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HOW TO APPROACH CLASSES A guide to getting the most out of your classes and lectures

By Eintsein

Design inspired by this post by @journalsanctuary

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01-09-17 Gametogenesis, Spermatogenesis & Oogenesis notes for my Developmental Biology! We’ve tackled it way back our Biology 1, how lovely i forgot most of them. 😅 We will have a test ‘bout this topic so i really need to study. Have a wonderful day everyone! ❁*:･ﾟ✧❁

ps. So touched with those studyblrs who keep on messaging me, i love you all! ˚₊*(ˊॢo̶̶̷̤◡ुo̴̶̷̤ˋॢ)*₊˚⁎

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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

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The ultimate packing list if you are going to study abroad this year

For many of us, the new school year/semester is coming very fast and very soon. For some of us, a new education year is nothing special - you just have to set the alarm clock back into ‘I have got to get up early’ mode and go to school, college, university or however you want to call it.

However, for some of us starting a new year means more. It is related to moving out of home sometimes into a new city or even into a new country. This is related to getting familiar in a new surrounding and starting a new life where you don’t know where to find the best coffee in town, how to ride the bus or how to speak the language (cheers to all langblrs out there ;) ).

For all of you who belong to the second type of people, I dedicate today’s post. Organizing all the things that are related to such a move and saying goodbye to all your loved ones needs enough energy. You should not spend your time thinking about all the items that you need to pack for the big journey. And for this reason, I provide you with the ultimate packing list if you are going to study abroad this year. If you’re missing something that you would never leave at home reblog this post and add your most important travel gadget/item!

With that being said, travel safely and pack wisely ;)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Bathroom

Bath towels

Brush

Face wash

First-aid kit

Flip-flops (in case you have to share your bathroom)

Floss

Hair straightener (no hairdryer, buy it at your destination)

Hand towels

Makeup (eyeliner, mascara, foundation, blush etc.)

Makeup remover

Nail products (nail polish, clippers, file)

Patches

Pain medication

Razor

Thermometer

Toothbrush

Toothpaste

Travel-sized shampoo, lotion, deodorant)

Bedroom

Alarm clock

Blanket

Decoration (e.g. pictures of your friends and family)

Earplugs

Favorite pillow

Mattress pad

Pillowcases

Sleeping mask

Electronics

All of your chargers

Batteries

Calculator

Extension leads

Headphones

Laptop

Smartphone

USB stick

Kitchen (buy this stuff at your destination)

Favorite candy from home

Kitchen scale

Misc

Bujo or a traveller’s journal

Driver’s licence

Extra bags

Financial aid information

Important addresses

Luggage tags with your contact details

Medical insurance card

Passport

Passport photos

Travel details & confirmation

Travel tickets

Visa

Water bottle

Wallet (Cash, coins and credit card)

Outdoor

Coat

Gloves

Hat

Jacket

Scarf

Sunglasses

Sun protection

Umbrella

Water-resistant boots

Water-resistant jacket

Wardrobe

Accessories (few, please!)

Bottoms

Blazer

Dress

Hoodie

Jeans

Pajamas

Shoes

Skirt

Socks

Sportswear and athletic shoes

Sweaters

Sweat pants

Tops

Undergarments

Extra tips

Before you overload all of your bags contact your university and try to find out which of the items they will provide. Perhaps there is something like a starter kit they offer so you do not have to carry bulky bed or kitchen items with you.

Take only your favorite clothes with you. But there is this fancy dress that you own that one day could look so cool? Leave it at home. You won’t wear it. Period.

Don’t take things with you that can be easily bought after your arrival. This includes hair dryers, kettles, flat irons, big bags, stationery, kitchen items etc.

In case you want to travel with additional luggage ask your airline before your departure date regarding their conditions. There are airlines that offer an online check-in for your additional luggage or a pre registration. If you take advantage of such offers you can save a few coins.

Don’t forget to make a (digital) copy of your most important documents and cards!

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“Productivity is about making smart choices (continuously) with your energy, focus and time in order to maximise your potential and achieve beneficial results.” – Mohammed Faris

1. Find your energy hours.

Everyone has a specific time in the day where their energy levels are much higher than usual. Use that time to your advantage. Take that energy and get the majority of your work done and out of the way.

For me, the mornings are usually when I feel the most energised, so I get to work straight away. To find your energy hours, try working at different times during the day. See which time of the day allows you to work at your very best.

2. Establish routines.

Once you have found your energy hours, base your day around this. Create a routine for each day of the week.

When do you study? When do you go to school? Do you relax for an hour after coming back from school? Do you tidy your room on Sunday?

Establish a schedule and you’re less likely to get side-tracked and much more likely to maximise your productivity.

3. Ditch the to-do lists.

Yes, it’s good to write lists of things you need to do, but you’re never going to get around to doing them if you don’t plan time for it. So instead of relying on a to-do list, add the task to your routine. Will you be able to work on this task on a Saturday afternoon? Great! Put it into your schedule. This will ensure the task is completed.

4. Don’t multi-task.

You can’t do multiple things at once. It seems like you’re able to, but what you’re really doing is constantly switching your attention from one task to another. Don’t do that. Focus on one thing at a time. That way, you’re putting all of your attention on a task and are likely to get it completed faster and at a higher standard.

5. Complete similar tasks together.

If you’re studying, instead of switching from subject to subject throughout the day, try to stick to one subject. On Monday, create flashcards for a Biology topic, then revise the topic and then do a Biology past paper. This will ensure your mind is concentrated on one thing at a time and not constantly switching gears.

So get your chores done together. Study one subject at a time. Send your e-mails and messages at one time. Dedicate today to your English essay. Don’t interrupt tasks with an unrelated task.

6. Finish quick and easy tasks first.

If you need to make a dentist appointment, do it. Do you need to write a quick e-mail to your teacher? Get it out of the way.

Finishing the quick and easy tasks right away will leave you with ample time to tackle the more challenging ones you’ve got up ahead. It will also give you peace of mind that you’ve gotten something done today.

7. Take breaks.

You’re not a machine. Productivity is not working 24/7.

“Being productive is about knowing when to have fun and when to work hard; when to relax and when to be serious. It’s about making smart choices.”

Allow your mind and body to take a break every now and then and relax. Scheduling these breaks can be beneficial so that you’re not constantly taking a break when you don’t need to.

8. Prioritise.

Yes, that idea you had on the train was appealing, but is it really that beneficial? Is it important enough for you to spend your valuable time and energy on it? Will it get you where you want to go? Probably not.

So prioritise projects and tasks. Ensure important tasks are completed first and well before any upcoming deadlines. Make sure that your time is better spent doing things that will actually benefit you and bring you closer to your goals.

9. Become accountable to someone.

It’s super easy to make promises to yourself, saying that you will do this and do that. Likewise, it’s also extremely easy to break those promises.

However, this is different when you have someone you are accountable to. Perhaps, at the end of every week, you can report to a parent or a trusted friend on your progress so far. It’s extremely difficult to tell someone that you haven’t accomplished your goals for the week. This will make it far more likely for you to get your work done.

10. Review your progress.

At the end of each day, you should evaluate your progress. What did you accomplish today? What did you do well? What did you not complete today? Why? How could you improve? When will you complete it?

Asking yourself these questions and being honest will help you see where you’re going right and where you’re not doing so well.

I hope this is useful to some of you and that you put your time and energy into good use. 😊

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As mentioned on my meal plan post, recipe finding can take up a lot of time so I’ve grouped up some yummy lunch ideas for you!! /ᐠ.ᆽ.ᐟ \

Pasta/Noodles:

cheese tomato alfredo bake

beef broth udon

teriyaki chicken with zucchini noodles

baked ziti

creamy spinach alfredo pasta

mac & cheese

lemon basil pasta

mushroom + soba noodles

lemon garlic shrimp pasta

4 ways to make penne

Rice:

chicken / spam sushi 

bacon egg fried rice

pineapple fried rice

sriracha mayo chicken rice balls

Others:

tortilla wrap ‘sushi’ roll 

cucumber ham rollups

spinach + feta cheese savoury muffins

cheddar corn fritters

cheesy potato bacon bake

chicken mozzarella sticks

shrimp avocado plantain cups

zucchini tots

Vegan:

Liv’s Healthy Life - 1 / 2 / 3

sweet potato brownies

thai basil noodles

fried brown rice + bell peppers & red beans

roasted pepper oregano pasta

brown rice pasta + sweet potato sauce w/ basil

brown rice + mushroom & kale

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Handwriting tag!!

Here is a sample of my handwriting - I thought fitting for my second post. I am trying to get into writing in a more cursive style because I think it is far more elegant but I usually write in print. (P.S. please ignore the weird paper)

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#optomstudies talking about using textbooks 📚📚📚! @slowtownstudies​ Unlike high school, teachers won’t usually assign specific pages or problem sets to do, and you’ll be using it as a supplement to your studies. There’s no one way of using textbooks because there are multiple types. 

Quick reference type

Characteristics: Usually pocket or A5 sized, bit hard to understand without having background knowledge first, basic dot point summaries. E.g. Wills Eye Manual and Kanski Clinical Ophthalmology Synopsis. 

Benefits of this type of txtbk: good for things you can forget easily, great to revise with before exams, doesn’t break your back to carry around. 

How to make notes: you don’t. Just read straight off them - they are quick reference and require you to understand concepts first. 

Explanatory type

Characteristics: thick, typically 2-3 inches in thickness, written in easy to understand language, as wordy and comprehensive as a print text can be whilst still being able to be carried home out of a bookshop, updated but usually not much difference between versions E.g. Campbell’s Biology. 

Benefits of this type of txtbk: can be studied from without attending lectures, easily readable even when university has sucked the life energy out of you, so comprehensive your lecture usually uses it as the basis of their lecture notes. 

How to make notes: 

Make your lecture summaries first

Get a good grasp of topic

Read textbook and jot down notes or write down on a post-it anything you didn’t already know/needed clarified/anything the textbook explained better. 

Use active reading and make sure you try and word it in your own way!

Add these post-its into your lecture summary notes

Springboard/Basics type

Characteristics: typically 1-2 inches thick, author will specifically say in their Preface that the book is intended to cover the basics, is updated regularly every few years often with overhauls of content. E.g. Kanski’s Clinical Ophthalmology. 

How to make notes: Similar to Explanatory type, but since it’s written more in a dot-point fashion, you’ll find it to be similar in format to your lecture notes. Judge on a case-by-case basis whether or not you want to make notes. 

MY WEEKLY STUDY TIPS

It’s too long to list everything so please see all original posts here, stationery here, bullet journal spreads here, and my study tips directory (web) :)

WHAT I WISH I’D KNOWN BEFORE UNIVERSITY STUDY TIPS SERIES

0 , 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10-1 , 10-2 Saving Money

11 Adapting to Uni Study new!!

12 How to Study From Textbooks in Uni coming 27.02.17!

SEE ALSO Selected Tips/From This Month

Time Management and Organisation

Overcoming the Planning Fallacy new!!

Study Spaces Masterpost , Great Laptop Options for Students , Catching Up with Your Studies

Printables: Weekly Planner with Extra Space for Sat/Sun

Self-Care/Other: Dealing with Bad Teachers , Bujo Maintenance , Sleeping and Waking Up Early

Subject Specific Tips: HSC English, Biology

My langblr vocab lists: 봄날 - BTS + Rookie - RV + more!

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Note Taking Tips

Hello! Sorry for the lack of original content lately… Extracurriculars amirite? Okay, so it’s been about a week into my last quarter of my freshman year, and man, the amount of notes/planning I’ve had to take this week have made hand cramps a daily inconvenience. Anyway, here are some tips I have on taking different kinds of notes!

Skeleton Notes

Okay, so skeleton notes are those little packets teachers hand out with most of the information already there. All you have to do is fill in the blanks. 

1. Pay attention

Okay my dudes, I know that everyone is guilty of zoning out and not paying attention while the teacher is droning on, and just pausing to fill in the blanks. (Especially me whoops) Honestly, paying attention to your teacher, (even while they’re going off on some random story you don’t care about) can be the difference between an A and a B.

2. Highlight

Okay, you should really be highlighting all your notes (for easier studying + aesthetic) but highlighting skeleton notes just makes it easier for you to pick out what is really important in the entire packet, and should cut down your studying time a ton.

Not going to lie, there’s really not that much you can do for skeleton notes. All you can do is make sure you fill in all the blanks, and that you pay attention to whatever the teacher may be saying. 

Lecture Notes

Okay, there is truly NOTHING I hate more than having to take notes while a teacher is lecturing. I hate not being able to see what I’m working on, and the fact that I’m relying on someone else to tell me EVERYTHING I need to know about a subject. Alas, they still exist, so here are some tips.

1. Don’t try to write everything down

Depending on how fast your teacher talks, no matter what, it’s going to be difficult to write EVERYTHING that the teacher says. Instead, quickly summarize, and try to keep along with the flow of what your teacher says, rather than writing every minuscule detail of what the teacher says. 

2. Make friends in the class

Even if you’re as antisocial as me (long long stories of horrible awkward silence), try to make friends in the class!! That way, you guys can compare notes and find out what each person thought was really important.

3. Rewrite your notes out

Let’s face it, when someone’s lecturing, you’re trying to move your hand as fast as the words come out of your teacher’s mouth. You’re not carefully thinking about what you might need to study/review later. By rewriting your notes out, it just helps cement what you did learn in the lecture, and what you might need to study later for the test. 

Freehand Notes

Freehand notes are actually my favorite notes. The teacher normally just throws on a powerpoint, or hands you a packet, and you have to write down whatever you deem important enough to study for later. 

1. Organize accordingly

The easiest way (at least for me) to set up freehand notes is to have a small header to place each piece of information. Keeping organized with any notes is obviously important, but since you’re the one most likely to be looking at your own freehand notes, it’s extremely important with freehand.

2. Color-code like your life depends on it

Again, (kind of an obvious one) but, even if you’re color-coding with all the rest of your notes, it’s so much more important with freehand notes. You want to make sure you have a set system for everything you do in freehand, so it’s easier to study and review later.

Check out another good post on how to take notes here by @textbookellie​

Good luck! (Sorry if this was difficult to read/understand…)

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Life-Hack

google search any topic followed by ‘filetype:ppt’ and only powerpoints will come up, or a textbook or subject name followed by ‘filetype:pdf’ to find free textbooks in pdf form

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Just in case you need a fresh look for your new tabs page! 

Leoh Momentum Lanes Tabby Cat Tabbie Earth View

Reply with your favourite or other great options I didn’t include :D

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Hey guys! I am new to the studyblr community - well I have had a blog for some time but I haven’t really posted anything of my own. I am about to (hopefully) start at university in September as a fresher studying psychology, so this seemed like a good time.

5 things about me:

1. I am 18 years old and am from the UK (London to be specific) and have just finished secondary school.

2. I have suffered with fairly severe anxiety for about 2 years now, particularly when it comes to social situations and claustraphobic places (e.g. an exam hall  :( )

3. I did Psychology, Biology and Classical Civilisation for my A2 and dropped History at AS

4. I really want to learn a language at least semi-fluently

5. My guilty pleasure is looking at (and falling in love with) other people’s handwriting

Blogs that inspire me on the daily:

I have fallen in love with so many blogs but these one’s have a special place in my heart (because they are just beautiful) @juniorincollege @studyingnectar @equaticns @kerrystudies @stvdybuddies @vestiblr @sfstudy @studywithmariana @etudiez @emmastudies

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14.09.16 • 13:51PM revising the entire of last year before second year starts.

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Organizing my day.✨

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So beautiful 💖

二十力

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I’m officially planner obsessed..

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A compilation of chrome extensions and iOS + Android apps (some are paid and some are free)  °☆.。.:*・°☆

| For your computer |

fliqlo

momentum

lanes

clarity

embark

minimal clock

infinity

currently

polar clock

caffeine

f.lux

be limitless

leoh

dream afar

| For your note taking |

evernote

onenote

simplenote

somnote

iNotes

notability

notes plus

google keep

quip

inkflow visual notebook

jot

good notes

noteshelf

| For your to-do lists | 

wunderlist 

moo.do

todoist

habitica

trello

any.do 

priority matrix

do

glass planner

swipes

timetune

| For your planners + calendars |

myStudyLife

myHomework

sunrise calendar

google calendar

plan

sol calendar

| For your timing + focus | 

tide

forest

pomotodo

flat tomato

pomello

pomodrone

clearfocus 

tomato timer 

30/30

focusnow

tasks and measures

self control

stayfocusd

timewarp

cold turkey

atimelogger

writer’s block

| For your presentations |

prezi

powerpoint

emaze

raw shorts

powtoon

| For your storage | 

google drive

dropbox

| For your mindmaps + diagrams | 

mindmeister

lucidchart

goconqr

gliffy

google drawings

| For your tests + flashcards | 

goconqr

quizlet

flashcards+

anki

| For your writings | 

zotero

grammarly

hemingway

| For your health |

fabulous

plant nanny

safetrek

sleep bot

sleep better

to bed

nike + running

waterlogged

period tracker

weight loss coach

health mapper

medisafe

| For your inner peace  | 

stop, breathe & think

headspace

pacifica

noisli

sleepio

infinite storm

relax melodies

calm

sam

thunderspace

mindshift

taomix

i am

pillow

binaural