTube is at least 3-4 hours. And that is what gets recommended to me every time I open any platform. The more you search for content you're interested about, the more it gets recommended to you.

Step 4: Take Action

I could give you a blueprint and it would not be enough if you don't follow it. So, take actions. Literally. Mini steps every day that pile up when you look back after 3 months.

Small actions performed consistently every day for a week is better than time intensive actions performed only once a week.

Step 5: Have Fun Too. Major Priority

Just because you find yourself wanting to be productive, that doesn't mean you should completely ignore having fun. Set your goals, take steps and actually have fun too.

You need a holistic development plan, not a narrow one. So, go out, have sleepovers, plan loosely and actually live.

You can be productive and fun!

A List Of 15 Things [For People Who Actually Have No Idea What They Want To Do]

📖 Read — Fiction, non-fiction, historical... just something that moves you. 🧑‍💻 Take a course — Online or offline. Choose something you’re curious about. 🎨 Learn basic graphic design — Try Canva, Photoshop, or GIMP . Anything. 💸 Start learning financial literacy — Budgeting, saving, investing. 🎬 Watch documentaries — Pick a topic that fascinates you and dive straight in 🚶 Go on walks — Move your body, appreciate your surroundings 💪 Exercise — It doesn’t have to be intense. Just to keep yourself active. 🧺 Plan a picnic with friends — No productivity, just having fun. 👨‍💻 Learn to code — There are so many free resources. Learn anything. Front end. Backend. 🧹 Declutter your surroundings — Because it helps you to clear your mind. 🛏️ Clean your room and move stuff around — You probably haven't done that in a while. 👩‍🏫 Tutor someone — Keeps you occupied. You help someone and can even charge some meagre charges. 🖌️ Paint, draw, or create — Creativity is really important. 📓 Journal your thoughts — Just let it out. No prompts. Just write what you feel 🍳 Learn to cook — It helps in the long run and you get to eat it later ;)

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I hope it helps ! :)

[study-diaries]

Eid ul Adha Mubarak!🌙

تقبلله معنا و منكم

Taqabbalallahu minna wa minkum

May Allah accepts (good deeds) from you and us✨❤️

[study-diaries]

Just wanted to say this.

If you're bad at a subject in school. That doesn't mean you are bad at the subject. Seriously. You can be really really good and still get low grades at exams because schools are entirely dependent on grading systems which sometimes don't suit most students.

So, if you're thinking that you aren't good enough or that you lack something in a particular subject even after studying for hours on end. Then, consider going through your grading system and answer the questions accordingly.

[study-diaries]

Just wanted to say this.

If you're bad at a subject in school. That doesn't mean you are bad at the subject. Seriously. You can be really really good and still get low grades at exams because schools are entirely dependent on grading systems which sometimes don't suit most students.

So, if you're thinking that you aren't good enough or that you lack something in a particular subject even after studying for hours on end. Then, consider going through your grading system and answer the questions accordingly.

[study-diaries]

Focus on being productive instead of busy.

[study-diaries]

E-Book Launch

How To Self Study [Ultimate Productivity Guide] + Exercises.

Description:

I know your first thought — how do I know this will help me? Because I didn’t just write it, all these tips are tried and tested by me.

I was homeschooled during my sophomore year with 6 subjects, language classes, and extracurriculars — life was messy. Chaotic, even, but I still managed to get straight A's in my finals. Then, I returned to school for junior and senior year, got straight A’s, and most importantly, I figured out what actually works when you're studying by yourself.

You won’t find Pomodoro or flashcards because they honestly didn't work for me. Instead, I’ll share some things that truly worked for me:

DNNs (Daily Non Negotiables)

Improvement Sheets

FTF Method

20-second breaks and many more

Every tip in this guide has been tried and tested. I didn’t include anything I haven’t used myself.

If even one method here makes studying a little easier, or a bit more doable for you, then I’ll be really happy.

Links:

Get It On -- Ko-fi

I hope this works for you <3

[study-diaries]

Day 7 [Semantics In HTML]

Introduction To HTML

Day 2 [Multimedia Elements In HTML]

Day 3 [Table in HTML]

Day 4 [Link Tag In HTML]

Day 5 [Lists In HTML]

Day 6 [Forms In HTML]

Code:

Line By Line Explanation:

Semantic Tags in HTML give clear meaning to the code. These are tags like:

<header>: Used for the title of the page.

<nav>: Contains navigation links of the website.

<main>: The main part of the page.

<section>: A group of content that is similar.

<article>: A group of content that is an independent piece.

<aside>: Extra info, like side notes.

<footer>: The bottom of the page that contains the copy rights and additional info.

Navigation Tag:

The navigation tag must be within an unordered list tag. And each item of that list must contain the link tag that should have the URL of that specific page.

Comments In HTML:

It is a note in your code that the browser ignores.

It’s just for you to read.

You can use it to explain your code or temporarily hide some code.

Syntax Of A Comment:

<!-- This Is A Comment -- >

Output Of The Code:

Notes: The arrows and the words in red are something I included. It is not included in the code!

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Hope This Helps :)

[study-diaries]

THERE ARE NO USELESS MAJORS!!

Learning about theater is important! Learning about art is important! Learning about sociology is important! Learning about history is important! Learning about anthropology is important! Learning about philosophy important! Learning about music is important! Learning about English is important! Learning about dance is important! Learning about photography is important! Learning about art history is important! Learning about ethnic studies is important! Learning about theology is important! Learning about performing arts is important!

Usefulness does not equal high income!

All education is important!

[study-diaries]

Day 6 [Forms In HTML]

Introduction To HTML

Day 2 [Multimedia Elements In HTML]

Day 3 [Table in HTML]

Day 4 [Link Tag In HTML]

Day 5 [Lists In HTML]

Forms are basically used for collecting user information. And they are really important to learn. Here's a simple form in HTML:

Code:

Line By Line Explanation:

<form>: Used for creating forms. All the form elements go in this tag. Action: When submitted, data is sent to this file or URL [index.html] Method="post": Sends data

<label> : This describes the input tag for="___": Connects the label to the input with id="name" id : gives a unique identification to the tag <input>: It's used to make the form elements

<input> Type Elements :

type="text" : A simple text box is created.

type="email" : A box to input email.

type="checkbox" : A small square that users can tick. Can select multiple options using this.

type="radio" : A small circle, you can only select one option.

type="submit" : A button that submits the data to the server.

<textarea>: Accepts multiple lines of text. rows="4": It creates 4 lines cols="30": It creates 30 characters

<select> : Creates a drop-down list <option>: Creates an item in the dropdown. value="colorname": This is the data sent to the server if chosen.

Output For The Code:

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Hope This Helps !!

[study-diaries]

The past few days, I was running around for college applications; the process is almost done. Here's an update:

I'm currently two weeks away from going to college. It's honestly a bit nerve-wracking. I didn't choose a major that everyone around me expected, and I keep having second thoughts, but I do know that it's something that I really want.

So with that being said, high school is finally over.

I just have to go and collect some paperwork from my school in June, but other than that, it's done. And I have a load of ideas right now; one of them includes giving basic tips on the high school to college transition phase and adapting to that life. Longer classes. New people. New environments. Diverse cultures. And of course, new learning styles, because how you learn also changes.

And of course, I won't give you tips just yet because college hasn't really started, but I have a couple of ideas, and I'll only give tips that I actually followed, so.... Choose one xD

And of course, I definitely won't post it soon. I'll need time because I don't really want to give bad tips or anything like that.

[study-diaries]

What to do during breaks? (as in no school)

In terms of preparing for the next semester or year…

Hey Anon! :D

How To Productively Use Time During Breaks For Preparing

These are some tips that I've used after experimenting with a lot of things

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Not More Than 2–3 Hours

I recommend this because you have a high possibility of burning out during school weeks if you even study during breaks. So, this is why just three hours is more than enough. Spend your time enjoying too.

Concentrate On Basics

This is one of the best ways to spend your breaks. If you're weak in a particular subject [Mine was Accounts], I spent my summer and my term breaks strengthening my accounting basics.

It helped so much when school started because everyone was trying to catch up on the advanced topics, but I could straightaway start with the year's materials. So, build your basics or revise that year's topics. Most of the subjects are just built in layers. So if you learn something in junior year, then it will likely appear in senior year but a bit more advanced.

Watch Concept Videos [Basics or Coming Term/Semester]

You could go through the syllabus for the next term or year and, based on that, watch videos related to that on YouTube. You can first go through the coming year's topics, and then you can decide if you're confident with new topics or if you still haven't figured out the basics. But these really help.

Prepare Cheat Sheets In Advance

If you get your hands on the coming year's textbook, then go through the chapters and write all the formulas or theorems [Shorten them]. Those are your cheat sheets for the whole term/year. Great for revision. You can even start practicing with this, but it's good to have these cheat sheets.

Complete Language Papers

I had two languages all throughout high school. And this trick always worked for me. A week before school starts, I'd literally sit and complete reading through my English and Arabic textbooks. I didn't do the exercises, but I completed all the lessons and sometimes even had short notes of the story ready. It doesn't take much time to complete your language syllabus. I always recommend this.

Tackle Your Grammar

Take it a step further [if you want] and revise or learn new grammar topics. I say this because, honestly, grammar takes some time to soak in, so by the time school starts, you'll have confidence with your language papers. Which honestly makes your work easier in the long run.

Improve Math [If You Have A Number Based Paper]

If you have any paper that is number-based, then work on your mental math. Practice with it. It helps during exams and saves a lot of time. Literally. Especially if you're not allowed to use a calculator. Memorize the square and cube roots from 1 to 10. Or anything else that matters.

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Do take time to rest because, honestly, this is the time you'll get to rest. So, enjoy too xD

Other than that, I hope this helps you :)

[study-diaries]

I think nobody says this, but it's completely okay to take up what you actually want as a major. It doesn't matter if people tell you that you have the capability to do more or that you don't. If you want to do a particular major. Go for it. And I'm telling you, you'll definitely ask yourself, "Am I doing this right?" but I think it's worth following something you're passionate about. You don't have to give justification for doing what you love.

[study-diaries]

Friendly Advice

Decide your major early. And don't tell anyone about it. At least not your teachers or people who will change your mind. It's application week here, and I was close to banging my head against the wall. It's not supposed to be difficult until you make it difficult. So, do what you wanna do. You do know it. You just need to shut off the noise that keeps telling you what you "have" to do.

[study-diaries]

Hey hello!!!

Do you book recommendations for html or Java??

Hope you're ok

Hey there!

Well, I don't really know any books for HTML. But I do know some other resources for it that might be helpful. [I don't know any for Java. Right now, I'm only focusing on frontend development for now.]

W3Schools: This is the only website I suggest for learning any coding language.

Dave Gray [YouTube] HTML 4 hour crash course

Dave Gray [Youtube] CSS 11 hour crash course

Dave Gray [YouTube] JavaScript 8 hour crash course

SuperSimpleDev [Youtube] 6 hour crash course (HTML + CSS)

SuperSimpleDev [YouTube] 22 hour crash course (JavaScript)

Right now, I'm only doing these [trying to] It's going well till now, so I think it would be helpful for you.

Have a great day ! :D